Lately I’ve been realizing that it is time to reach out to others who are embarking on the journey of leaving the Amish, which I made more than thirty years ago. I am especially moved to do so when a young woman, who just left her very strict community, stepped into my life. The gap between an eighth grade education […]
The Amish Descendent Scholarship Fund Read More »
This is the conclusion of my paper The Ramifications of Wisconsin v. Yoder. I have bolded the compelling arguments, as before. If the Supreme Court had required the Amish to educate their children through tenth grade, the Amish may have found a creative way of integrating this education into their communities, rather than send their children to public high schools.
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Here is another segment of my paper. I have put in bold the arguments I find the most compelling. Professor Joel Feinberg assessed this case. Like Justice Heffernan, he understood the intricacies involved. First he acknowledged the case for the exemption: The case for the exemption was a strong one. The Amish sincerity is beyond question. The simple “unworldly” life
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Professor Feinberg pointed out that American courts have long held that the state has a “sovereign power of guardianship” over minors, which confers upon it the right, or perhaps even the duty, to look after the interests of those who are incapable of protecting themselves. After all, compulsory education laws are designed to end child labor and increase literacy rates
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Below is part two of my paper about the Wisconsin v. Yoder case. I’ve highlighted in bold those arguments I find most compelling. Oddly, it is the parents’ religious freedom Justice Hallows is aiming to protect, but the youth, who cannot speak for themselves, are left without advocates for protection of their religious (and educational) rights, or what Professor Feinberg
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Of all the questions I get at my book talks, none will get a more passionate response than when someone asks about Amish and why they limit their education to eight grades. Many people are under the impression that education is limited for girls only, but in this case the deprivation is equally shared between the genders. I can never
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