Can You Buy Amish Products?

[pomtzu]

And in the Far East, people eat dogs and cats.

How much do you think is in your home right now that was "Made in China", and you bought it without so much as the blink of an eye?

I'm not directing this post to anyone - just hoping it might open eyes.

[kokopup]

by happylabs

Unfortuntately, most Amish do not think of their animals as pets. They use them for farming, as a tool, and I feel they treat their horses terribly. I have a lot of Amish around me. They work their horses to death. I have seen them foaming from heat exhaustion. I have also seen them use whips on them. I guess they are exempt a lot of times from the laws and rules we are required to abide by.

It is a fact that all dogs are not pets. Down through history dogs and Horses have been used for work. With dogs there is a working class that a great number of dogs fall into. There are many farmers that would be lost without their herders. These dogs thrive on work. They are happiest when working. Maybe you are the abuser,if you have a working class dog laying around the house doing nothing. Most dogs and horses were breed to do work for men. The fact that we now call them pets, does not make those still using them for work abusers.

[columbine]

It's a slippery slope. Unless you're going to go 100% vegan and not swat mosquitoes or take drugs to kill flu germs, you're making judgments every day as to how to deal with animals.

I think the important thing is to be conscious about your choices, to gather plenty of information and think clearly about what you're deciding. Humans must kill to live, even if it's just a carrot or a cauliflower; and many of us simply don't have the resources to live 100% cruelty-free. But you can take small steps when you find something that you can stick with, or even just indulge when you're feeling flush - avoiding buying from a specific Amish community that's known to run a puppy mill, buying free-range eggs, cutting down on meat - rather than bogging down in absolutes. Mahatma Gandhi said, "Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it."

Love, Columbine (who will be bringing steaks to two cookouts this weekend, but considers them a "special treat")

[Asiel]

I don't support them because we have only one community of them here and I've watched how they treat their horses and dogs. If we had the genuine farms where you could buy real canned goods and leather wear I would buy from them. But the puppy mills here and the way those animals are treated just fon't make me want to go near the place. Their kids aren't treated that well either, probably my main reason for not supporting them.

I didn't realize they didn't make the heater but only the cabinet, does anyone know how well they work?

[cassiesmom]

I voted "other" and here is why.

My family had a kitchen and bathroom remodeling business until the beginning of '09. One of the cabinet lines we were a dealer for was Dutch Made, which is produced in eastern Indiana. Some of the craftsmen are Mennonite and Amish. When I was in high school, we toured the plant. I have to say those cabinet makers truly are craftsmen - it was amazing to watch them work. Ironically, when the business closed, the building was sold to a young man who is a descendant of an Amish family, although he is not Amish.

I know there have been sad stories of young people who left Amish families, as well as how their animals are treated. I don't know enough about either of those issues to comment. And I suppose that by eating in a café that employed Mennonite women, I supported a household that might be engaging in these behaviors. But the same could be said of eating in any café. I enjoy going to central Illinois and (especially) lovely Indiana Amish country because I find it very peaceful - my life can move just a little more slowly while I'm there.

[Pam]

I have gone to Lancaster, PA many time and have bought many Amish made things and will continue to do so. You can't throw out the baby with the bath water. Unless someone is selling dogs right along with their quilts I would not have a problem patronizing them. The people I have an additional problem with are the pet shops of America who buy from them. If they didn't, the Amish supply would dry up.

[chocolatepuppy]

And in the Far East, people eat dogs and cats.

How much do you think is in your home right now that was "Made in China", and you bought it without so much as the blink of an eye?

I'm not directing this post to anyone - just hoping it might open eyes.

Good point.

The people I have an additional problem with are the pet shops of America who buy from them. If they didn't, the Amish supply would dry up.

Very good point Pam.
I'm not crazy about the Amish, living near enough them to see what goes on. I don't agree all are bad though as with any group of people. They don't see their animals as pets like we do, but they aren't alone in that. I have bought a few items that were Amish made and would again although I don't go out of my way to.

[Cataholic]

It's a slippery slope. Unless you're going to go 100% vegan and not swat mosquitoes or take drugs to kill flu germs, you're making judgments every day as to how to deal with animals.

I think the important thing is to be conscious about your choices, to gather plenty of information and think clearly about what you're deciding. Humans must kill to live, even if it's just a carrot or a cauliflower; and many of us simply don't have the resources to live 100% cruelty-free. But you can take small steps when you find something that you can stick with, or even just indulge when you're feeling flush - avoiding buying from a specific Amish community that's known to run a puppy mill, buying free-range eggs, cutting down on meat - rather than bogging down in absolutes. Mahatma Gandhi said, "Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it."

I like this post. I am not sure I agree 100% that people must kill to live, as I don't see 'killing' a vegetable the same way I see killing an animal. I do like to live as cruelty free as I can.

I have heard that the Amish treat their animals horribly. I know that doesn't mean all Amish do this. OT- I find much to be unhappy with when understanding how many religious people feel about animals. The Amish are just part of that group. To me, the more religiously exacting one claims to be the further from holiness I find them.

[Pinot's Mom]

I voted "other" - I have Amish products in my home; our whole set of deck furniture was hand crafted to my specs by an Amish man in Southern Maryland. He was a very nice man with beautiful children, a seemingly well run organization and farm where no abuse of animal or human appeared to me. The reason I said "other" is because I don't want to give an absolute that I can't back up. I might do more investigation into the Amish I might buy from in the future, and I can't say whether that will happen or not. I wouldn't, however, have a problem dealing with that specific man again.

If there was ever any indication of any abuse with the Amish I considered dealing with, of course I'd walk away. But a really good point was made before: Originally Posted by pomtzu
"And in the Far East, people eat dogs and cats.

How much do you think is in your home right now that was "Made in China", and you bought it without so much as the blink of an eye?

I'm not directing this post to anyone - just hoping it might open eyes."
How much do we really know about many of the producers of the products we purchase?

[angelbow20]

I see nothing wrong with buying stuff from certain amish, My grandfather is very good friends with some Amish and when my grandmother passed away they came and paid there respects to her. While my grandmother was sick she had a bird that she loved dearly and her Doctor told her to get rid of it so the amish friends took it and still have it as a pet, They have many pets and dont seem to treat them bad at all. They have no children so they treat the animals like children! It depends on the amish. I see amish everyday and buy things from them also sometimes, they actually re did our roof and they were ALOT cheaper than anyone else and did an amazing job and got it finished fast. There is puppy mills that other people run who arent amish so its not right to judge all amish I guess.

[sana]

I don't even know what Amish is... hehe....sorry, hey, I'm just 13...Where I get my puppies is from my dad's friends, their dogs give birth to babies and we get a few from them for free! And kitties, from the alley nest to our house. We don't buy kitties, we just bring them home if they snuggle on our feet. Like one did on my bro's foot and he brought him home.

[Karen]

I don't even know what Amish is... hehe....sorry, hey, I'm just 13...

Sana, that could be a good research project for you some time, and maybe you could get credit and write a paper on them for school. It is a religious sect in some areas of the US and Canada, who does not use modern technology, electricity, etc., but farms and lives that way. Fascinating culture, though the puppy mill people amongst them casts a bad light on them all unnecessarily.

[sana]

Oh! yeah ok! I got it! Thanks Karen, you reminded me who they are, we once read about them in...Chemistry or Biology, the food chapter, they came in it that there was a sect of people or something who didn't eat all those oily foods, they had a proper and good diet. Yeah they didn't use modern technology. Guess what I am awake in the middle of the night, School at 7:30 and its 4:00 right now, I should be sleeping...