Beyond ‘Leave Us Alone’: Plain People and the Two-Way Street of Religious Liberty
Amish are often characterized as wanting nothing more than to be “left alone” by government authorities. Yet, from buggy electrification laws pushed by some Amish
Ohio Legislature’s Late-Night Rider Proposes Fees for Requesting Police Body Cam Footage under Ohio’s Public Records Act
In the pre-dawn hours between December 19 and 20, Ohio legislators attached a consequential rider to a bill, establishing fees ranging from $75 to $750
Flashing Lights and Flickering Rights:
Recent Religious Infringement Injunction Ruling, with Critical Insights for Public Officials
For over two years, Ohio law enforcement has issued citations to Amish individuals—almost entirely Swartzentruber Amish—who religiously object to electrifying their buggies with flashing yellow
Beyond the Ballot Box Margins
Further Insights from Amish News Coverage in Pennsylvania's Political Theater
Three weeks ago, I outlined how plain people’s growing numbers in Pennsylvania create an intriguing electoral dynamic—a demographic that doesn’t play by conventional political rules
An Emerging Non-Voter Bloc:
The Dilemma of Plain People in Pennsylvania’s Political Chessboard
In the high-stakes chess game of Pennsylvania politics—the state poised to declare “checkmate” in the 2024 presidential election—there’s a piece on the board that doesn’t
Buggy Safety or Religious Infringement?
Ohio's New Flashing Light Law Brings Coordinated Response after 200+ Citations to Swartzentruber Amish
Four Old Order Amish from Swartzentruber and Kenton sects (see Petrovich 2017) are challenging a new Ohio state law requiring their buggies to have a
Beyond Amish Forgiveness
Unpacking the Amish Response to a Wisconsin Football Team’s Harassment
As high school was recently resuming in rural Wisconsin, nine football players spent an evening harassing Amish near LaValle (Old Order Amish-mainstream affiliation, see Table
Introducing “As Well As: Addendums That Redefine”
Addendums that Redefine
Scholarship is time consuming and rarely leaves room to present all interesting insights. Yet, these many little insights litter my notebooks, computer, and cognitive dashboard.
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