Up in Ebensburg, Pa., in western Pennsylvania an Amish farmer was sentenced Tuesday to 90 days in the slammer after he refused to comply with state sewage laws.
That’s right, this case involves outhouses and the fact that the Amish farmer refused to allow the state to hook up the outhouses to the sewage lines.
If you have ever used an outhouse, I’m not sure how the state could make them comply with state law since there is nothing for a sewage line to hook up too inside the outhouse.
When I first moved to Florida in 1999 as I was saying my goodbyes to friends up north, some of them resided in West Virginia and I thought then we as society had advanced a long way, but even then I never realized that some people in WV still had an active working outhouse and no indoor bathroom.
When I asked about the outhouses, they seemed to think they were rather updated and fancy for an outhouse. They actually had run power lines to the outhouses so they could have a light when they had to go at night time.
I remember remarking on the doors of the outhouses, one of them had a moon shape cut into the door and I don’t remember what was cut into the other door and they said this was done in order to mark the men and women’s room. Both were equally disgusting.
Now please don’t get confused and think I was from West Virginia, I’m from the good side of that state line….lol…
The county sewage enforcement agency said they did not want to see him go to jail and they only wanted to see the Amish comply with the sewage regulations. The enforcement agency also said it was a victory for the environment and public health. That representative also said it was never an issue of religious freedom.
I wonder what this was supposed to be if it wasn’t against their religious beliefs. They are often best known for their simple living, plain dress and their resistance to the adoption of many modern conveniences. Which includes indoor pluming.
Anyway during the trial there were several Amish men and women in attendance at the trial and Andy Swartzentruber testified that he will take a stand for his religion. He said if he did not it could destroy the whole church group.
Swartzentruber was convicted last year along with a church elder, Sam Yoder of one count each of failing to obtain a proper permit and discharging untreated sewage into the ground.
The case against Yoder was dismissed after it was ruled the responsibility ultimately fell on Swartzentruber, who owned the Barr Township property at the time of the complaint.
Swartzentruber still did not comply, and another hearing was held in January giving the Amish another 30 days.
Yoder testified that he and his community was willing to pay for a permit, but would not allow soil samples to be taken by the county which is required for a permit. Yoder based that decision on his religious beliefs and failed to elaborate on the details of that refusal.
In the courtroom after Swartzentruber was taken away, Yoder said his community still had no intention of complying.
Cambria County Judge Norman Krumenacker said he respected the Amish's religious beliefs but had no choice but to sentence Swartzentruber to jail and fine him $1,000 for being in contempt of court.
I guess in Pennsylvania they take there sh@t pretty serious.
Wikipedia information about the Amish
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