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Preserve The Amish Culture
By Paul M. Weyrich
January 15, 2004

When it comes to modernity, the Amish set the standard for resisting its temptations.

The effort by these God-fearing folk to preserve their way of life has enabled many Amish to reap richness in their spiritual life that many secular Americans may have the misfortune of never coming to know. They have lived in this country for nearly three hundred years and their success in keeping their traditions stands as an example to be emulated by all people of faith who are intent on maintaining their own religious traditions.

It is not the salacious imagery found on MTV but the messages of faith and reason found in the Bible that guide the Amish. Frequently, Romans 12:2 is quoted in their worship services: "Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Try as they might to live their straightforward, less complicated lives, the long arm of the Federal Government has reached into the Amish community. The Supreme Court ruled in the 1972 case Wisconsin vs. Yoder that the Amish had the right to stop their children's formal education at the eighth grade level. Most Amish children are taught in schools run by the members of their religion; after the eighth grade the young work on farms and in businesses learning trades. In large part due to their separation from modern culture, the average Amish teenager with an eighth grade education obtained from one of their schools is often more knowledgeable than public school students his own age.

Even the Amish have been forced to adapt to modern life somewhat given that the reduced availability of land in many communities has made it more difficult to farm. Many Amish operate their own sawmills and woodworking shops and while they shun electricity produced from the power grid, some bishops will permit the use of diesel engines to produce power or computer operated cash registers to be used in the workplace.

However, the Amish youth sent into these shops to work as apprentices from age 14 to 18 run afoul of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 that prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from working in shops that have machinery. Enforcement of this regulation has long caused concern within the Amish community. Rep. Pitts recalls the owner of a leather goods shop was fined $10,000 simply for having his daughter work in the shop's front office in a store where machinery was located elsewhere on the premises. One Amish sawmill operator explained to The New York Times that "We want [Amish youth] to be obedient and to learn a trade. If they don't, they'll be out and getting into mischief. Next thing you know, you'll have a bunch of them getting into dope and drinking and partying."

The issue of forcing the Amish to comply with a law that goes against their way of life had been largely ignored by the larger culture because their population of 150,000 is dispersed throughout over 20 states.

Rep. Joe Pitts (R), however, the principled conservative whose southeast Pennsylvania district includes many Amish was sensitive to this issue and has worked closely with his Amish constituents. He introduced last spring a bill (H.R. 1943) to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to permit youth between the ages of 14 to 18 and a "member of a religious sect or division ...whose established teachings do not permit formal education beyond the eighth grade...to be employed inside or outside places of business where machinery is used to process wood products." Adult supervision must be present and the teen may not operate any "power-driven" machines and take the appropriate precautions to prevent injury or chronic medical conditions that can result from woodworking.

Legislation introduced by Rep. Pitts that was similar to H.R. 1943 passed the House in the 105th and 106th Congresses and might very well have passed in the 107th Congress too had not 9/11 occurred. This year, the language of H.R. 1943 was incorporated into the Omnibus Appropriations bill during conference committee. The Omnibus Appropriations bill has passed the House but must now clear the Senate. If the bill fails in the Senate, then Rep. Pitts will continue to push for passage of H.R. 1943. (The companion bill in the Senate is S. 974.)

This is an issue that cuts across boundaries. Both Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), a liberal Republican, and his conservative primary opponent, Rep. Pat Toomey (R-PA), favor the exemption, as do most conservatives and libertarians. Some liberals also agree.

The exemption does have its enemies. Not surprisingly, the United Food and Commercial Workers and Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) have been outspoken in their opposition to the exemption, viewing it as a weakening of child labor standards, failing to recognize that the experience in a trade is indeed education in the Amish culture. Furthermore, there could be few more trustworthy and reliable supervisors of young apprentices than Amish elders. Rep. Pitts' legislation stipulates that no youth are to be using or even assisting in the operation of machinery. Also, proper protective gear must be worn and precautions must be obeyed. This is not new territory. There is precedent in exempting youth from child labor laws if they work in agricultural jobs.

My February 1999 letter urged cultural conservatives to separate themselves as much as possible from the institutions and other enemies of our traditional culture. For many traditionalists, technology, such as the Internet, holds the potential to greatly assist us in that task so we do not need to emulate the Amish. Yet the Amish by their commitment to leading simple, active lives of faith -free as much as possible from the impact of our secular, soulless culture - indeed present a reminder of a different way of life that respects tradition and God.

Granting exemptions to the law is always a difficult matter. Certainly, many religious conservatives would view any request from Wiccans or pagans with a jaundiced eye. In the case of the Amish, however, they have managed to live peacefully in accordance with Biblical law in our country for almost three centuries. Their presence provides a welcome reminder that there is more to life than MTV, movies and post-modern philosophy. There are many spending items in the omnibus appropriations bill that conservatives have every reason to oppose. Regardless of what happens to the bill, the exemption for the Amish should be granted to help them preserve their way of life.

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Paul M. Weyrich is Chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation.

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Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of GOPUSA.