Think No Evil: Inside the Story of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting...and Beyond [Hardcover]

 

 

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This is a moving account of the murder of five Amish school girls in October 2006 by Charles Roberts, a deranged killer. The two authors grew up Amish, leaving only when they became adults, so they provide an excellent account of why the Amish responded as they did, with forgiveness rather than anger. Just keep in mind that this book is not the Amish perspective on the tragedy. It is the perspective of two people who understand Amish beliefs and who write about them from a psychological and sociological perspective. They describe the modern psychological benefits of Amish forgiveness with more skill than they explain the deeper religious motivations that underlie them. These were, after all, men who chose to leave the Amish faith. They are understanding outsiders, but they are outsiders.

Unfortunately, I have the same grating frustration with the events this book describes as I do with the Rwandan genocide and with the 1999 Columbine massacre. Something that is clearly wrong--passivity in the face of violence and evil--is described as if it were a supreme good rather than a tragic failure. I described my frustration earlier in my Amazon review of a film on the Rwandan genocide. I'll describe it again here.

The best illustration what is right came over two thousand years ago when Greece faced death and enslavement from an invasion out of the East. The men of Greece are said to have left for battle with the words of their mothers, wives and daughters ringing in their ears. They were to return "with their shields or on them." The first thing an ancient soldier did when in breaking and running was to cast away his heavy shield. Returning with their shields meant that they had defeated their foe. Returning on their shields meant that they had been wounded or died in a battle that they had won. (If they'd have lost, their bodies would have been left on the field.) In short, the women of Greece were telling their men they had a responsibility to protect their families whatever the cost.

I will be blunt. Why were all ten victims shot by Charles Roberts and all five who died girls? The little one-room schoolhouse wasn't a school for girls. There were about as many boys present as girls, some as old as twelve. Those girls died for two reasons. First, because Charles Roberts, in his perverted grief over the death of his daughter, intended to target girls. And second, because the boys in that school did nothing to stop him, meekly doing as they were ordered, leaving the classroom and standing outside as the tragedy unfolded.

That's why I captioned this review, "Where Were the Amish Men?" These boys growing up to manhood in the Amish faith had not been taught that they had a role they could not avoid, the responsibility of the stronger sex to protect their little sisters and the young girls in their neighborhood. And that responsibility was not lessened by the fact that acting meant facing danger and even death. Amish men are certainly excellent farmers and businessmen, what some women call 'good providers.' But they're of little value when evil comes knocking.

In short, while the authors clearly want us to be impressed by the Amish faith they left behind. I'm not. The Amish have grossly overemphasized one virtue, forgiveness, while wholly neglecting another of greater importance, our responsibility for the lives and safety of others. If those Amish boys had been properly raised, taught to become men when men are needed, that little Amish community would have had far less to forgive. Yes, one or two of the boys might have died as they attacked the 200-pound Charles Roberts en masse, but they would have bought precious time for all the girls to escape and, once the girls were safe, all but perhaps one or two of them could have made their escape, leaving Roberts with no one to kill but himself.

The Amish have made a tragic mistake, one that is now centuries old. There is evil in this world, genuine evil that must be fought, defeated and destroyed. We can't delegate all that responsibility to those who respond to 911 calls. The same Jesus who talked about forgiveness also told his disciples "let him who has no sword sell his robe and buy one." Evil and violence must be met with courage, strength and, yes, counter-violence. Forgiveness is necessary after the fact. But it is not enough.

--Michael W. Perry, Untangling Tolkien: A Chronology and Commentary for The Lord of the Rings

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