I thought this article in the Courier-Journal, a newspaper from Kentucky, would be pretty fitting after our discussion yesterday. To sum it up, nine Amish men in Kentucky were arrested for not putting orange safety warning signs on their buggies. They refused because their religion forbids them from wearing bright colors, or using the triangular shape of the signs. They attempted to compromise using gray reflective tape, but were arrested anyway.
The first amendment says we have the right to freedom of religion, but what if the practices of your religion come into conflict with the law? These men want to use reflective tape and lanterns instead of the signs, but the state has told them they will still be a safety hazard during daytime. What do you guys think? Are their beliefs really endangering other citizens, and if so, should they still have the right to those practices?
This is a tough one. I can understand why the state sees it a safety hazard not to have orange warning signs on the buggies at night because it makes it harder for other drivers to see them; however, during the day I don't think you will miss a buggy coming down the street, especially if you live in the area and are used to seeing the Amish on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteArresting the men for not having orange safety signs on their buggies however, is ridiculous. The police could better use their time and resources worrying about other issues than arresting Amish men for following their religious practices. Although it can be dangerous not to have the bright orange signs, at least they made an effort by using the grey reflective tape instead. The men should not be punished for not obeying the law over a little incident such as this. When it comes to more controversial issues or a more serious offense than you would have to reevaluate whether religious practices should come before the law, but in this case the Amish men should not have been arrested.