Amish jailed for refusal to display safey triangles on buggies

Steve Robrahn wrote on the Reuters website a report about 8 Amish men who were jailed after refusing to pay fines for failure to display orange-red safety triangles on their horse-drawn buggies. Their sentences ranged from 3-10 days. “The defendants contend that paying the fines would amount to complying with a law that violates their religious restrictions against wearing or displaying bright colors or relying upon man-made symbols for their safety.” Of note, the defendants are members of a traditional Amish group whereas other Amish groups in Kentucky do comply with this safety requirement.

Comment: Thanks to David Lawrence for bringing this to my attention. It seems a tough call and I can easily appreciate both sides. When do safety considerations trump religious freedoms? I am interested in what readers think about this issue.

Link: http://reut.rs/oBoHRv

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