I have lived in two Pennsylvania counties in close proximity to Amish and Mennonites for most of my life. So I can say based on my own personal observations: 1. Yes, they do have a lot of cash money, (let's say you attend an auction- the men carry large rolls $$$$ in their pockets,) and the farms and buildings alone are worth millions. They don't pay taxes in the same way an ordinary citizen would, which contributes to their amassing large fortunes. 2. Because of interbreeding in these small communities, their gene pool carries a high risk for many types of congenital abnormalities, defects, emotional and cognitive disorders; the occurrence of typically rare anomalies is astronomically high- such as club foot, dwarfism, and some mental disorders. 3. You will find both intelligent and stupid people in these communities, but ALL of them will have only 8 years of formal education, combined with "bible teachings" and a lot of superstition; they will not have studied MANY of the things an ordinary American can or will study. THEREFORE, you see a lot of the social and interpersonal manipulations, socially childish behavior in some cases, a lack of logic in problem solving, a lack of understanding the bigger picture, etc. MUCH could be said here. 4. There is a LOT of crime, and most of it goes unreported. There is a great deal of child abuse, (including sexual abuse) wife battering / abuse of women, along with some of what you see on the show- theft, vandalism, malicious gossip/ slander, and that list goes on as well. Their religion doesn't put a lot of value in "possessions" so the destruction of such is not considered heinous. 5. The Dutch that they speak in PA is probably not going to be intelligible to a "German" speaker- it is a strong dialect and heavily bastardized with English words. Have you heard the term "Spanglish?" Same kind of thing. In closing: I find it sad that so many people stoop to the bashing and trolling just for a shock laugh or to ride the bandwagon without having seen the show, or truly knowing any "real" Amish. If you have an idealized or utopian view of Amish life based on some books you have read, that's not "real" either. There's a trend to scream "fake" at almost anything on the internet, just to seem like you know something. I think the producers of this show are using their creative license to illustrate some REAL TRUTHS in these communities, that deserve serious consideration.
Review of Amish Mafia
