Enter your email Address

  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Sandhenge Publications

Jim Potter, Author

  • About the Author
  • Author Blog
    • Sign Up for Jim’s Posts
  • Contact the Author
  • Read the Behind the Books Blog
    • Listen to the Audio Blog
  • Check Book Reviews
  • Sign Up to Receive Blog Posts
  • All Books

Deputy Jennings Digs Deeper

February 27, 2019 by Jim Potter 5 Comments

https://jimpotterauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Deputy-Jennings-Digs-Deeper.mp3

·  Episode 15  ·

Tom Jennings was on his computer a lot and he wasn’t playing games. He was learning about the Amish.

Tom read documents answering the standard questions about the Old Order Amish: Where do most of the Amish live? Why are they against technology? Why do they dress that way? Are they non-violent? What is the role of women in their culture? Are the young people leaving the Amish family and community or staying?

The Amish who Tom met near Humble in Cottonwood County were part of a settlement represented by only two church districts compared to the heavy concentration of Old Order Amish in the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. Kansas had a population of approximately 1,500 total Amish, including children.

Since Tom had grown up with the convenience of technology, he couldn’t imagine coping without electricity, especially his phone. He was so spoiled he didn’t know it. When there was an emergency, he didn’t give a second thought to responding in his department’s marked SUV at speeds requiring strobe lights and a blaring siren. It was beyond his imagination to use a horse for transportation. But if he had a horse, as big as he was, it would require a reinforced step-ladder in order for him to mount it.

Yes, Tom learned, Amish traditions and rules could make things inconvenient, but the reasoning to the Plain People was pretty clear. In order to keep a strong family, community, and faith, being separate from the modern world was preferred and obedience to the church’s teachings a necessity.

Tom understood why he wouldn’t be accepted by the Amish. The Amish and English really did live in separate worlds. For Tom, finding an Amish friend could develop into a fulfilling personal and cultural relationship. But for the Amish, he represented a potential threat, an outsider who could eventually pull members away from their core values and ethnic identity. That, Tom speculated, was probably one of the reasons the Amish didn’t believe in missionary work, although recently he had heard of a project in Mexico. Being a missionary would expose a Plain Person to a modern world that could contaminate their Amish thinking and lead to rejection of over four hundred years of tradition. It just wasn’t worth the risk. It was a matter of religious survival.

Amish had their identity which included many rules about so many things, including standards about what was permitted and what was not with clothing, grooming, transportation, education, and employment. To what degree the Amish cooperated with governmental authorities was also an issue.

For a moment, Tom considered his identity as a law enforcement officer. Cops were a distinct group with similar customs and traditions. They wore uniforms and drove recognizable vehicles. They carried guns, and when necessary, were trained to shoot and kill people. If you considered the police radio, they even used their own ten-code language. But most of all they identified as being a police family with common traits and goals, especially the belief that their purpose was to serve and protect mankind. This meant respecting and protecting the innocent from deception, oppression, and intimidation. In the line of duty, police officers were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice so that citizens could continue to enjoy liberty, equality, and justice.

Until Tom started researching the Amish, he hadn’t realized their extensive history of being persecuted. He knew that many groups had emigrated from Europe due to religious persecution, he just never pictured the Amish in the same boat with Puritans or Quakers. He learned that in 1737, the first Amish group made an extremely dangerous journey to the U.S. when they sailed on the ship Charming Nancy, later referred to as the “Amish Mayflower”.  

At first, Tom thought Anabaptists were against baptism. He couldn’t have been further from the truth. Anabaptists rejected infant baptism because they believed scripture: the choice of following Jesus should be a voluntary one.

After reading about the persecution of the Amish in Europe, Tom’s respect for the group grew. When the Amish chose to separate their religion from the state, that decision created powerful enemies for them. Amish persecution by government entities was barbaric. Many were burned at the stake or decapitated, others imprisoned and tortured. The extreme government response to a non-violent group showed how much the growth of independent “radical” groups was feared.   

Like Quakers, the Amish were non-violent, peace-loving people. In the face of persecution they chose to immigrate, not fight.

No wonder the Amish had learned to circle their wagons—or buggies—to keep their tightly-knit community closed to outsiders.

It seemed to Tom that the United States was an ideal landing spot for larger groups of Amish, beginning in the mid-1700s, as they mostly settled and stayed. And, despite intermittent prejudicial encounters, the agricultural Amish became well respected far and wide for being good neighbors who were devout, industrious, law-abiding, and fair-minded.

As the world became more modern, especially during the Industrial Revolution, many Amish did leave their church and joined various Mennonite groups. But the Amish who held to their customs, like those in Cottonwood County, remained easily identifiable as Old Order Amish.

Tom considered the Yoders and the Schrocks. They were excellent representatives of the Amish—distinct and separate people—who, he accepted, wouldn’t become close friends but would always be friendly.

For a moment Tom wondered if the Yoders or Schrocks would ever trust him enough to contact him if and when their community was being attacked or threatened by bullies or criminals. He had read stories online how Amish were sometimes the target of discrimination or harassment because of being different, but he had never known of it occurring in Cottonwood County. He decided, it was time for him to ask.

The internet told of offenses against the Amish that included verbal harassment, criminal damage to property, theft of property, and injury as a result of objects being thrown at them when they were pedestrians or while riding in their buggies. One infant had even died in her mother’s arms when a heavy tile was thrown into a buggy by high school age boys out having “fun”. This was unacceptable to Tom. He felt a strong calling to be the Amish Police or at least their guardian.

In Tom’s opinion, the days of Amish persecution should have ended centuries earlier. But it wasn’t clear to him if the Amish welcomed persecution or just accepted it as a consequence of being different. Did acts of persecution make the Amish community stronger? If he could catch a person throwing rocks from a fast moving car at a horse-and-buggy, he’d respond without hesitation. Even though the Plain People might not request a deputy, and they probably wouldn’t cooperate as victims, how could he ignore a criminal offense? Tom still needed to figure out if his enforcement of a law was in any way perceived as disrespectful to the Amish. Was it okay for him to do his duty as long as he wasn’t asked for help? He sure didn’t want to put anyone in a position of being excommunicated or shunned because of his response to a possible hate crime.

He had an idea. The county had a restorative justice program called Victim Offender and Reconciliation Program (VORP). Its goal was to allow offenders and victims an opportunity to meet face-to-face so that each party could better understand the offense and its impact. Tom thought this might be acceptable to Amish leaders because the program focused on recognizing the injustice or violation, not on the authorities punishing the offender.

Would the mixing of cultures be forbidden because it was too personally interactive with English outsiders? Only time would tell. The Amish were in no hurry. 

To be continued.

Until next time, happy writing and reading!

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Blog posts Tagged With: Amish, Amish Mayflower, Amish Police, Anabaptists, Behind the Books Blog, Charming Nancy, Humble, Jim Potter, Milton Schrock, Old Order Amish, Plain People, religious persecution, Victim Offender Reconciliation Program, VORP

Sign Up for the Blog

You will never have to check this site for the latest blog post, and you’ll get the latest and the greatest first! You will receive a confirmation email that you must respond to in order to be officially subscribed. Check Junk and Spam folders as needed!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarAlex says

    February 28, 2019 at 10:15 am

    Excellent writing and research! Insightful perspective from TJ!

    Reply
    • Jim PotterJim Potter says

      February 28, 2019 at 10:23 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  2. AvatarMarilyn says

    March 5, 2019 at 1:16 pm

    I’m wondering how you became familiar with the Old Order Amish.

    Reply
    • Jim PotterJim Potter says

      March 5, 2019 at 1:25 pm

      I got to know many Amish children through my time as a School Resource Officer. For a couple of years I would visit for Personal Safety Awareness and DARE classes. One year I even had the honor of being selected as the surprise Santa Clause for the evening Christmas program. I needed a lot of padding but it was an experience, for sure.
      I also attended an Amish funeral service with a few teachers. We were about the only English attendees. The service was given in Pennsylvania Dutch.
      When the Yoder school shifted to a charter school they decided they needed to handle subjects like personal safety and drugs on their own. Those personal topics were then taught only by parents. They didn’t want or need advice from outsiders.
      Most of what I’ve learned about the Amish is from a lot of reading. Some Amish who leave, write books of their experience. Those that stay, don’t.
      Some of the shunning is temporary, some is for a lifetime. Depends on the transgression.

      Reply
    • AvatarMarilyn says

      March 5, 2019 at 1:26 pm

      You’ve had extensive contact. It shows in your writing.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Jim Potter, Author

author

Follow Jim on Facebook

Follow Jim on Facebook

Recent Blog Posts

  • Sheriffs of Reno County: George Allison January 20, 2021
  • Sheriffs of Reno County: Ed Cunningham January 13, 2021
  • Sheriffs of Reno County: Fay Brown January 6, 2021
  • Sheriffs of Reno County: Jesse Langford December 30, 2020
  • Sheriffs of Reno County: William “Bill” Clark December 23, 2020

Post Archives

  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017

What People Are Saying

Sean McArdle

Retired police officer Potter’s novel centres on very disparate characters and through the tried and tested means of gradually introducing each one, builds a sense of anticipation about what is going to happen to them. This often used methodology is not easy to do well but is superbly handled by Potter who knows how to give enough detail to bring the characters to life, yet not too much so as to slow down the pace of the developing story. A climactic event affects the main characters and it is at this point Potter’s deep knowledge of people and police procedures really hits home; page by page we read how a seemingly simple, though terrible occurrence, can have huge consequences. To Potter’s credit the story does not have a completely conclusive or simplistic ending. Instead it leaves the reader thinking about how the events of a single minute can affect lives forever. I would whole heartedly recommend this book not as a crime novel or even as a novel about crime but as a beautiful and positive affirmation about what it is to be human and how ultimately it is relationships which matter more than events.

Sean McArdle, Winchester, England

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:24:22-06:00

Sean McArdle, Winchester, England

Retired police officer Potter’s novel centres on very disparate characters and through the tried and tested means of gradually introducing each one, builds a sense of anticipation about what is going to happen to them. This often used methodology is not easy to do well but is superbly handled by Potter who knows how to give enough detail to bring the characters to life, yet not too much so as to slow down the pace of the developing story. A climactic event affects the main characters and it is at this point Potter’s deep knowledge of people and police procedures really hits home; page by page we read how a seemingly simple, though terrible occurrence, can have huge consequences. To Potter’s credit the story does not have a completely conclusive or simplistic ending. Instead it leaves the reader thinking about how the events of a single minute can affect lives forever. I would whole heartedly recommend this book not as a crime novel or even as a novel about crime but as a beautiful and positive affirmation about what it is to be human and how ultimately it is relationships which matter more than events.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/sean-mcardle/

Rebecca

Taking Back the Bullet is an emotional, yet captivating novel. Jim Potter does a superb job of intertwining each character and putting their individual identities on display. All law enforcement storylines are a true reflection of Potter’s years as a police officer because they are realistic and relatable. This is a book I highly recommend.

Rebecca from Proud Police Wife

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T11:41:14-06:00

Rebecca from Proud Police Wife

Taking Back the Bullet is an emotional, yet captivating novel. Jim Potter does a superb job of intertwining each character and putting their individual identities on display. All law enforcement storylines are a true reflection of Potter’s years as a police officer because they are realistic and relatable. This is a book I highly recommend.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/rebecca/

Wynona Winn

Three main characters walk different paths but with the same destination – each coping with his or her self-discovery, self-identity, and self-realization. Much like their earlier counterparts – Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield – their journeys are often joyous, often tedious and often tragic.

Wynona Winn, PhD, retired school superintendent

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:18:33-06:00

Wynona Winn, PhD, retired school superintendent

Three main characters walk different paths but with the same destination – each coping with his or her self-discovery, self-identity, and self-realization. Much like their earlier counterparts – Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield – their journeys are often joyous, often tedious and often tragic.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/wynona-winn/

Denise Low

Jim Potter is a cop, retired, but he brings deep understanding of this job to his novel Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery. This layered novel has literary dimensions as characters explore crisis situations. Congratulations to this fine writer for his debut novel.

Denise Low, author of Jackalope (Red Mountain Press)

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T11:31:21-06:00

Denise Low, author of Jackalope (Red Mountain Press)

Jim Potter is a cop, retired, but he brings deep understanding of this job to his novel Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery. This layered novel has literary dimensions as characters explore crisis situations. Congratulations to this fine writer for his debut novel.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/denise-low/

Larry Kruckman

Jim Potter displays ethnographic skills in Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, creating vivid scenes and fascinating characters. The Greeks had a word for subcultures and people’s behavior: ‘ethos,’ or ‘ways of being.’ In colorful, sometimes marvelous detail, this novel captures various people and settings . . . the ethos of rural Kansas: a jail, art fair, powwow, rehab center, courtroom, albinos, and even someone in the throes of postpartum depression. So detailed are the descriptions that they must be drawn from the author’s personal experience. Besides the artfully created characters such as the struggling jailer and husband Tom Jennings, local artist Jesse Thomas, and Native American Joe Morningcloud, there is a tight story line that grabs your attention and won’t let go. Human tensions, love, conflict, joys and sorrows are all there. Magically, all the many pieces come together in a final crescendo, giving hope that even when we find ourselves in big trouble we can survive. This is a novel I highly recommend!

Larry Kruckman, Anthropologist

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:27:15-06:00

Larry Kruckman, Anthropologist

Jim Potter displays ethnographic skills in Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, creating vivid scenes and fascinating characters. The Greeks had a word for subcultures and people’s behavior: ‘ethos,’ or ‘ways of being.’ In colorful, sometimes marvelous detail, this novel captures various people and settings . . . the ethos of rural Kansas: a jail, art fair, powwow, rehab center, courtroom, albinos, and even someone in the throes of postpartum depression. So detailed are the descriptions that they must be drawn from the author’s personal experience. Besides the artfully created characters such as the struggling jailer and husband Tom Jennings, local artist Jesse Thomas, and Native American Joe Morningcloud, there is a tight story line that grabs your attention and won’t let go. Human tensions, love, conflict, joys and sorrows are all there. Magically, all the many pieces come together in a final crescendo, giving hope that even when we find ourselves in big trouble we can survive. This is a novel I highly recommend!
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/larry-kruckman/

Deb Theis

Jim Potter has done it again! After his book, Cop in the Classroom: Lessons I’ve Learned, Tales I’ve Told, Jim has written another great work. In Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, Jim Potter takes us on an insightful journey into the lives and relationships of numerous characters. Jim is such a talented storyteller that the reader quickly becomes immersed and has a ‘bonding experience’ with each of the characters, feeling their joy, fear, passion and pain. Jim’s novel speaks to the empowerment of persistence with the characters as they work through their trials. As a therapist, I appreciated the heartfelt struggles from each of the characters and their diversity. I also found value in the novel’s understanding of society’s misunderstanding of both mental health and other conditions in which people struggle. The novel contains rich exposure to various realities that many of us do not know about . . . but should. When I finished this captivating novel, I was wanting to read the sequel! It was an honor and a wonderful, mesmerizing experience reading this book. Congratulations, Jim!

Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:20:29-06:00

Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist

Jim Potter has done it again! After his book, Cop in the Classroom: Lessons I’ve Learned, Tales I’ve Told, Jim has written another great work. In Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, Jim Potter takes us on an insightful journey into the lives and relationships of numerous characters. Jim is such a talented storyteller that the reader quickly becomes immersed and has a ‘bonding experience’ with each of the characters, feeling their joy, fear, passion and pain. Jim’s novel speaks to the empowerment of persistence with the characters as they work through their trials. As a therapist, I appreciated the heartfelt struggles from each of the characters and their diversity. I also found value in the novel’s understanding of society’s misunderstanding of both mental health and other conditions in which people struggle. The novel contains rich exposure to various realities that many of us do not know about . . . but should. When I finished this captivating novel, I was wanting to read the sequel! It was an honor and a wonderful, mesmerizing experience reading this book. Congratulations, Jim!
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/deb-theis/

John & Cindy Morrill

I enjoyed your book. When I am looking for a new read, I always read the first page, last page and choose a random page somewhere in the middle before I decide to buy it. You had me on all three pages. I also like reading a book where you can relate to the characters and the settings in which they live and work. It makes a story more realistic if you can say, I am familiar with the area; I know where that town is or I have traveled that street. It was easy to relate to the characters. In one way or another, I have met them all somewhere in my journeys

John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:14:56-06:00

John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement

I enjoyed your book. When I am looking for a new read, I always read the first page, last page and choose a random page somewhere in the middle before I decide to buy it. You had me on all three pages. I also like reading a book where you can relate to the characters and the settings in which they live and work. It makes a story more realistic if you can say, I am familiar with the area; I know where that town is or I have traveled that street. It was easy to relate to the characters. In one way or another, I have met them all somewhere in my journeys
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/john-cindy-morrill/

Morgan Penner

Taking Back the Bullet is a novel that provides the reader with a window into the world of law enforcement. As the novel unfolds, the reader is able to see how split-second decisions alter the lives of the main characters in the story. Taking Back the Bullet also explores how humanity is impacted by mental illness. One of my favorite quotes from Taking Back the Bullet is “We’re all just a critical moment from being disabled or mentally ill, and we don’t want to think about it.” The novel also provides the reader an opportunity to gain a better understanding of how mental illness impacts the individuals, their family, friends, and society. Taking Back the Bullet is a story of forgiveness and overcoming life’s struggles and tragedies.

Morgan Penner

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:25:35-06:00

Morgan Penner

Taking Back the Bullet is a novel that provides the reader with a window into the world of law enforcement. As the novel unfolds, the reader is able to see how split-second decisions alter the lives of the main characters in the story. Taking Back the Bullet also explores how humanity is impacted by mental illness. One of my favorite quotes from Taking Back the Bullet is “We’re all just a critical moment from being disabled or mentally ill, and we don’t want to think about it.” The novel also provides the reader an opportunity to gain a better understanding of how mental illness impacts the individuals, their family, friends, and society. Taking Back the Bullet is a story of forgiveness and overcoming life’s struggles and tragedies.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/morgan-penner/

Dennis Perrin

Masterful storytelling, exquisite character development, so real as to HURT and HOPE, a real page turner. Begs for stage, screenwriters, and visual episodic development a.k.a. TV series . . . Thanks Jim Potter for telling it like it is AND providing us visions of how it could be. Well done!

Dennis Perrin, educator

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T11:44:55-06:00

Dennis Perrin, educator

Masterful storytelling, exquisite character development, so real as to HURT and HOPE, a real page turner. Begs for stage, screenwriters, and visual episodic development a.k.a. TV series . . . Thanks Jim Potter for telling it like it is AND providing us visions of how it could be. Well done!
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/dennis-perrin/

Rebecca Schillaci

As a former law enforcement officer, I found the story very relatable as it details the life of a law enforcement officer and the struggles some face throughout their careers. . . Taking Back the Bullet is a journey of understanding, respect, and forgiveness . . .

Rebecca Schillaci

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T11:46:40-06:00

Rebecca Schillaci

As a former law enforcement officer, I found the story very relatable as it details the life of a law enforcement officer and the struggles some face throughout their careers. . . Taking Back the Bullet is a journey of understanding, respect, and forgiveness . . .
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/rebecca-schillaci/

Sheryl Remar

I enjoyed the different stories of this book because Tom, James, and Suanna, the three main characters, represent in their own way the different struggles with themselves and society’s idea of what is normal.

Sheryl Remar

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T11:47:46-06:00

Sheryl Remar

I enjoyed the different stories of this book because Tom, James, and Suanna, the three main characters, represent in their own way the different struggles with themselves and society’s idea of what is normal.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/sheryl-remar/

Jane Holzrichter

I finished it last night around midnight. What a great piece of work. It kept me intrigued all the way to the end.

Jane Holzrichter

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:21:41-06:00

Jane Holzrichter

I finished it last night around midnight. What a great piece of work. It kept me intrigued all the way to the end.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/jane-holzrichter/

Steve Becker

I’m impressed. It was an excellent read. . . . I hope you continue with more projects in the future.

Steve Becker

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:26:21-06:00

Steve Becker

I’m impressed. It was an excellent read. . . . I hope you continue with more projects in the future.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/steve-becker/

Diana Dester

Good story line, building the characters along the way. Great job!

Diana Dester

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:19:23-06:00

Diana Dester

Good story line, building the characters along the way. Great job!
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/diana-dester/

Karleen Wilson-Moon

Terrific story relevant to today’s social issues . . . well written . . . likable characters . . . insightful perspective from an insider in law enforcement.

Karleen Wilson-Moon

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:44:26-06:00

Karleen Wilson-Moon

Terrific story relevant to today’s social issues . . . well written . . . likable characters . . . insightful perspective from an insider in law enforcement.
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/karleen-wilson-moon/

Judy Hawk

. . . I was impressed with the Native American information as well as the depth of character development . . . .

Judy Hawk

Sandhenge Publications
5
2017-11-17T18:15:48-06:00

Judy Hawk

. . . I was impressed with the Native American information as well as the depth of character development . . . .
https://jimpotterauthor.com/testimonials/judy-hawk/
16
Sandhenge Publications

Copyright © 2021 Sandhenge Publications · Website by Rosemary Miller

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.