This letter pertains to the discussion centered around horse droppings by work horses and the horses used to pull Amish buggies throughout the state of Pennsylvania. Animal waste matter from stables and barns has always been classified as fertilizer when applied to dirt by farmers. One must remember that horses were on this planet Earth long before there were ever any highways.

These issues were being considered concerning the passing of a township ordinance that, in my opinion, would be unfair and downright prejudicial toward the Amish families from the Elimsport area and Washington Township. The Amish have a quality about themselves in business and a reputation for integrity and it is a great asset. They should not be restricted to any laws of this state or county that would interfere or interpose in their daily affairs. They have a God-given right to live as they are living as well as everyone else who claims to be an American. A select few local residents may think they have the right to be judgmental but there is no room in our society for such a negative belief concerning the Amish when they use our highways for the same purpose for which we drive our vehicles on them. The automobiles we drive produce a deadly gas known as carbon monoxide. If contained in a small area, it can cause death. No one ever died from inhaling the odor of manure from a horse stable in a barn. Wake up, America! It’s later than many realize.

Weldon C. Cohick Jr.

Linden