Family friend: Amish girl asked to be shot to save others

[MaineDem]

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (Reuters) -- One of the girls who died in Pennsylvania's Amish schoolhouse massacre asked the killer to shoot her first in an apparent bid to save the younger girls, a woman who spoke to the victim's family said Friday.

Rita Rhoads, a nurse-midwife who delivered 13-year-old Marian Fisher as well as another victim, said Fisher appealed to Charles Carl Roberts IV to shoot her first because she thought it might allow younger girls to survive.

Rhoads said she did not know whether Fisher in fact was shot first. Roberts shot 10 girls ages 6 to 13, killing five of them and then himself in Monday's rampage. (Watch "shocked and sad" Amish express forgiveness -- 2:46)

Fisher's 11-year-old sister, Barbie, appealed to Roberts to shoot her next, Rhoads said. Barbie survived and was in Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recovering from shoulder, hand and leg injuries.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/06/amish.girls.reut/index.html?section=cnn_topstories

[WCGreen]

1. Oh My God... I am fighting back the tears....

[MaineDem]

3. Yup, me too.

I enjoy visiting that area of PA and the Amish I have come in contact with have been very friendly and quite peaceful. They have my sympathy.

[gratuitous]

2. "Greater love than this has no person"

Than to lay down his life for another.*

*Void where prohibited. May not be literally or (shall we say) "fundamentally" true. Your mileage may vary.

[samsingh]

4. true human beings - what a tragedy. beautiful girls

[babylonsister]

5. Such selflessness and bravery! My heart hurts for these

families. :cry:

[aquart]

6. And it was the older girls I hurt for most

Because they understood best what was being stolen from them.

God bless them and the families who raised them so well.

[StClone]

7. Shock and Awe in Amish Country

Shocked by what our insane world has inflicted on these humble plain people. In awe of that the Amish understand the world better than the Cel phoned, tattooed and fattened American.

[IndyOp]

8. A fund has also been set up for the killer's widow and children.

At the behest of Amish leaders, a fund has also been set up for the killer's widow and children.

:cry:

God has blessed them every one.

:hug:

[pampango]

27. Such an amazing lack of pettiness and vindictiveness.

I can't say that I could live in the Amish culture, or even support everything about it, but I must say that their level of forgiveness and reconciliation is pretty amazing.

[BattyDem]

9. So a 13 year old girl showed more courage, integrity and altruism than ...

anyone running our country at the moment. It's so sad that a wonderful child like that is gone. :cry: :patriot:

[Sherman A1]

13. Sums it up rather well

[kestrel91316]

19. There's one angel who got her wings PDQ!

RIP, Marian Fischer (and the others, too)

O8)

[Gregorian]

10. I couldn't believe these people when I saw the news.

I haven't been this touched in many years. They are our examples. I have said that "Love they enemy" is powerful. But it's not something you see, but only a few times in a lifetime. In every way, I am touched by these Amish. They are what I want as a society. In every way. Bless them.

And to think they set up a fund for the killer's widow. And invited her to the funeral.

This is what being a human is about. And it's foreign to almost everyone in this modern world.

[undeterred]

20. Tom Fox, from the Christian Peacemaker Team

died living his beliefs. There were four taken hostage in Iraq in Nov 05 and only Tom was killed. Loving one's enemies puts one at considerable risk.

[DoYouEverWonder]

11. Wow

:cry:

[Maraya1969]

12. We need to take a lesson from these people about forgiveness.

"The Amish, descendants of Swiss-German settlers, are a traditionalist Christian denomination who place particular importance on the Gospel message of forgiveness. They believe in nonviolence, simple living and little contact with the modern world."

[CTyankee]

15. I keep trying to tell people that forgiveness is a blessing not

some kind of curse. When you forgive, you are released from bitterness and pain, and isn't that what you really want? You don't really want to live in pain and agony over your situation, do you?

If you can do this forgiveness, you can do anything, IMHO. You are invincible. Nothing anyone can do to you will affect you.

It is great. I am still trying to achieve that status, but I am getting there...

[jwirr]

24. Which is why this is so terrible when it happens to them. They are

very good people. It is heartbreaking when these innocent young girls had to die.

[Maraya1969]

31. I believe that all things happen ultimately for the good. And to see how

these quite peaceful people are so needed in this country now and to see an actual example of their incredible power of forgiveness seems to have a meaning for me. I bet that they would also want to be an example for the rest of our country.

I know it seems horrible that these children died but I am looking at the miracle that happened after their death. And if you don't really believe in death like they do, maybe all that is left is the miracle.

[Darth_Kitten]

14. Poor little girls.....

bless them. :(

[elocs]

16. This young girl show more courage than many of our warriors.

The Amish example of forgiveness puts to shame the majority of Christians, especially the Evangelical Right.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[brer cat]

22. You are so right. The Amish deserve the greatest of respect.

They put the evangelical right in the pits of society. My prayers are with them in this so tragic loss of their children.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Milspec]

18. I haven't been able to respond

with any thing but tears when I read this. Murder/suicide nuts get to order of the crime wrong

[hollowdweller]

21. Is this whole thing somehow some lesson from God to the US right now?

Premptive war and torture are even a step above the old "eye for an eye" mentioned in the Old Testament.

These folks and their reaction to this awful thing are seeping into the public consciousness via the news and showing people an aspect of Jesus' teaching that seems to be lacking in todays society, but at the same time an ethical teaching that is very much useful for an orderly and peaceful society in this world.

[Hepburn]

23. That child...

...is a wonder and a saint. Blessed be.

[jayctravis]

25. These are Christians who walk the walk.

[fasttense]

26. I lived around the Amish when I was growing up.

They treat women like property and there is a lot of wife and child abuse. But aside from that, they are good people. They have their faults. I would never want to be a part of their society but they are truly forgiving people. Some of the women and children show almost angelic qualities. I never found the men to be very inspiring but then I was a girl and didn't rate much in their world.

[Uncle Joe]

29. These girls are the prime example of what Jesus taught

God, please bless them and take them in to your fold.:cry: