And his name is "Mullet." (NYT)

  • Mitchell Glaser

    The hate crime law specifically refers to bodily injury, and it’s hard to call the cutting of hair bodily injury. Of course it was psychologically damaging and shaming, but still…

    And the speculation on the sentences are around twenty years! We’ve seen murderers and rapists do far less time than that.

    • Antinous / Moderator

      They conspired to commit the crime.  They forcibly held the victims down and defaced them.  They took pictures of the crimes in progress so that they could enjoy and disseminate the victims’ terror and humiliation. 

      Is cutting hair and beards that take years to grow back different than spraying a caustic solution in someone’s face that takes years to heal?

      • Mitchell Glaser

        Of course it’s terrible, and I expected a reaction like yours, Antonious. I actually agree with you, but it still doesn’t relieve some feeling of unease I have about this. I hope it’s not a case of their religion not being my religion and me minimizing their suffering!

        But to answer your specific question, yes, I see a difference between this and permanently scarring a persons face (and don’t forget possibly leaving them blind!) by throwing acid on them.

        • Antinous / Moderator

          By your definition, any hurt that heals completely wouldn’t qualify as bodily injury.  Would you rather have a bruise that lasts for a week or have your hair and eyebrows shaved off?  They’re both bodily injury.  And these people are violent sadists.

          • ldobe

             Yep.  Hair is commonly considered part of the body, and these guys defaced their victims’ hair, therefore they defaced their bodies.  Pretty straight forward.

          • Mitchell Glaser

            I didn’t attempt a definition, just expressed concern. Second degree murder can get you as little as 6 years before parole in some states.

      • bcsizemo

        Pictures?

        I’d think stealing ones soul would be a worse crime than cutting their hair.

    • The Rizz

      The law specifies that “bodily injury” includes “disfigurement”. Disfigurement should cover any non-trivial change to another person’s body – which forcibly making a physical change to their body that requires years to fix seems like it would fit.

      Maybe your argument is that it’s only a visual change? In which case, think of it this way; what if they were to have broken in, held them down, and forcibly tattooed something on their faces? I think most people would consider that disfigurement; this type of forced shearing should be considered the same – it makes a major change to the appearance that takes a considerable amount of time and/or effort to correct.

  • http://twitter.com/ethicalcannibal Ethical Cannibal

    Yeah, it’s all fun and games, and all, except when I read that I couldn’t help but have a lot of empathy for the victims. A group of people invaded their homes, held them down, and shaved them. I’m not Amish, and could care less about my hair, but for me that would be terrifying in the extreme. I can’t imagine sleeping easy after that. 

    • http://daruiburns.tumblr.com/ Dlo Burns

      The defendants did not deny their roles in the attacks, which were carried out with battery-powered clippers, scissors and razor-sharp shears that are designed to trim horse manes.

      Those things are as sharp as a straight razor, so one slip could of ended in a slit throat. 

  • http://twitter.com/incarnedine_v Dan Hibiki

    Pretty common form of assault amongst the Amish.

    It’s one of those religious loopholes that let people do horrible shit but still feel like god loves them.

  • Peter` Card

    ” According to testimony, Mr. Mullet stayed up late to greet attackers when they returned to the compound after one of the assaults, accepting a bag of shorn hair as well as disposable cameras used to record the victims’ humiliation.”

    Huh? Disposable Cameras?! WTF?  Are these Reform Amish?

    • Wreckrob8

      I was wondering about that. Any technologies which might lead to vanity or pride or increase one’s sense of individuality in relation to the community are treated with suspicion and disallowed. However, different Amish communities have different Ordnungen. There are no hard and fast rules. So why not disposable cameras?

  • chgoliz

    So, even the Amish have a Westboro sect.

  • http://halfbakedmaker.org Robert Baruch

    The Amish took a page out of Romney’s playbook. (laughs hysterically and runs away)