HCP columnist
I read the following on Facebook, not usually a credible source of news. However, marking the fifth anniversary of the death of Scott Richardson of the Sugartree Ridge Mennonite community whose buggy was hit by a car, I thought this was appropriate:
“From 1985 to today, the Amish community and the number of horse-and-buggy accidents on America’s rural roads has changed dramatically. In the mid-1980s, the Amish population in North America was estimated at just over 125,000 people. Today, researchers estimate the Amish population has surpassed 400,000 people across more than 30 states and several countries. That represents more than a 200-percent increase in roughly four decades. Amish families traditionally have large households and strong church retention, which means the population has historically doubled every 20–23 years…