Abstract
My essay introduces the 1972 United States Supreme Court case Wisconsin v. Yoder to readers who don’t come from a legal background who want to understand the negative ramifications of the case and how it affects their individual rights. Yoder says that children of practicing Amish don’t have a right to any education and future other than one inside the Amish Church. My essay deconstructs the case from the perspective of an Amish American woman— yours truly — who escaped in the middle of the night at age 15 because of how this ruling has shaped the Amish people. I wanted to go to high school, and Yoder was cited in my emancipation hearing post-escape for why I had to be on my own if I wanted an education past the eighth grade. If I waited until I was 18 to escape, I would’ve been prevented or discouraged from enrolling in high school and advised or required to attend an alternative program for juvenile delinquents or, at best, adult education. [First paragraph.]
Recommended Citation
Bontrager, Torah. 2022. "The Ramifications of Wisconsin v. Yoder: Six Foundational Problems with a 50-Year Old Landmark Case." Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies 10(1):97-106.
ISSN
2471-6383