Muncie, IN 47306. Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action . The Amish are easy targets for hate crimes because they rarely fight back and their assailants know it, says a Ball State University researcher. Interviews with Amish families in northern Indiana reveal long-standing victimization that goes back several generations, said Bryan Byers, a criminal justice professor. They have been easy targets for groups of young males who want to create mischief by forcing buggies off roads, throwing stones at Amish farmers and tossing fireworks at their horses.
Assailants think nothing about attacking an Amish person or stealing from their farms.
For many non-Amish residents in northern Indiana, harrassing members of the religious sect is a way of life. Byers found his interviews with local non-Amish residents disturbing. Many assailants proudly talked about attacking Amish individuals. The attacks were always done by groups, not by individuals. The incidents were viewed as simple mischief, no matter how severe the offense, Byers said.