Before we hurry and impatiently move on to real news rather than the Amish; let's look at the DEMONSTRATION of forgiveness which we negect to even consider. Also, Ms Curry is calmly, politely and carefully interviewing those with connections to the community. The outside world is trained for sleaze and looks as if that is what is sought while this community continues working, living and grieving.

Ann,
Thank you. Your grace and sensitivity magnified the peaceful and forgiving nature of the Amish people. While many reports have sensationalized these horrific events, your story has reached all of us and shown us the meaning of forgiveness. The majority of Americans are Christians, as am I. We are taught to forgive, as God forgave us. In this world of hate, violence and anger, I have now felt the power of that forgiveness and the love behind it as I could never have imagined before. May God bless those families and the community.

I wish people would really study the Amish. They practice shunning. Shunning means if you leave the church your family and friends have to act as those you no longer exist. This is the exact opposite of forgiveness. Let's see you forgive murderers but hate ex-Amish. Great religion.

It is certainly ashamed what happened...However, for Ann Curry to say "That she did not know what forgiveness was until this terrible shooting incident ignorant. Consider the plight of African Americans who are arguably the most forgiving people on the planet. Their ancestors bones are still on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean (Middle Passage Journey) and they continue forgive those who are responsible for the genocide.

This kind of "forgivness" is the most reprehensible example of just how depraved we have become in worshiping our "GODS" These people are already dead,they are just waiting to go to a "better place". They actually think their dead children are better off dead because they "are with the lord". If their GOD really exists, He should be hunted down and killed on the spot. Religion is the most evil concept ever invented by man.

Thanks for making it political, Jim. Maybe some will rub off on you, too.

Enough coverage. Leave them alone, now.

I agree with the writer from Boston, the media should move on, or rather should have moved on two days ago. As much as I prefer Nightly News to the other U.S. newscasts that I can watch here in Europe I could hardly believe my eyes last night when this (i.e. the Amish school shooting) was the lead story (with - if my memory serves me correctly - 4 reports) again, although there weren't any NEWS! I find the whole frenzy and pandemonium around the story disrespectful - not only to the families affected by this tragedy, but also to all the other news that are going on around the world right now. Where were the announced nuclear tests from South Korea on Nightly News last night? Where was the hijacked plane in Italy?

This is a sad, sad story as is all of these type, slaying of innocent youth. Even though the Amish Community is a pacifist group it is still necessary to have the news reported. And as in Ann's story the mother that is grieving states "We can tell people about Christ and actually show you in our walk that we forgive, not just say it but in our walk of life," she said. "You know you have to live it. You can't just say it. "

That is why it is necessary to report this sad and horrific event.

Ann, Thanks for the powerful message!

When you think about it, hate is the absolute worst crime we can ever commit on our own soul. True forgiveness is very rare. The best way I’ve ever run across for forgiving someone for even the most horrific crime came to me at a Buddhist workshop. The person said,

“Much as a doctor does not get angry at a delirious patient who – in the depths of a fever – strikes at him, we must also try to keep in our minds that the people who do bad or horrific things are themselves suffering from a similar "fever" of false realisms. It’s basically not their fault and underneath all of their very negative conditioning and feelings is a loving and caring person. It is that person underneath that we must always try to see and love.”

Forgiveness and morals are so easy to preach but always twice as difficult to practice. It's only by realizing that we ALL suffer from delusions that we can at least understand where people go wrong. We must remain as "the doctor" did - who does not get angry and instead actually feels even more compassion for the person underneath. People are inherently good! If we were “inherently violent,” I’d suspect we’d have canine teeth or something as other violent creatures do.

P.S. This is not - in any way - to suggest that we should lie down and be the victim of every crime. Protecting ourselves and others from harm is very much the best preventative measure. If we fail to do that, we ourselves become negligent of allowing things like this to happen. 9/11 is no different!

I disagree with "Buffy"...that was a beautifully written piece. Ann is such a true talent and a great writer. I grew up watching 'Today' and Ann and now, in the early stages of my career...the first in-roads in her business, I hope to one day reach a similar level of success. That success isn't measured by her paycheck or prestige of a job at the network, but the observations like these that she has made as an eyewitness to history. Way to go, Ann!

Buffy,

God is moving in a powerful way among the Amish. Maybe some of their faith will rub off on our liberal
press and just maybe send a message to our fellow countryman how desparately we need the power of God in our lives and our country.

Ann:

None of us know what true forgiveness is until we are the forgiver. We can't begin to understand the
forgiveness of God until we personally experience
it. His child died so we might receive His forgiveness. So simple, so powerful and so hard to
get our hands around. Only faith such as the example
of the grieving yet forgiving mother can explain God's mighty power.

Your continued intrusion into the Amish community is reprehensible. Because this community is pacifist and does not actively object to your presence does not mean that the Amish don't consider it a grievous offense.

Please move on to the next sensation of the gun and knife sleaze media fascination, and leave this community alone. The media's intrusion is akin to repeatedly barging in at a church service and thrusting cameras into worshipers' faces during prayer.