Amish Man's Letters Sway Lawmakers on Buggy Issue

In a high tech world of iPads and smart phones, an old-fashioned Amish man showed that pen and paper remain effective communication devices.   Jacob Gingerich wrote 138 simple, heart-felt letters to lawmakers in Frankfort. The letters are being credited for the Senate's quick passage of a bill that would allow Kentucky's Amish residents to use reflective tape on their horse-drawn buggies instead of bright orange triangular signs that some object to on religious grounds.  The Mayfield resident used no computer, no letterhead, no printer and no copier. The soft-spoken man with the trademark black broad-brimmed hat and long beard painstakingly wrote all the letters by hand, explaining why he and his brethren needed the Legislature to intervene.  The Senate passed legislation last week. The House could follow soon.