YARROW, BC
After his 3-year-old daughter Andrea stormed into the bedroom while he was live on the BBC discussing Mennonite-Amish relations, local dad Dick V. Peters, 41, took his young daughter aside and firmly scolded her for the inappropriate behaviour.
“Oba, nay, that was unacceptable. I recited Proverbs 22:6 and told her that children should be seen and not heard,” said Peters. “Especially not waltzing in here with a smile on her face like an undisciplined Enjelsch child yet.”
Peters said he was also very embarrassed that his daughter was sporting a yellow sweater instead of the traditional Mennonite garb.
“I sure hope the elders weren’t watching,” said Peters. “We might get excommunicated for this.”
The father-daughter lecture went on for about fifteen minutes, while the BBC host tried to interrupt and steer the conversation back to the original topic.
“There’s no stopping a Mennonite father when he’s disciplining his child, it seems,” said the BBC host. “I tried to intervene. Honestly I did.”
Soon more children were pouring into the room and Peters could do little to stop the influx of his own children.
Finally, when his infant son scooted into the room in his walker, Peters stood up, tugged vigorously on his suspenders, and told the whole family, in no uncertain terms, that there would be no farmer sausage at supper for any of them if they didn’t shape up.
Peters then locked the door and resumed the interview.