When the general public got word of the atrocities at West Nickel Mines Amish school Oct. 2, many Americans expressed confusion, anger and even hate.

But not the Amish.

On that fateful day, Charles Carl Roberts IV, 32, held 10 young Amish girls captive before shooting all of them, killing three instantly, before taking his own life.

Still, the small community known for its pacifism, is doing something incredible -- forwarding donated money to Roberts' wife and children.

This, combined with the statement the community made by attending Roberts' funeral, makes for one great example for the rest of the world to follow.

Only hours after the shooting occurred, one Amish neighbor arrived at Roberts' home to comfort his family, family spokesman Dwight Lefever told the Associated Press.

On Oct. 4, a grandfather was overheard telling the boys released from the school that they "must not think evil of this man," CNN reported.

In the world of eye-for-an-eye, this group showed that forgiveness and compassion can completely change the course of a situation.

Why did the group turn the other cheek and extend its hand to the Roberts family? What could possibly give these people so much strength?

"They know their children are going to heaven. They know their children are innocent ... and they know that they will join them in death," Gertrude Huntington, an expert on children in Amish society, told the Associated Press following the incident.

"The hurt is very great, but they don't balance the hurt with hate," Huntington said.

As recently as yesterday, estimates of donations to the community have reached $700,000.

In accordance with the group's wishes, a quarter of that money -- $175,000 -- will be donated to the Roberts family. The rest of the money will be used for medical treatment of the remaining hospitalized girls.

Ever after what will go down in history as arguably the most horrific act of violence toward the Amish community, they managed to turn around and stun the world with kindness and understanding.

If the rest of the world could learn from these unparalleled actions, one can only imagine the positive effects it would have.