Navy Vet Who Toppled Satan Display Charged with Hate Crime

Well ... Government buildings shouldn't have ANY religious displays in them, because this kind of thing can happen. Having a religious display, of ANY religion, in government buildings should be illegal.


Navy Vet Who Toppled Satan Display Charged with Hate Crime

A U.S. Navy veteran who toppled a satanic display in the Iowa state Capitol shortly before Christmas has been charged with felony mischief and a hate crime.

Michael Cassidy, 35, made headlines in December when he traveled from Mississippi to Des Moines and pushed over a red-cloaked statue of Baphomet where it stood near a Nativity scene.

The statue, which had been erected by the Iowa chapter of The Satanic Temple, was in front of a candle-lit altar adorned with the seven "Fundamental Tenets" of the organization, which claims not to believe in a personal devil.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Need a link to the gofundme.

originally posted by: Moon68
Need a link to the gofundme.

Pretty sure that's not allowed here. But I googled when you said that and found an article stating that his legal fees were at least $20,000 and that someone had a fund me page for him that was at $53,000.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Destroying property in a government building, what did they think was going to happen?

originally posted by: FlyersFan

originally posted by: Moon68
Need a link to the gofundme.

Pretty sure that's not allowed here. But I googled when you said that and found an article stating that his legal fees were at least $20,000 and that someone had a fund me page for him that was at $53,000.

Good to hear. If I had Elon money, I'd make sure he had an entire elite law firm at his disposal,

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: FlyersFan

Destroying property in a government building, what did they think was going to happen?

Oh, I don't know, perhaps the same thing that's happened to the atheists and Satanists that have defaced the 10 commandments and "In God We Trust" plaques over the years...nothing.

a reply to: FlyersFan

They should hang him for this.

Right.. any religious displays. But if believers in a fictional immaculate conception are allowed then why not a group of non-believing Satanists who do not believe in a devil while also legally pretending to be a religion. Neither makes sense to me but since one is allowed, why not the other.

This guy appears to have commuted a predetermined crime, willful destruction, in that he went so far as to cross state lines to do so though labeling it a hate crime seems a bit silly to me.

a reply to: Moon68

Well a small hint if you choose to smash up property on government premises it tends to go poorly.

And that's just how vandalizing things in public tends to go.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: FlyersFan

Destroying property in a government building, what did they think was going to happen?

probably the same things that happened to all the folks that tore down statues all across the state over the last few years. Not a #ing thing.

originally posted by: BingoMcGoof
... if believers in a fictional immaculate conception are allowed then why not a group of non-believing Satanists..

'The Immaculate Conception" is a Catholic term and refers to Marys conception .. not baby Jesus. But I understand what you are trying to say. That's why I said NO RELIGIOUS DISPLAYS. Not Christian, or Buddhist, or Islamic, or Jewish, or Satanist, or ___ (fill in the blank with the religion of choice).

a reply to: FlyersFan

Uhhhhh, I thought toppling statues even on government property was cool now.

a reply to: network dude

Then if nothing is going to happen to the fellow why all the concern?

The dude has done this for clear attention network dude.

And seemingly choose to travel from Mississippi to Des Moines to do so, a journey of approximately 700 miles or thereabouts.

I don't agree with the majority of the other fools trying to burn down your house from within pulling down statues nether.

Best to just change the plaques on the things to reflect what they really got up too back then, instead of trying to wipe people and their antics from history by my guess.

originally posted by: Moon68
Good to hear. If I had Elon money, I'd make sure he had an entire elite law firm at his disposal,

Not a fan of the 1st amendment, eh?

originally posted by: Euronymous2625

originally posted by: Moon68
Good to hear. If I had Elon money, I'd make sure he had an entire elite law firm at his disposal,

Not a fan of the 1st amendment, eh?

The guy was exercising his right to free expression.

Isn't that what the left always says?

Religion have no room in politics and neither government, unless is to protect the constitutional rights to religion.

Besides that, is really an attempt to crap on Christianity when the devil have room in a government building and Christianity is not.

How about Budish, Muslim, and every other religion in the world.

Really this is just another way to make people fight each other with good vs evil.

Ridiculous.

BTW is there are an estimated 4,200 different religions in the world, can we fill every government building with displays of them?

a reply to: DBCowboy

Actually he was offended by the devil as a Christian, I am sure that is what he was doing, defending himself from evil.

originally posted by: marg6043
a reply to: DBCowboy

Actually he was offended by the devil as a Christian, I am sure that is what he was doing, defending himself from evil.

I find it funny that the embodiment of pure evil was symbolized in a government building.

If government was honest, it'd be in every government building.

a reply to: FlyersFan

I personally find the statue offensive, not only in religious terms but also aesthetically it's fairly ugly, but the things is, is statuary actually necessary to the civic function of the premises?

If it isn't, then why allocate space or funding to it at all? That would be misallocation of public funds and resources, which is a serious matter at a governmental level.

a reply to: FlyersFan
I stumbled into the donation site from your link in the OP, he's up to 108 thousand dollars now. Plenty of Christians to cover his costs, so I don't think he'll struggle as a result.
Also states that any excess after paying the legal fees will be donated to a service folk charity...I'll assume the lawyers will make sure there is very little excess!🤣