Former congressional candidate (from out of state) charged with vandalizing Satanic Temple display at Iowa Capitol

[essentialsaltes]

A former congressional candidate from Mississippi has been charged with allegedly vandalizing the Satanic Temple of Iowa's statue depicting the pagan idol Baphomet at the Iowa State Capitol.

[Reportedly, it is "destroyed beyond repair."]

Michael Cassidy, 35, of Lauderdale, Mississippi, was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief on Thursday, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

The installation, permitted under state rules governing religious displays in the building, has been debated and criticized by Iowa and national politicians.

 

[Desk trauma]

DeSantis vows to help man charged with beheading Iowa Capitol’s Satanic Temple statue​

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said he would support the legal fund of a man who is accused of vandalizing a display by The Satanic Temple inside the Iowa Capitol on Thursday.

Michael Cassidy was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief for knocking over and destroying a statue erected by the temple inside the capitol, The Des Moines Register first reported.

“Satan has no place in our society and should not be recognized as a ‘religion’ by the federal government,” DeSantis said on X, formerly Twitter. “I’ll chip in to contribute to this veteran’s legal defense fund. Good prevails over evil — that’s the American spirit.”

 

[rambot]

DeSantis vows to help man charged with beheading Iowa Capitol’s Satanic Temple statue​

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said he would support the legal fund of a man who is accused of vandalizing a display by The Satanic Temple inside the Iowa Capitol on Thursday.

Michael Cassidy was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief for knocking over and destroying a statue erected by the temple inside the capitol, The Des Moines Register first reported.

“Satan has no place in our society and should not be recognized as a ‘religion’ by the federal government,” DeSantis said on X, formerly Twitter. “I’ll chip in to contribute to this veteran’s legal defense fund. Good prevails over evil — that’s the American spirit.”

Honestly, the most offensive thing in all of this is "Good prevails over evil - that's the American spirit".

That is SO far from the American spirit from what I see as an outsider. By way of supporting my point.....

 

[essentialsaltes]

“Satan has no place in our society and should not be recognized as a ‘religion’ by the federal government,” DeSantis said on X

First Amendment says otherwise, Ron. Check it out some time.

Or in Washington's words:

All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship.

...happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.

 

[dzheremi]

Honestly, the most offensive thing in all of this is "Good prevails over evil - that's the American spirit".

That is SO far from the American spirit from what I see as an outsider.

Perhaps if you lived here you would understand that this is one of those things that certain members of our society tell themselves in order to continue to believe that we are somehow that "shining city on a hill", no matter what actually happens. It is a bit like how if you ask some people of a certain age and ethnocultural background what time they wish we could go back to as a society, they will say the 1950s, because that is when they were children or otherwise young and, as far as they can remember, life then was idyllic, and anyway later the blacks and the hippies and the women and all manner of riff-raff began transforming society from the Ozzie and Harriet-esque bubble that it once was to the gender-confused, purple-haired, feminist heck-hole (sigh...society used to be so much more polite!) that we live in now. The 'American Spirit', then, is a mix of this kind of nostalgia with the idea that whatever conflicts we once engaged in were grand, cosmic battles between clear good and clear evil: the "good guys" vs. the Nazis and the Fascists; the "good guys" vs. the no-good, dirty commies in ______ (the USSR, Vietnam, Cambodia, Cuba, Mossadegh's Iran, etc.); etc. It was so unlike today when people have the temerity to not support constant wars (direct or by proxy) just because America and/or Israel and/or Saudi Arabia want something to be a certain way.

So of course good prevails over evil, in this view...evil prevailing over good would mean the USA not getting its way, Israel not getting its way, Saudi Arabia not getting its way, white evangelicals not getting their way, men who look up to John Wayne not getting their way, etc. That's what "evil" is: I have to share the country with people and ideas that I don't like, and that is upsetting. It didn't used to be this way!

 

[Desk trauma]

Per the archive of his campaign website he wanted mandatory minimum sentences of ten years for people destroying statues.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

“Land of the free, home of the brave.”

 

[Desk trauma]

“Land of the free, home of the brave.”

Some exceptions may apply*

 

[essentialsaltes]

Jack Posobiec is honored by Bad Legal Takes

 

[essentialsaltes]

Hmmmm.... Satan or HOA? [silly [?] opinion piece]

In response to the homeowners association’s protest of my 20-foot-tall inflatable satanic yard decoration:

Greetings, salutations and hail Satan. I have received your email regarding my constitutionally protected holiday decorations.

I fail to see how [inflatable Baphomet] is scarier or more confusing than the Johnson’s outdoor Christmas decor, which features Santa Claus landing a helicopter atop an inflatable manger scene right next to a 12-foot-tall inflatable Grinch. That is not just biblically inaccurate.

Look, you don’t see me protesting the fake reindeer horns the Picketts put on their car that sits in the driveway. (IT’S A SUBARU, JANICE, YOU’RE NOT FOOLING ANYONE!!)

 

[Chrystal-J]

I thought Satanists always claim to be atheists. What do they worship then?
As far as being a 'protected religion', the definition of religion is 'the belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods.'

 

[USincognito]

Per the archive of his campaign website he wanted mandatory minimum sentences of ten years for people destroying statues.

Of course he did.

 

[USincognito]

Jack Posobiec is honored by Bad Legal Takes

View attachment 340456

Red hats: Iran is bad!

Also red hats: We should be just like Iran!

 

[rambot]

Per the archive of his campaign website he wanted mandatory minimum sentences of ten years for people destroying statues.

You should understand of course, that the fellow would be honoured to serve that sentence in the end.

 

[Desk trauma]

I thought Satanists always claim to be atheists. What do they worship then?
As far as being a 'protected religion', the definition of religion is 'the belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods.'

Satanism, atheistic or theistic, is covered under religious anti-discrimination law and the first amendment.

 

[Pommer]

Red hats: Iran is bad!

Also red hats: We should be just like Iran!

Shots?
”Government shouldn’t be telling is what to do with our own bodies!”
Abortion?
”Government should tell pregnant women what to do with their bodies!”

Doublethink is like that, both of these “make sense” and do not contradict each other if one can employ it.

 

[stevil]

DeSantis vows to help man charged with beheading Iowa Capitol’s Satanic Temple statue​

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said he would support the legal fund of a man who is accused of vandalizing a display by The Satanic Temple inside the Iowa Capitol on Thursday.

Michael Cassidy was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief for knocking over and destroying a statue erected by the temple inside the capitol, The Des Moines Register first reported.

“Satan has no place in our society and should not be recognized as a ‘religion’ by the federal government,” DeSantis said on X, formerly Twitter. “I’ll chip in to contribute to this veteran’s legal defense fund. Good prevails over evil — that’s the American spirit.”

I don't get what Satan has to do with this story.

As far as I understand it the Satanic Temple organisation doesn't believe in Satan and doesn't promote belief in Satan and the display that was illegally destroyed/vandalised wasn't a depiction of Satan.

What DeSantis is saying with his actions is "If you don't like something then it is OK to vandalise it and destroy it, even if your actions are illegal. Don't worry about the law, I've got your back"

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Don't worry about the law, I've got your back"

Almost sounds like someone else...

 

[Pommer]

I don't get what Satan has to do with this story.

As far as I understand it the Satanic Temple organisation doesn't believe in Satan and doesn't promote belief in Satan and the display that was illegally destroyed/vandalised wasn't a depiction of Satan.

What DeSantis is saying with his actions is "If you don't like something then it is OK to vandalise it and destroy it, even if your actions are illegal. Don't worry about the law, I've got your back"

It’ll play well in Peoria.
(1930s idiom, to match the ham fisted PR stunt this is)

 

[Pommer]

Almost sounds like someone else...

It’s okay to break laws you don’t agree with, sounds familiar too.