Michael Cassidy, a former U.S. Navy pilot, destroyed a display of Baphomet, which was being featured at the Iowa State Capitol.
A former Mississippi political candidate is facing criminal charges after a bedazzled statue of Baphomet, a figure associated with the Satanic Temple, was discovered decapitated at the Iowa State Capitol.
Michael Cassidy, 35, a former U.S. Navy pilot, told Fox News that he saw the controversy surrounding the display, which was heavily criticized by Republican politicians like Ron DeSantis, and drove to the Iowa Capitol to see it for himself. He said it hit a “nerve” and went on to destroy it.
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According to an archived version of his campaign website, Cassidy pushed for a 10-year prison sentence for anyone who destroys a statue in his own state.
For reference, the seven tenants listed next to the destroyed display:
I
One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.
II
The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
III
One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.
IV
The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one's own.
V
Beliefs should conform to one's best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one's beliefs.
VI
People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one's best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused.
VII
Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.
It makes a lot of sense to me why Christians would be against this.
According to an archived version of his campaign website, Cassidy pushed for a 10-year prison sentence for anyone who destroys a statue in his own state.
I'm sure he expects exactly the same punishment for himself.
I'm actually surprised that the satanic temple isn't pushing for him to be charged with some kind of hate crime. Pretty sure if so decapitated a statue of Jesus it wouldn't just be destruction of property?
I'm completely unsurprised that this was a political stunt. If Trump taught these assholes anything, it's that the free press (and in turn, the crowd funding/find raising) they get from their virtue signaling demonstrations like this one will help them weather any punishments they may face--if they really face any at all
I think it should become customary that if a politician advocates for a certain punishment for a crime, and then commits that particular crime, that they receive the punishment they advocated for (within the bounds of current law of course).
He wants a 10-year prison sentence for destroying a statue, he should get a 10-year prison sentence for destroying the statue.
I don't know why I didn't think of this before. Make sure future statues are in pentagrams, and put a little side blurb that "maiming, disfiguring, or destroying this statue will complete the act of sacrifice to the deity". Basically, anyone who defaces the display is, in effect, performing the "ritual of display destruction" - which pleases TST.
Edit: Make it a three- or four-panel cartoon. Reading is a tough concept for some people.
According to an archived version of his campaign website, Cassidy pushed for a 10-year prison sentence for anyone who destroys a statue in his own state.
Well well well, let's see if he sticks to his guns or of he's going to be your typical Republican hipicrite little bitch...
This is the first time in history Iowa’s Satanic Temple chapter has been allowed to put up a display at Iowa’s state capitol alongside holiday displays from other religious groups.