Man Charged with Hate Crime for Destroying Satanic Display

[Route 45]

Suspect accused of destroying Satanic display at Iowa Capitol charged with hate crime

A former congressional candidate from Mississippi who admitted destroying Satanic Temple's Baphomet idol at Iowa Capitol now faces a hate crime charge

www.desmoinesregister.com

 

[rbhargan]

Suspect accused of destroying Satanic display at Iowa Capitol charged with hate crime

A former congressional candidate from Mississippi who admitted destroying Satanic Temple's Baphomet idol at Iowa Capitol now faces a hate crime charge

www.desmoinesregister.com

Looking at this, if a writer had presented this story to the Babylon Bee a year ago, the editors would have gone "WTF? No one would believe this, even as satire!"

Every time you think, "things can't get more f***'ed up" someone goes "hold my beer." Very sad.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Meh.

 

[Ark]

I HATE THE ANTICHRIST

I HATE THE ANTICHRIST

I HATE THE ANTICHRIST

 

[Twangbanger]

There has to be a better-than-average story on how that display got there to begin with...

 

[BehindBlueI's]

There has to be a better-than-average story on how that display got there to begin with...

I figure everyone got what they wanted. The Satanists got attention. The idol smasher got matrydom. Lots of people got to feel things really intensely for a few minutes. The media got their clicks. Politicians will get to make hay with it.

2/10 on the interesting protest scale, though. Needs more Pastafarian envolvement.

 

[Twangbanger]

I figure everyone got what they wanted. The Satanists got attention. The idol smasher got matrydom. Lots of people got to feel things really intensely for a few minutes. The media got their clicks. Politicians will get to make hay with it.

2/10 on the interesting protest scale, though. Needs more Pastafarian envolvement.

I envision this being like a big rock that the Seniors re-paint every year.

 

[MrSmitty]

Satanists can go to hell......is that a threat, or promise to them?.....10 years ago he would be lauded as a hero, now...OMG he hurt devil worshipers!

 

[Shadow01]

Doesn’t every crime have some level of hate involved?

 

[Leo]

He should have told them he was a BLM protester, or an anti fascism warrior. They would have given him a gift card for steak & shake and a pat on the back.

 

[Leo]

Doesn’t every crime have some level of hate involved?

That was always my problem with that descriptor.

ALL crime is hate crime. If you loved the other person, you would not attack him, steal or destroy his stuff.

The very idea that someone can openly harm me and be justified, but if I say anything about it, I am guilty of a hate crime, is absurd.

 

[spencer rifle]

2/10 on the interesting protest scale, though. Needs more Pastafarian envolvement.

Funny you should mention that. Our youngest decided to tweak the system when he got his new drivers license. He brought a pastafarian letter in with him explaining his religious headgear, and wore a colander on his head for his picture. Might make for interesting times over the next few years.

 

[chipbennett]

"Hate crimes" are unconstitutional (Equal Protection violation). With that caveat: yes, this act was unlawful and the person who committed it was rightfully charged, both for the underlying crime and for application of the (unconstitutional) "hate crime".

 

[actaeon277]

Burn down a city, or tear down a statue... no problem

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Doesn’t every crime have some level of hate involved?

No. Economic motivation requires no hate. I worked a few robbery cases where the robber was literally apologizing throughout the robbery, they were motivated by desperation and not hate. Theft as a whole isn't hate driven, it's economic or thrill seeking driven. No hate required. It *could* be hate driven, if it's done as revenge or something, but not typically.

Being a drunk behind the wheel with poor judgement skills and lack of spacial awareness requires no hate, etc.

I mean, unless you expand the definition to the point all human action is hate driven, I suppose. "I hate starving to death, so I buy food" sort of thing, but I think that's stretching the point to absurdity.

"Hate crimes" are unconstitutional (Equal Protection violation). With that caveat: yes, this act was unlawful and the person who committed it was rightfully charged, both for the underlying crime and for application of the (unconstitutional) "hate crime".

While I generally disagree with the concept of 'hate crime', there's no violation of equal protection. Hate crimes in this context would apply to any religion if the motive was the religion. And, likely, lack of religion. I know the next argument is prosecutorial discretion, but that's not the law itself.

 

[JettaKnight]

Funny you should mention that. Our youngest decided to tweak the system when he got his new drivers license. He brought a pastafarian letter in with him explaining his religious headgear, and wore a colander on his head for his picture. Might make for interesting times over the next few years.

Dude, you have the coolest kids. Smart, well traveled, and sarcastic.

 

[JettaKnight]

Christians: "We demand religious displays in our state capital!"

Also Christians: "Wait - not that kind of religious displays."


As Christian, I have to say, "well played, antagonist*." They put up a display with the blatant goal of tweaking Evangelists and we totally took the bait - hook, line, and sinker.

Should he be charged with a hate crime? I don't know. But he should be charge for being a stooge.


* These people don't believe in a God and Satan, they are clearly atheist look to stick it to Fundamentalist. And we gave them the victory while looking like self-conscious boobs. Victory belongs to the Lord - stop being so fearful.

 

[blain]

I HATE THE ANTICHRIST

I HATE THE ANTICHRIST

I HATE THE ANTICHRIST

Okay, the next logical question.
Will you please identify said person?

"Hate Crime"... Who doesn't want laws against something that sounds as bad as that?
"Hate Crime" statutes are double edged.
I'm old school, I prefer standard, straight up laws against everyday crimes like, murder, assault, vandalism, etc.
"Hate", like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[blain]

What was old, WILL become new again.

World History Encyclopedia, "Rome's Response to the Spread of Christianity" Feb 9, 2021
"Domitian insisted upon being addressed as 'Lord and God', and he ordered everyone in the Empire to worship at the imperial cult temples with sacrifices in the form of cash donations. Christians, however, refused to obey this command and, as a result, were charged with atheism. Atheism meant disbelief in the gods and, at the same time, it was a civil crime against the state. Not respecting the state cults meant that you did not want the Roman Empire to prosper. Angering the gods in such a way could bring on natural disasters and wars, and therefore, atheism was equivalent to treason, and the punishment was death. This is how and why Christians were executed in the arenas."

 

[joncon]

What, your not supposed to hate Satan? Who'd thought it.