Michael Cassidy, a former Mississippi political candidate and naval officer, is facing a felony hate crime charge for decapitating a satanic statue in Iowa.
The co-founder of the Satanic Temple, which installed the statue, argued that placing the statue in a public place is an expression of religious freedom. Cassidy drove to Iowa to see it for himself and went ahead with the destruction of the statue because he felt strongly that it shouldn’t be there.
In the charges against Cassidy, prosecutors cited violations of personal rights under Iowa’s hate crimes law. He also said there is evidence to suggest Cassidy destroyed the statue because of the victim’s religion.
“You can’t see the victims here,” Sara Gonzalez said. “Is the victim the statue? Is the victim the person who made this beautiful statue that no one wanted?”
The statue’s creators claim the cost to replace the statue is between $750 and $1,500.
“Our dark gods are cheap these days,” Chad Prather jokes.
Although he faces legal repercussions, Cassidy is now being hailed as a hero by many on the right, as evidenced by his GiveSendGo campaign, which has raised more than $105,000 for his legal defense.
Gonzalez is glad he’s being helped, but takes no solace in the fact that Cassidy now has to deal with the law.
“It’s really depressing because it’s like, what are we grateful for when they finally stood up and did something?” Does that mean they’re going to be thrown in jail? Who will rise next? ” Gonzalez says.
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