ANALYSIS – Even in America's heartland, Satan gets preferential treatment from civil authorities, and a Christian, who is also a Navy veteran, gets persecuted. Back in December I wrote about Matthew Cassidy, 35, who made headlines when he knocked over a red-cloaked Baphomet (Satan) statue erected near a Nativity scene in the Iowa Capitol rotunda.
“The devil is evil, and we should not pretend or act as if he is equal to a Nativity scene,” Cassidy, who hails from Mississippi, said at the time.
He “beheaded” the monstrosity and tossed its silverish goat head in the trash before turning himself in. It was reportedly destroyed “beyond repair.”
I added:
The satanic figure, made from pool noodles, and holding a pentacle, had been placed in the rotunda for the Christmas holidays by the Iowa chapter of The Satanic Temple, which had gotten approval from the state. The grotesque display included a candle-lit altar with the seven “Fundamental Tenets” of the ‘Temple' emblazoned on it.
Cassidy, a naval officer and fighter pilot, was initially charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor.
The Christian veteran received a great deal of support for unapologetically taking stand against evil. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis even posted about him on X, offering to donate to his legal defense.
“Satan has no place in our society and should not be recognized as a ‘religion' by the federal government,” DeSantis posted.
“I'll chip in to contribute to this veteran's legal defense fund. Good prevails over evil – that's the American spirit.”
But now, likely under federal and other political pressure, state prosecutors have increased the charge against Cassidy.
According to Tampa Free Press:
KCCI reported that he faces the more serious offense of felony third-degree criminal mischief. Prosecutors claimed in court records that Cassidy acted “in violation of individual rights” under Iowa's hate-crime law.
“Evidence shows the defendant made statements to law enforcement and the public indicating he destroyed the property because of the victim's religion,” Lynn Hicks, spokesman for the Polk County Attorney's Office, told KCCI in a statement.
This means that Cassidy, if convicted, now faces up to five years in prison rather than the one year in jail and $2,560 fine he initially faced.
Governor DeSantis: Cassidy needs your help more than ever. Will you please help him and champion his cause?
Tampa FP added:
Noting the news about Cassidy, the conservative X account Libs of TikTok posted, “Violent activists tore down dozens of statues including [Christopher] Columbus, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. None were held accountable or charged with a hate crime.”
“Michael Cassidy knocks over a Satan statue made out of household items and gets charged with a hate crime,” the post added. “Welcome to America's 2-tier justice system. The police state made it clear who they worship. Wokeness and Satanism is the new religion.”
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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