A man who made national headlines for tearing down and beheading a Satanic display in the Iowa State Capitol believes his actions were the “right thing to do.”
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“We should not tolerate Satan,” Michael Cassidy told CBN Digital, explaining why he decided to take action against the display.
After learning on social media The Satanic Temple had installed a display in the capitol building, Cassidy found himself concerned over its presence.
“When I saw it, I thought, ‘How on earth can Satanic icons be in the capitol?'” he said. “And I thought, ‘You know, it’s some kind of oversight. … some little bureaucracy.'”
Cassidy said he assumed the government would take it down once they realized what it was, considering the symbol was an attempt to “honor Satan.” But, once the display wasn’t removed, he said he got a plane ticket to Iowa and went to see the symbol for himself.
“Whatever emotion you may have felt looking at it online, it’s completely different when you are actually in the capitol,” Cassidy said. “I’m an American. I’ve been in the Navy for my entire adult life. I’ve fought to protect the country, and it wasn’t to protect Satan. We say, ‘So help me God,’ not ‘So help me Satan.'”
He continued, “It became very clear to me that this could not stand. … It was intolerable for it to be there and, so I did what I did.”
Watch Cassidy explain:
After destroying the symbol, Cassidy said he cleaned up some of the debris and went over to security to turn himself in. Contrary to some media reports, he said he wasn’t arrested over the ordeal, though he was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief.
“The maximum penalty is … I believe up to one year in jail,” he said, noting there’s also a potential $2,560 fine.
“It really boils down to: God is good and deserves praise and Satan is evil and does not deserve [it],” Cassidy said. “The devil is bad and it’s not something that we should promote.”
He also responded to those who charged his actions were merely a public relations stunt.
“I certainly saw this ahead of time,” Cassidy said. “But … I did not have a full plan of what I was going to do … there was no set plan. There was certainly an immense dislike that I had from seeing it online.”
In the end, he said the decision to destroy the Satanic display came along with risks — potential perils he knew the moment he took action.
“When I made that decision in the capitol, I knew that there is going to be potential penalties,” Cassidy said. “I don’t know what the exact … charge was going to be, but I could imagine that … it could lead to jail, could lead to … severe financial hardship.”
He added, “But it was the right thing to do that; we should not tolerate Satan.”
The Satanic Temple released a statement calling the destruction of its holiday display “disheartening,” but said it has “only strengthened” their resolve to “advocate for religious pluralism and freedom of expression.”
“We were thrilled to be part of the Iowa State Capitol’s Holiday display for the first time this year. Despite experiencing the destruction and beheading of our display on Dec. 14, our congregation united to rebuild, embodying the resilience and spirit of our community,” The Satanic Temple Iowa stated. “As our time at the Capitol concludes, we carry with us a sense of accomplishment and a renewed commitment to advocating for religious pluralism and freedom of speech.”
Cassidy is consulting with attorneys as the case soon heads to court.
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