Crosses vandalized at LSU (3000 White Pro-Life Crosses destroyed - some burned)

The Washington Times ^ | January 28, 2005

[cpforlife.org]

From combined dispatches Vandals stole or damaged 3,000 crosses at Louisiana State University that were set up as part of a silent pro-life protest against the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. The attack on the crosses this week, put on the LSU Parade Grounds to decry the anniversary of the ruling that declared abortion a constitutional right, prompted special outrage from LSU Students for Life because a campus police officer saw five persons removing some crosses from the public space early Monday morning, but did not immediately report the individuals. "This was not meant for people to just go out and do what they want. This was reserved. Everything was legit," one organizer told the Baton Rouge Advocate. Maj. Ricky Adams of the LSU police department told the Daily Reveille student newspaper that the officer identified the vandals and ordered them to leave. He said the officer did not arrest the individuals. Maj. Adams told Baton Rouge TV station WAFB on Wednesday that five LSU students had been arrested. He said the students were issued misdemeanor summons for criminal mischief and referred to LSU's dean of students for disciplinary review. Similar pro-life exhibits at Oregon State University, at the University of Pennsylvania and in Redding, Calif., have been vandalized in the past month. Mary Higdon, president of LSU Students for Life, told the Daily Reveille that Monday's attack was not the first instance of vandalism since the group set up the exhibit Saturday, when it consisted of 4,000 crosses, representing the number of abortions performed daily in the United States. She said vandals stole and burned crosses, spelled out "pro-choice" in broken crosses and spray-painted part of the exhibit. "This is not a game," Miss Higdon said.

[cpforlife.org]

From Baton Rouge TV Website: http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?s=2851018

An anti-abortion group on LSU's campus is up in arms after an exhibit was vandalized. Last Saturday the group "Students For Life" held a vigil to recognize the historic abortion ruling Roe Versus Wade. Monday morning when they got to LSU's Parade Grounds some members found the exhibit trashed.

LSU police now have a complaint against whoever vandalized 3,044 little white crosses planted at the parade grounds. Each cross symbolized what anti abortion activists say is the number of unborn children killed each day by legal abortions in the United States. Some time between Saturday and Monday morning those symbols were vandalized.

Students For Life President Mary Higdon says, "The audacity of these people. I just could not believe it. The lack of respect the lack of free speech."

Higdon says many of the crosses were arranged to spell the words "pro-choice" when the vandalism was discovered. The exhibit is on loan to the student group from another organization. A representative was notified and now he wants justice from police.

"I want accountability so the LSU Chief of Police said its still being investigated and its going to be full accountability and prosecution," says anti-abortion activist Richard Mahoney.

Prosecution could include damage to property and theft. Mahoney says at least five people are involved, perhaps as many as eight. "These crosses were basically destroyed because of a hate crime. They did not want to see a cross or what it represents...life on the grounds," says Mahoney.

The group, Students For Life, will continue to keep an eye on their exhibit until it comes down on Wednesday.

[cpforlife.org]

http://www.lsureveille.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/01/27/41f89827bccce

Six students arrested for cross vandalism
Owner of crosses plans to sue
By Leigh Shelton
Chief Staff Writer

January 27, 2005

LSUPD arrested six University students Monday for vandalizing the crosses in the Students for Life anti-abortion exhibit on the Parade Ground.

But the cross owner and some members say the misdemeanor charges are just a “slap on the wrist,” and the vandals should be charged with a hate crime. The cross owner plans to sue the University and press civil charges.

Police issued misdemeanor summons for criminal mischief to Joshua Bailey, Mathew Marty, Sarah McDougall, Nyssa Juneau and Jared Philibert for tampering with and pulling up the crosses around 11 p.m. on Sunday.

In a separate incident, police issued a misdemeanor summons to John Morlier for simple criminal damage for kicking crosses on the Parade Ground at 6:41 p.m. on Sunday.

Responding to complaints that LSUPD waited too long to make an arrest, police spokesman Ricky Adams said the officer who saw the group of students tampering with the crosses released the individuals until cross owner Richard Mahoney filed a complaint.

Mahoney complained to police Monday morning.

Mahoney, president of the St. Mary and St. Joseph Memorial Foundation, has been lending Students for Life the crosses for the last 10 years. He said misdemeanor charges are not enough for defacing a religious display and damaging thousands of dollars worth of private property.

Mahoney said he expects restitution for the $9,000 it will cost his foundation to replace the 3,000 broken or stolen crosses — and he intends to sue the University to get it.

He also said he will file civil charges against the six students, claiming the defacement to the religious symbols is a hate crime.

“The exhibit is the mourning of those lives that have been taken,” Mahoney said. “The breaking of a cross or the breaking of religious symbol is a hate crime.”

Mahoney also said he plans to take the issue to court because the fear of vandalism and hate has stifled students who want to put up religious, anti-abortion displays across the country.

But University media law professor Louis Day said Mahoney and the group may have trouble proving that in court.

Day said the students put up crosses to remember the aborted fetuses, which may be considered a political protest, not a religious one.

“I’m not sure the crosses are religious symbols in the strictest sense, making it difficult to prove it was a hate crime,” Day said.

Mahoney’s attorney Tommy Benton said he does not want to argue the case as a hate crime, because the real issue is the actual crime that the vandals carried out.

Benton said the argument for a hate crime can be made, but Benton said he will advise his client not to make that an issue, because the real issue is the destruction and theft of private property.

Benton said the students should pay for damaging and stealing the property to illegally express their speech.

But Benton also acknowledged the vandals are students and may have just made a foolish mistake.

“I’m not personally out to make [the students] felons, but it’s a matter of lost damages,” Benton said.

LSUPD filed a police report with the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s office today. An attorney has not yet been assigned the case, and an arraignment has not been set for the six students.

[.cnI redruM]

It's the impact of Senator Byrd on the Democratic Party. He just gets them into the habit of burning crosses.

[Feiny]

Good...go after them for hate crimes...a dose of their own medicine.

[cpforlife.org]

The crosses have been loaned to LSU Students for Life for about 10 years by Richard Mahoney, who is the owner operator of NATIONAL AMERICAN HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL, of which I am the webmaster.

[cpforlife.org]

One of Richards daughters is a past President of the group and we have a section for them on the website.

Display from a few years ago.

[cpforlife.org]

Pro-Life PING

Please FreepMail me if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

"COMMUNIST PEACE NAZIS!"

RaceBannon has an excellent commentary about "Peace Nazis" however I propose we take Race's statement up to the next level and start calling these thugs COMMUNIST Peace Nazis -- Nazis were the German socialists and have been thoroughly demonized -- with plenty of help to make them the epitome of evil by Marxists elsewhere -- while the Marxist-anarchists led by ACLU, PFAW, Greenpeace, MoveOn.org and Tides-funded groups continue their efforts to distort and destroy everything good and true about America and what our Founding Fathers created--and steal control of our very nation.

Socialism is too neutral a term for the horrors that Lenin, Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao and others wrought. Nazi only describes one portion of the Communist/Nazi genocidal cancer.

That's not a rebuttal or put-down, Race--I agree 100% and raise you one!

[Coleus]

Cross Vandalized

[cpforlife.org]

COMMUNIST Peace Nazis sounds about right. Check this out. The ring leader of the vandals sent a letter explaining the evils of the "Pro-Life cross". I kid you not!
http://www.lsureveille.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/01/28/41f9dc0cc758e

In response to charges that the crosses were "political crosses" and not religious crosses thus no hate crime, and to profile the LSU Students for Life, a weekly column.
http://www.lsureveille.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/01/28/41f9da9c2fe24

And the original sources of the "political crosses".
http://www.lsureveille.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/01/27/41f894dcde068
http://www.lsureveille.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/01/27/41f89827bccce

National coverage- roll down to 1/25 for malkin's post
http://www.lsureveille.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/01/28/41f9da9c2fe24
http://washtimes.com/culture/20050127-112055-9023r.htm
http://www.lifenews.com/state854.html
http://britius.stblogs.org/
http://www.michellemalkin.com/

Two excellent editorials from Nathanael Blake of Oregon State University's Daily Barometer. OSU has also been under siege by leftist haters.

http://barometer.orst.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/01/19/41ee9828ac779?in_archive=1

http://barometer.orst.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/01/26/41f7d2cd95115?in_archive=1

Coverage of the protest and vandalism from the same paper.
http://barometer.orst.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/01/21/41f1372b51a79?in_archive=1

[PA Lurker]

The same thing happened last year on the University of Notre Dame campus. Go figure!

[Lexinom]

Good grief. They're not content to simply dismember and discard the little guys... they have to desecrate their memorial as well...

Hope this gets national attention...

[jan in Colorado]

>>>>>Students For Life President Mary Higdon says, "The audacity of these people. I just could not believe it. The lack of respect the lack of free speech."<<<<<<<


I was surprised at this statement, since we are talking about people here who have no problem killing babies... why should this behavior surprise any one?

Interesting, when some Christan's "peacefully" protested Homosexuality in Philadelphia, they were arrested and charged with multiple felonies.

Oh the hypocrisy...

[yer gonna put yer eye out]

After reading john phillip morlier's letter from your 1st url reference, I can truly say his parents wasted a lot of money sending this mental giant to college.

[Smartass]

THANKS FOR THE PING
 
Where's the USDOJ...
The five should be charged with a HATE crime!

[Aquinasfan]

Satan's not happy. Next time, show the pictures. That'll really tick them off.

[Semper Paratus]

I thoght liberals considered the burning of white crosses the nost heinous crime that could be committed.

[Larry Lucido]

Just a hint, guys. If you're going to set up 3000 crosses someplace where pro-aborts hang out, you might want to have someone stake out the place with a digital camera or camcorder.

[Aquinasfan]

Check this out. The ring leader of the vandals sent a letter explaining the evils of the "Pro-Life cross". I kid you not!

After five years as a student ...

LOL! Get a job, dude.

[tuckrdout]

Please alert your lists that EWTN is showing the March for life! (Saturday 1 Eastern time) It is amazing for those of us who could not be there! Watch it!