Thursday, 9 July 2015

Arrest made in 2014 after car smashes Oklahoma's Ten Commandments monument

The Ten Commandments monument prompted a New York-based Satanist group to propose its own statue on the statehouse steps in Oklahoma.

Police said a vehicle plowed into the Ten Commandments monument near Oklahoma's capitol building at about 9pm on Oct. 23, 2014. The monument was smashed into pieces. The vehicle was abandoned after the incident and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol is investigating. The monument was replaced with an exact replica on Jan 8.

The U.S. Secret Service on Oct. 24, 2014 arrested 29-year-old Michael Reed Jr. after he made threatening comments at the Oklahoma City Federal Building about President Obama and said Satan told him to smash the monument. Reed also claimed he urinated on the monument before running it over.

The ACLU of Oklahoma and our clients are outraged at this apparent act of vandalism. While we have and continue to seek the removal of the Ten Commandments monument from the Capitol grounds through the judicial process, the Ten Commandments constitute a strong foundation in our clients' deeply held religious beliefs.– ACLU of Oklahoma

No evidence has linked Ten Commandments incident to the group of Satanists who seek to install their own monument at the state's

capital building.

Oklahoma State Capitol
Oklahoma City, OK

A Satanist organization is seeking to build its own statue on the steps of the Oklahoma Statehouse, four years after the conservative legislature controversially approved building a Ten Commandments monument in the same place, in what critics called a blurring of the line between church and state.

Source: www.thesatanictemple.com

The Satanic Temple in January 2014 released designs for a 7-foot-tall statue it hopes to install. The statue depicts Satan as a goat-headed figure called Baphomet sitting on a throne adorned with a pentagram and surrounded by two smiling children. The Satanic Temple raised over $28,000 of its original $20,000 goal to build the statue.

An atheist group filed a lawsuit in an Oklahoma federal court in January 2014 to have the Ten Commandments statue removed. American Atheists contend the monument violates the constitution's establishment and equal protection clauses because it amounts to a religious endorsement on government land.

Another dispute:NM Ten Commandments Trial

A federal judge dismissed American Atheists' lawsuit March 10, ruling the New Jersey-based nonprofit group lacked the legal standing to file the suit. In 2014, a state judge ruled against a separate constitutional challenge to the Ten Commandments monument. That ruling was appealed to the state Supreme Court.

OUR SOURCES FOR THIS STORY

Satanists seek spot on Oklahoma Statehouse steps
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/satanists-seek-spot-oklahoma-statehouse-steps
Put a Satanic Monument at OK Capitol
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/put-a-satanic-monument-at-ok-capitol

Satanists unveil statue for Oklahoma capitol

Curled from: http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/ogblog/440766/Satanists-unveil-statue-for-Oklahoma-capitol/

The New York based Satanic Temple is raising revenue from online crowdfunding on Indiegogo to erect a statue of their deity outside the Oklahoma State Capitol building, right beside an existing monument to the Christian Ten Commandments.

Yep, those are misspellings.

The proposed design would feature a 7-foot-tall statue of a goat-headed Baphomet figure sitting cross-legged on a stone slab, flanked by two smiling children. The monument would also include quotes from poets Lord Byron and William Blake.

“The monument has been designed to reflect the views of Satanists in Oklahoma City and beyond," explained Satanic Temple spokesperson Lucian Greaves. "The statue will serve as a beacon calling for compassion and empathy among all living creatures. The statue will also have a functional purpose as a chair where people of all ages may sit on the lap of Satan for inspiration and contemplation."

"people of all ages may sit on the lap of Satan."

The organization claims the project is not just an elaborate prank, and points out they don't actually worship Satan, just the idea of free expression. Critics of that older monument say it marks a de facto endorsement of Christianity by the state government and therefore violates the US Constitution's "establishment clause" against a national religion.

"By accepting our offer, the good people of Oklahoma City will have the opportunity to show that they espouse the basic freedoms spelled out in the Constitution," the group's Indiegogo project site clarifies.

It's not clear that the Satanic Temple will ever be able to get the chance to build the statue. After other groups — including PETA and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster — asked for their own displays, the Oklahoma City Capitol Preservation Commission placed a moratorium on new monuments at the statehouse.

"I think it is very offensive they would contemplate or even have this kind of conversation," said one Oklahoma lawmaker.

The Satanic Temple, though, is unswayed.

"The decision by Oklahoma to impose a moratorium on new requests for monuments at the state Capitol means little to us, and our course of action remains the same," wrote Greaves.

“Our monument celebrates an unwavering respect for the Constitutional values of religious freedom and free expression. Satanism is a fundamental component at the genesis of American liberty. Medieval witch-hunts taught us to adopt presumption of innocence, secular law, and a more substantive burden of proof.

“Today, we are rightly offended by the notion of blasphemy laws and divine fiats. Acknowledging wrongful persecutions has helped shape the legal system that preserves the sovereignty of our skeptics, heretics, and the misunderstood. It has shaped a proud culture of tolerance and free inquiry. This is to be a historical marker commemorating the scapegoats, the marginalized, the demonized minority, and the unjustly outcast.”

“We trust that this unique monument will also prove a favorite tourist attraction to Oklahoma’s Capitol for years to come."

The Oklahoma Supreme Court's decision on Ten Commandments outside state house

Satanists and Democrats have finally found common ground on a rival statue to the Ten Commandments, but Republicans continue to obstruct the process.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The Oklahoma Supreme Court's decision to order a Ten Commandments monument removed from the State Capitol grounds has so angered conservatives in the Legislature that some Republicans are calling for justices to be impeached. Others want to amend the Bill of Rights in the 108-year-old state constitution.

The outcry immediately followed the court's decision Tuesday that the monument violates the Oklahoma constitution's ban on using public property to benefit a religion.

Some state legislators want a public vote on whether to repeal that ban from the constitution, but state Rep. Kevin Clavey is calling for justices to be impeached.

The president of the Oklahoma Bar Association, David Poarch, says calling for impeachment when a ruling doesn't go in your favor is a dangerous precedent.

Jos Terrorist Attacks: Army Confirms Arrest of Mastermind

By NAN

— Jul 9, 2015 2:04 pm | 0 Comments

The Nigerian Army on Wednesday confirmed the arrest of the mastermind of the two recent bomb and gun attacks in Jos and Zaria, Kaduna State.

The confirmation is contained in a statement issued by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, in Abuja.

It said the suspect, in company with two others was arrested at a checkpoint in Dadin Kowa town of Gombe State while attempting to flee.

The statement said their arrest was made possible following a security cordon of the general areas, especially along the volatile areas on the north-eastern axis.

It said the security cordon which led to the arrest of the suspects was conducted by troops of 3 Division, Special Task Force and the Department of State Services.

“The terrorist kingpin and his colleagues who disguised in a trailer while trying to evade checks were fished out by troops of Nigerian Army.

“The arrested terrorists are currently being processed for further action and would soon face the full wrath of the law,’’ the Army spokesman said.

The statement urged the public to be more vigilant, security conscious and report any suspicious persons, movements and facilities to security agencies.

On Sunday, suspected Boko Haram terrorists carried out coordinated bomb and gun attacks on worshippers at Yan Taya mosque, Dilimi Street, Jos.

Another attack was unleashed on Shagalinku Restaurant, along Bauchi Road, Jos, which led to death of over 48 people, injuries on several others and destruction of property.

A similar attack was executed by suspected terrorists on workers undergoing verification at Sabon Gari Local Government Secretariat, Zaria, which claimed more than 25 lives. (NAN)

BET Awards, Organisers Slam African Artistes

The 2015 edition of BET Awards will not be easily forgotten because of the outrage that followed it in Nigeria, which was mainly spurred by Nigerian artistes, who did not win in their award category.

First, Dencia criticised the organisers, accusing them of presenting the BET Best International Act: Africa award before the main event started.

Later, Yemi Alade and Wizkid gave their views on the event, which generated wild criticisms.

But the BET Director, Lilian N. Blankson, has cleared the air on some of the issues raised. She accused African artistes for not doing enough to sell their brands to the global world.

According to her, “First of all, tell the truth and stop tweeting lies and mis-truths. There has never been a backstage presentation of any award. Pre recorded. We need to work hard and get our music on the radio here in the US. How do people respect your brand when you are not on the radio?”

“Make your music more internationally appealing. Think of ways to get all audiences invested. Oliver Twist is a great example. Universal story,” she added.

Bashir El Rufai Causes Outrage With Cash Eating Picture

Bashir El Rufai

While Nigerians groan under the harsh economy and the inability of government to pay workers' wages , Bashir El-Rufai, son of Kaduna state Governor, Nasir El-Rufai was pictured showing off his money.

Read more: http://news2.onlinenigeria.com/news/423545-bashir-el-rufai-causes-outrage-with-cash-eating-picture.html#ixzz3fS3qjqCA

Satanists caught in Ten Commandments ruling fallout

The Satan Monument

By Scott Bomboy

22 hours ago

In fact, the Satanic Temple is now looking for a friend of the devil in Arkansas, and it plans to reveal the 8 1/2 foot tall statue in Detroit later this month.

In late June, the Oklahoma Supreme Court said that its state constitution prevented governments from taking any act to benefit a religion, and the Ten Commandments monument at the Capitol had obvious religious overtones.

The Satanic Temple had planned since 2013 to have a monument to Satan built and installed in Oklahoma City to sit near the Ten Commandments monument, which was installed in 2012 and paid for with private funds. But before the Temple and the state could tackle the Satan monument issue, the ACLU sued about the Ten Commandments monument, which led the state to put all future monuments on hold.

Okla. State house

When the Ten Commandments monument decision was announced on June 30, the Temple initially praised the state Court’s move.

“The entire point of our effort was to offer a monument that would complement and contrast the 10 Commandments, reaffirming that we live in a nation that respects plurality, a nation that refuses to allow a single viewpoint to co-opt the power and authority of government institutions,” spokesman Lucien Greaves said in an email to the Washington Post. “Given the Court’s ruling, TST no longer has any interest in pursuing placement of the Baphomet monument on Oklahoma’s Capitol grounds.”

But now, the project is near completion and the statue, reportedly cost more than $100,000, will have a public debut in Detroit before the Temple finds a suitable location at a government-related site.

“It was always our intention to take this wherever it was relevant, wherever it was necessary, and wherever that dialogue needed to take place,” Greaves told the Associated Press.

And that destination could be Arkansas. In April 2015, Governor Asa Hutchinson signed a bill allowing a privately funded Ten Commandments monument in Little Rock. The bill made it clear that monument was a historical tribute.

“The placing of a monument to the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the Arkansas State Capitol would help the people of the United States and of the State of Arkansas to know the Ten Commandments as the moral foundation of the law,” the bill said.

That distinction is important. A 2004 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Van Orden v. Perry held that Texas could keep its Ten Commandments monument because of its historical meaning and the location at the state capitol didn’t violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. But the Court also ruled in a 2005 case, McCreary County v. ACLU, that two Ten Commandments displays in Kentucky violated the Establishment Clause because their purpose was to advance religion.

Greaves told the AP that his group would decide at a later time if it would pursue moving the Satan monument to Arkansas. However, the battle over the Ten Commandments monument in Oklahoma is far from over.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said this week the monument will stay in Oklahoma City while the state government asks for a re-hearing and lawmakers draft language for a proposed state constitutional amendment to allow the monument to remain at the capitol.

Thursday, 9 July 2015

Oklahoma State Capitol Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma State Capitol
Oklahoma City, OK