Students Charged With Hate Crime For Painting Swastika, 'Trump' On Chapel

[Cali_Democrat]

Source: TPM

Two Northwestern University students were charged with a hate crime after they allegedly spray-painted racist, homophobic messages and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's name inside a nondenominational chapel on campus, The Chicago Tribune reported Saturday.

Anthony Morales, 19, left, and Matthew Kafker, 18, were charged with institutional vandalism, hate crime to a place of worship, and criminal damage to property, according to the Tribune.

A Cook County judge ordered they be held in lieu of a $50,000 bail for allegedly painting the messages at the Alice Millar Chapel earlier in the week.

The pair allegedly painted over a photo of Muslim students in the chapel, in addition to painting a swastika, expletive and slur against African Americans, a derogatory word for homosexuals and Trump's name, according to the report.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/anthony-morales-matthew-kafker-trump-graffiti-hate-crime

[maxsolomon]

1. Were the Lulz worth it?

How did these boneheads get into Northwestern? It used to be tough!

[elleng]

5. I had the same thought,

Northwestern?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

17. Probably cheated and worked all the angles. . nt

[redruddyred]

20. lots of cheating at NU

why else you suppose ppl rush frats and sororities

OLD TESTS

[VMA131Marine]

2. Well, that will make for an interesting call home to their parents...

Especially when they realise that they will likely be expelled from school as well.

[irisblue]

3. good, college age jerks may be prevented from a lifetime of assholism n/t

[MosheFeingold]

8. Kind of what I thought, too

Some investment bank will be short one asshole new hire.

[Bad Dog]

4. Let's see Trump blame Obama for this one.

Which he probably will, without a hint of irony.

[xocet]

6. Republican...?

Judge’s son charged in racist graffiti at church
By Jim O’Sullivan
Globe Staff
March 14, 2016


One of the students charged with spray-painting racist, homophobic graffiti and the name of presidential candidate Donald Trump in an Illinois chapel is the son of the chief justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

Matthew Kafker, a Northwestern University freshman, was charged with institutional vandalism, hate crime in a church, and criminal damage to property after defacing the school’s Alice Millar Chapel early Friday morning, authorities said. Along with slurs against African-Americans and gays, a swastika, a male reproductive organ, Kafker and another freshman, Anthony Morales, spray-painted the word “Trump,” authorities said.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker appointed Scott L. Kafker last year to helm the state appeals court, praising the first judicial nominee of his administration as “an esteemed jurist that I am confident has the ability to lead this influential court in its mission of rendering thoughtful, well-reasoned appellate decisions timely and efficiently and treating all those who come before the court fairly and impartially.”

Instances of hate crimes accompanied by the word “Trump” have escalated as the voluble businessman has surged toward the Republican nomination. After the Massachusetts presidential primary earlier this month, Baker, who had been critical of Trump before, said he would not vote for Trump if he becomes the party’s nominee.

...

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/03/14/top-mass-judge-son-faces-charges-trump-church-graffiti/qP4J3wxHTxJqVCd6wWKFHL/story.html

[jpak]

15. frat boy?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

18. Like son like father? How far is the apple from the tree? Learned it w judge's wife's milk? . nt

[houston16revival]

7. A very confusing mix

of symbols, politics, ethnicities

Not to diminish their crime and bad judgment, but that's a lot of bail

Were those doling out the violence at Trump political rallies given similar
conditions?

[Bluenorthwest]

10. How is it a confusing mix? It's a bunch of bigotry and the word Trump.

That's redundant but not confusing.

[houston16revival]

11. ok

I think I get it now

Perhaps this was their anti-Trump message?

But one is the son of a Republican?

[Bluenorthwest]

12. I think it's a pro Trump, anti everyone else message. I also think that's obvious.

Not only from the description but from the nature of Mr Trump's rhetoric and his supporter's behavior.

[houston16revival]

14. Sometimes I'm a little slow

Mr. Morales doesn't sound like he would be a Trump supporter

Painting swastikas ... on a church? is a statement of what, white power?

Usually it's painted on a synagogue as an anti-Jewish statement.

Mr. Kafker is painting swastikas?

I agree with you, but these two still sound a bit mixed up

[yardwork]

28. Self-loathing and assimilation are real.

Some individuals would rather fit in with the majority than remain loyal to their own identity, especially if they perceive the majority to embody ideals - such as strength, power - that they desire.

Look at the number of highly placed gay people who attach themselves to virulently anti-gay politicians, and help oppress other gays. This is becoming less common now, but it was a big problem for decades.

[840high]

19. I noticed.

[hedda_foil]

23. One is the son of a politically connected Massachusetts appellate court judge (Republican)

The elder Kafker, who was deputy chief legal counsel to former governor William Weld, was appointed to the appeals court in 2001 by Weld’s successor, Paul Cellucci. Baker nominated him for the top post last June, and he was confirmed weeks later.

[Wilms]

9. Hope they can't vote because of this. n/t

[ConsiderThis_2016]

13. "hate crime to a place of worship"?

What makes this any different from "Anybody's" home. Damn fundies writing our laws. :-/

[24601]

16. This is Illinois, so you'd have to ask their legislators to know for sure. But until then, reason

it out along parallel lines.

Is "all lives matter" acceptable? If not, why would the concept of all homes or buildings mattering be any more acceptable?

I'm not from Illinois and you'd have to ask them about their laws. Republicans don't have a long history when it comes to hate crime legislation. Who controls things in Illinois? From the wiki,

"By the 1990s, Illinois had started to become more Democratic in state elections, in a large part because the GOP's Southern Strategy had alienated many Northeastern and Midwestern Republican voters. In 1996, the Democratic Party gained control of the Illinois House of Representatives. In 2002, a Democratic candidate became Illinois governor for the first time in 26 years and Democrats gained control over the Illinois Senate. With the exception of 2010 and 2014, Illinois Democrats have consistently gained more and more power in every election year in Illinois since the mid-1990s."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_General_Assembly

[longship]

21. I hate Illinois nazis!

[hedda_foil]

22. Unbelievable! They defaced that beautiful little chapel in the name of Trumpler.

Bastards.

[Ken Burch]

24. Why would anybody with a last name like "Morales" support Trump?

[AngryAmish]

27. My guess is alcohol was involved.

[leftofcool]

26. Millennials for Trump?