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SLAMMING ST. ICK (ex-Marine forced to apologize to Christmas-hating sickos)
NY POST ^ | 12/19/05 | DAN KADISON

Posted on 12/19/2005 4:32:33 AM PST by Liz


SEMPER ‘FIE’: Julius Spohn, outraged by the gross Santa display...ripped it down, but later apologized. Photo: Rick Dembow

A former Marine took a stab at saving the Christmas spirit yesterday — knocking over a bloody, knife-wielding Santa that was part of a controversial display outside a Manhattan home.

Julius Spohn, 64, of Newark, said he had read about the display in The Post and wanted to see the macabre scene in front of the East 18th Street brownstone belonging to Joel Krupnik and Mildred Castellanos.

Curious after seeing it, he opened the gate, walked into the small front yard and knocked down the "Bad Santa." "I think it's atrocious," said Spohn of the display..............

Krupnik has said he erected the sickening Christmas display in protest against the commercialization of the holiday.

But Spohn called it "an insult to people on this block, to the community in general."

.....Krupnik's 16-year-old daughter, Darla, was inside the tony brownstone — and confronted Spohn. When she demanded to know what he was doing, Spohn said he replied, "I'm ripping this piece of garbage down."

Darla called the police.

"Somebody taking [Santa's head] off and his body down — that's creepy," Darla said later. Darla said the entire display — which she claimed is welcomed by most people — will go back up. The family is even discussing next year's display, she said, which may include one of Santa's elf helpers driving a hammer down on another elf's severed noggin.

On Saturday, the family hung a new doll head on the tree after the original head was stolen last week by a Brooklyn group calling itself The 7th Avenue Boys for a Merry Christmas.

Spohn said.....the display wasn't considered the sort of freedom he was protecting while serving in the military, he added.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: waronchristmas
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To: Diva Betsy Ross
This passive agressive- hate filled ,group of dysfunctional freaks.

From the article:

Krupnik has said he erected the sickening Christmas display in protest against the commercialization of the holiday.

Sounds to me like they are making a valid point in a non-conformist way.

Hate-filled?

I think not.

41 posted on 12/19/2005 6:29:48 AM PST by ActionNewsBill ("In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act")
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To: Diva Betsy Ross
At some point our country is going to have to fact the fact that inflammatory speech has consequences.

I don't think anyone wants to open that can of worms -- especially since the ultimate extenstion of that idea is complete legal chaos.

At any rate, the basic notion of "inflammatory speech" stops at the property line, and this guy had no business trespassing and destroying someone's personal property to make his point.

42 posted on 12/19/2005 6:30:39 AM PST by Alberta's Child (What it all boils down to is that no one's really got it figured out just yet.)
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To: ActionNewsBill
Definitely hate filled. Hate filled and self centered. And small children seeing a fake murder played out in front of their eyes are supposed to understand that the freaks are just anti capitalists, not trying to show Santa as a mass murderer.. right?

Oh, ok.

43 posted on 12/19/2005 6:32:47 AM PST by Diva Betsy Ross (Thank you troops.)
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To: Alberta's Child
Oh I disagree. I know that is the can of worms these kinds of people are trying to open.

We are not protected from the repercussions of hate speech.

These people are anarchists- that is what motivates people to do these kinds of things.

44 posted on 12/19/2005 6:37:48 AM PST by Diva Betsy Ross (Thank you troops.)
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To: Byron_the_Aussie

"Fair enough. As long as you're charged with first-degree pomposity, Bill."

Actually Bill is right on the money. If this former Marine was caught on MY yard destroying anything, He probably would need medical treatment.
Just last week we were excoriating a Jewish women in North Carolina who was "outraged" over a Christian sign at a McDonald's. The vast majority of us sided with the McDonald's owner. In my opinion, this is the same thing. That is the homeowner's right of free speech. We can be outraged but we do not have the right to destroy his property. If we are to have credibility, we should strive for consistency. Pomposity? If you think so that is your right, but you cannot damage me or my property over it.


45 posted on 12/19/2005 6:39:18 AM PST by Long Distance Rider
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To: Diva Betsy Ross
And small children seeing a fake murder played out in front of their eyes are supposed to understand that the freaks are just anti capitalists, not trying to show Santa as a mass murderer.. right?

I would imagine they have seen worse things on TV or at the movies.

46 posted on 12/19/2005 6:42:28 AM PST by ActionNewsBill ("In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act")
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To: ActionNewsBill
Umm.. no not all children watch TV. My children have never seen anything like that and God willing never will.

This is harassment, hate speech, nothing more. It is meant to anger and hurt people.

IT is meant to frighten children and inflame their parents.

And when our society gives an OK to things worse than Hollywood could invent we are in sad shape.

47 posted on 12/19/2005 6:47:34 AM PST by Diva Betsy Ross (Thank you troops.)
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To: Liz
All Good Points.

I believe that while it was trespassing and destruction of property and should be subject to law, he did the right thing.

I don't necessarily think though he should be prosecuted. if anything, give 'em both d.c. tickets--IMHO, if he didn't do it, someone else eventually would have. Plus, it's not like Julius saw a brownhouse and vandalized it. That would be trespass and destruction of property. He walked through a gate and put the display on the ground.

If these Nutts were able to hang their gory display back up, folks, did he really destroy any property? IMHO, not at all.

However, free speech is not absolute, and Uncle Joel here needs to learn that. Speech that is hateful, gruesome, obscene, or depicts something clearly beyond poor taste is generally held NOT to be protected speech.

What Joel should have realized is that by displaying such a perverted display, he'd be instigating his own problem. It's a lot like yanking the dog's ears and tail until he bites you, then trying to have the dog put down because he bit you.

Having a beef about Christmas is his own can of worms. If that's what this Scrooge thinks, fine. While I'm sorry he believes it, that's his problem to deal with, not mine. But setting up a grisly fake murder of Santa Claus in public sight is a different case entirely.

Especially when this Moonbat's teenage daughter came up with the idea. That's what makes it even more disturbing.

48 posted on 12/19/2005 6:51:32 AM PST by rzeznikj at stout (Liberalism: The world's singular leading cause of truth decay...)
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To: garylmoore
Oh come on! Half the fun was arguing. Is he real? Is he not real? Just like, are there really bogeymen under the bed?
At least they will still be able to argue which is the best state, greatest cowboy star ever, (ooops that one's passe) best baseball or football or video game, whatever.

I for one feel richer for once having believed in Santa Claus and still believing in Miracles.
49 posted on 12/19/2005 7:00:05 AM PST by rock58seg (It's time for Islam to actually become a religion of peace or a religion of the past.)
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To: Diva Betsy Ross
This is harassment, hate speech, nothing more.

And I thought "conservatives" were against hate-speech legislation.

50 posted on 12/19/2005 7:00:12 AM PST by ActionNewsBill ("In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act")
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To: ActionNewsBill
ANd where did I say anything about Legislation? LOL- is this your first debate?

Try to keep to the topic at hand if you can.

51 posted on 12/19/2005 7:06:07 AM PST by Diva Betsy Ross (Thank you troops.)
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To: Diva Betsy Ross
ANd where did I say anything about Legislation?

I guess vigilante justice is more to your liking.

If you don't like the laws that protect property owners from vandalism, work to get them changed, instead of encouraging lawlessness.

52 posted on 12/19/2005 7:19:07 AM PST by ActionNewsBill ("In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act")
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To: Diva Betsy Ross
BTW, this family broke no laws.

I find it interesting that you do not support their property rights.

53 posted on 12/19/2005 7:21:41 AM PST by ActionNewsBill ("In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act")
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To: ActionNewsBill

LOL> Ok ,now I know who I am dealing with. It has been fun (*rolling eyes*) to say the least. I would like to add: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year. ;]


54 posted on 12/19/2005 7:22:31 AM PST by Diva Betsy Ross (Thank you troops.)
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To: Diva Betsy Ross
I would like to add: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year. ;]

And a happy Festivus holiday season to you as well.

55 posted on 12/19/2005 7:24:02 AM PST by ActionNewsBill ("In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act")
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To: ActionNewsBill
And a happy Festivus holiday season to you as well.

I know it's from Seinfeld, but what's Festivus?

56 posted on 12/19/2005 7:27:32 AM PST by rzeznikj at stout (Liberalism: The world's singular leading cause of truth decay...)
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To: ActionNewsBill

LOL> Be careful- your agenda is showing.. ;]


57 posted on 12/19/2005 7:27:58 AM PST by Diva Betsy Ross (Thank you troops.)
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To: rzeznikj at stout
I know it's from Seinfeld, but what's Festivus?

A Fesivus...for the rest of us.

It was a holiday made up by Frank Costanza when George was a little boy.

It consisted of a Fesivus pole, and "airing of grievances" and "feats of strength"

I think it was a protest of the commercialization of Christmas, much in the same way as this family in the article is doing.

58 posted on 12/19/2005 7:36:30 AM PST by ActionNewsBill ("In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act")
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To: Diva Betsy Ross
LOL> Be careful- your agenda is showing.. ;]

Nope...no agenda...just looking for a fight.

Seriously...Merry Christmas to you and yours!

59 posted on 12/19/2005 7:37:56 AM PST by ActionNewsBill ("In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act")
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To: ActionNewsBill
Kinda like when Charlie Brown takes down Snoopy's decorations and puts them on the little tree he and Linux brought...
60 posted on 12/19/2005 7:39:10 AM PST by rzeznikj at stout (Liberalism: The world's singular leading cause of truth decay...)
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