A Sacred Memorial Became a Personal Stage
A 41-year-old Kentucky woman, identified as Melissa L. Farris and also known on Facebook as Melissa Lovewell, is accused of spray-painting the National World War II Memorial on the National Mall and dumping soap into its fountains. According to the report, Farris stood at the Atlantic Pavilion on Thursday afternoon, shook spray-paint cans, and marked the granite with the message “Clean hands dirty $” in bright paint. She also poured soap into the fountain until it foamed with bubbles, while recording the whole scene. This is not just any public plaza. It is a memorial dedicated to more than 400,000 Americans who died and 16 million who served in World War II. Turning that site into a social media production is about as tone-deaf as it gets, and that is putting it politely.
Federal Complaint Says She Knew What She Was Doing
According to the federal criminal complaint, Farris announced beforehand that she understood the choices she was making and claimed she wanted to use the incident to force a supposed “whistleblower case” into court. During the livestream, she reportedly declared, “It was me. I’m doing it. I’m on camera,” and said she would wait to be arrested for spraying “our veterans’ fountain.” Investigators say a Park Ranger later found several people watching as a woman recorded herself at the vandalized pavilion, and the woman allegedly fled after noticing the ranger. Later, Farris reportedly posted online that she had been “allowed to deface Federal f—ing property, and nobody batted an eye.” Well, as it turns out, federal authorities did bat an eye. Sometimes the internet is not a legal strategy, no matter how many followers someone thinks are watching.
Online Attention Followed By A Courthouse Surrender
The spectacle reportedly continued on Facebook after the vandalism. In a video posted afterward, Farris allegedly asked viewers to edit her footage, highlight the best parts, “make me look fancy,” and spread it across the internet. She also reportedly seemed surprised that she had not been arrested right away. Officers later identified her from a previous arrest just days earlier for unlawfully camping on federal property near the memorial. With authorities looking for her, Farris appeared outside the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, on Friday and cried during another Facebook Live broadcast. In videos before surrendering, she apologized and claimed she has autism and ADHD, saying, “I know I made a lot of people mad, and I’m sorry. I was just trying to get help for myself.” She also asked someone to check on her in jail, said she does not eat meat, and stated she was afraid she would be hurt in custody.
Charges Could Carry Serious Prison Time
Farris told viewers she planned to document her surrender as much as possible, saying, “So, I’ll make a video of me turning myself in as much as possible.” In another video, she said, “It’s me. I’m going to turn myself in,” and added that she did not want to go to jail. She claimed she had never been in that position before and said she was trying to get people to listen. She also spoke about trying to give evidence to authorities, contacting media members, living in a poorly insulated camper, being separated from her dogs, and believing she was entitled to federal protection. She made several disturbing and unverified claims about being watched, followed by military aircraft, and seeing an animal killed in front of her, but no evidence supporting those claims was presented in the broadcast. CBS News reported that Farris later made an initial appearance at the Alexandria courthouse and was detained. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced that Farris has been charged with willfully injuring or committing depredation against federal property and destruction of a veterans’ memorial. Each charge reportedly carries a possible sentence of up to ten years in federal prison, and Pirro called the defacement a “disgusting act.”
WE’D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS! PLEASE COMMENT BELOW.
JIMMY
Find more articles like this at steadfastandloyal.com.
Leave a Comment