How A Man Accused Of Threatening His Wife With A Gun Became A Conservative Media Hero

[SecularMotion]

A man accused of violating Washington, D.C.'s gun laws is conservative media's latest dubious "hero" in its ongoing effort to attack stronger gun laws.

Right-wing media are defending a Washington, D.C. man on trial for possessing unregistered ammunition by making a flawed comparison between his situation and NBC News host David Gregory's display of a high-capacity ammunition magazine on Meet the Press following the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.

Conservative media's complaint that Washington, D.C. financial advisor Mark Witaschek faces trial while Gregory faced no criminal charges ignores that those two situations rest upon entirely different circumstances.

On the December 23, 2012, edition of Meet the Press, Gregory showed, for demonstration purposes, a 30-round high-capacity ammunition magazine like the one used in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that claimed 26 lives nine days earlier. In Washington, it is illegal to own a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds. NBC apparently ran the segment after a miscommunication with law enforcement. Gregory's display of the magazine angered conservative media including Washington Times senior opinion editor Emily Miller who wrote that Gregory "should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law." In January 2013, Washington prosecutors announced that Gregory would not be charged with a crime in a letter that explained, "Influencing our judgment in this case, among other things, is our recognition that the intent of the temporary possession and short display of the magazine was to promote the First Amendment purpose of informing an ongoing public debate about firearms policy in the United States."

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2014/02/12/how-a-man-accused-of-threatening-his-wife-with/198027

[shenmue]

1. To some people, if you pull a gun for any reason, it's good

I'll never understand that.

[Sassysdad]

2. But..as reported..per the links

in your post, a judge ruled on the allegations of abuse..."Police based their search on a charge made by Mr. Witaschek’s estranged wife, who had earlier convinced a court clerk to issue a temporary restraining order against her husband for threatening her with a gun, although a judge later found the charge to be without merit."

A D.C. judge ruled the accusations "...without merit".
NBC was told not to use the real magazine.

Full disclosure...I'm an upstate NY arms owner...this OP issue
is a twisting of justice.

[Packerowner740]

3. Hardly a hero

If you break the law, you break the law. Deal with it.

[clffrdjk]

4. Yea, just like David Gregory did right?

[gejohnston]

5. hyperbole from a propagandist

A man accused of violating Washington, D.C.'s gun laws is conservative media's latest dubious "hero" in its ongoing effort to attack stronger gun laws.

Who made him a hero? Why does he think only conservatives think he is getting the shaft?

Right-wing media are defending a Washington, D.C. man on trial for possessing unregistered ammunition by making a flawed comparison between his situation and NBC News host David Gregory's display of a high-capacity ammunition magazine on Meet the Press following the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.

Here Johnson is actually lying. The "unregistered ammunition" is an empty shotgun shell. Gregory purchased the magazine knowing he was violating the law to use as a propaganda prop. Witaschek's soon to be ex wife called the cops falsely claiming he had a lot of unregistered guns and ammunition. The same ex wife that falsely accused him of DV.

[Conservative media's complaint that Washington, D.C. financial adviser Mark Witaschek faces trial while Gregory faced no criminal charges ignores that those two situations rest upon entirely different circumstances. What are those circumstances? How is Gregory's crime excusable while Witaschek's isn't? Is it because he is part of the one percent? Is he saying injustice is OK if it happens to people he doesn't like? I think the answer is actually both. That makes Johnson a classist and bigoted POS.

On the December 23, 2012, edition of Meet the Press, Gregory showed, for demonstration purposes, a 30-round high-capacity ammunition magazine like the one used in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that claimed 26 lives nine days earlier. In Washington, it is illegal to own a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds. NBC apparently ran the segment after a miscommunication with law enforcement. Gregory's display of the magazine angered conservative media including Washington Times senior opinion editor Emily Miller who wrote that Gregory "should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law." In January 2013, Washington prosecutors announced that Gregory would not be charged with a crime in a letter that explained, "Influencing our judgment in this case, among other things, is our recognition that the intent of the temporary possession and short display of the magazine was to promote the First Amendment purpose of informing an ongoing public debate about firearms policy in the United States."

NBC lied, MPD told them it was illegal, but Gregory's social class let him get away with it. He should have been prosecuted for possessing a contraband magazine. He could have used a picture or slide.

Basic principle: You are either for rule of law, everyone being equal under the law or you don't. It doesn't matter the person's politics, race, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin. Injustice is injustice no matter what. If Mr. Johnson can't grasp that, then he isn't a liberal.