The protected, connected liberal media elite

Read the full story:
http://thehill.com/opinion/katie-pavlich/242442-katie-pavlich-the-protected-connected-liberal-media-elite

On Dec. 23, 2012, former NBC anchor David Gregory hosted an interview with National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre on “Meet the Press.”As expected, the interview was hostile, with Gregory repeatedly badgering LaPierre over his not supporting a federal high-capacity magazine ban. But instead of simply talking about 30-round magazines, Gregory brought one on set to wave in front of the cameras.

The problem? The “Meet the Press” studio is located in Washington, D.C., where merely possessing an empty high-capacity magazine is illegal.  “No person in the District shall possess, sell, or transfer any large capacity ammunition feeding device regardless of whether the device is attached to a firearm,” the law states. “For the purposes of this subsection, the term large capacity ammunition feeding device means a magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device that has a capacity of, or that can be readily restored or converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition.” The punishment for possession of a high-capacity magazine is up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

NBC had apparently contacted the police to ask for special permission to use the magazine on air, and the request was denied. Gregory used it anyway and got a free pass on the consequences for doing so. To give some perspective, D.C. businessman Mark Witaschek had a single empty shotgun shell from a bird hunt, a spent brass casing and muzzleloader reloading supplies, which are considered ammunition under the law, in his Georgetown home when it was raided by dozens of police officers. Witaschek was prosecuted by D.C. Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan in a lengthy, two-year-long process and convicted. Nathan refused to prosecute Gregory.

Last edited by Common Sense (5/20/2015 6:34 am)