On “Meet the Press”, correspondent David Gregory help what appeared to be a 30 round magazine and stated:
According to the article above, prior to its airing, NBC asked the DC police about the legality of such an action and was told that it would be illegal.
Should anything happen to Gregory?
IMO, yes. There is no exemption in the law for the press. If Joe Blow were to hold up such a magazine on the streets in an attempt to call attention to their use and potential abuse, I have no doubt that the police would arrest such a person. While I do not agree with the law, I do feel that as long as it is on the books and hasn’t been found unconstitutional, that it should be enforced.
It’s hard to make much of an argument for him if NBC asked about the legality of showing the clip and got a clear answer, since that makes it sound like civil disobedience. But it’s also kind of stupid to prosecute him just for showing an object as part of a discussion.
As a practial matter, no. It seems they attempted to go through the proper channels and thought they had permission.
For the politics of it, his trial and imprisonment would make him the John Brown of the gun abolition movement. Prosecuting the guy trying to illustrate the dangers of our gun culture but letting the gun nuts have military weaponry would make him a martyr for the noble cause.
Well, I’ve heard that statute is not often enforced…so normally I’d say no. But at the same time, if they specifically asked for permission and were specifically told no…that sounds like one of the times you might enforce it. Otherwise it shouldn’t really even be a law.
Of course he should. NBC was told it wasn’t legal and did it anyway*. It’s not as though he needed the clip for anything beyond a rhetorical flourish.
It would also be stupid to prosecute someone who had a banned firearm (or component) in case of a zombie apocalypse. They’d still prosecute, and rightly so.
I’m reminded of this rather awful movie called the informant about an Israeli-American working undercover in a far-right German hate group.
At one point some German government officials are trying to get him to testify against a low-level member of the movement whom Yaron has developed a certain amount of affection for who basically likes to collect old medals, dress up in a uniform and pretend he’s an Aryan warrior.
One of the German officials suddenly makes the fascist salute and says, “It is illegal in Germany to make this gesture. Have you seen him make it.”
I remember laughing at this and expecting Yaron to tell the woman to arrest herself then.
Anyway, I think prosecuting David Gregory for displaying the magazine clip would be as silly as prosecuting an American reporter in Germany who while on air started demonstrating certain gestures that are illegal in Germany.
And he could have held an enlarged picture of the item so it was easier to see on camera. Odd choice for the network to make. I wonder who’s clip it was.
In the 1800s a British journalist was trying to raise awareness about how easy it was to buy a girl for prostitution. This was the beginnings of the “white slavery” crusade. To prove his point he bought a girl for £5 and then wrote the article about how a “source” for the story had bought a girl for such a paltry sum right in London. (He didn’t reveal in his article it was he himself who had purchased the girl.) Later on, it is discovered he was the one who bought the girl. He was prosecuted and did time for it.
If Gregory knew it was illegal I’d find it reasonable to charge him. Obviously they should take into account his purposes. Personally, I wouldn’t charge him if I were the DA.
I saw the segment and I’d assumed they had dummy magazines for illustrative purposes.
I’d nullify. Some folks roll their eyes if Bob gets locked up for possessing 1 joint. What’s the point, right?
Well, Dave’s just trying to make a point. He didn’t have the gun it goes with. It wasn’t full of ammo. There was no clear and present danger to anyone, and he had no intent harm anyone.
Of course, if you want to push it because NBC was told not to and he did it anyway…prosecute him for disobeying a lawful order or something similar.
The simple act of possessing an item that cannot possibly harm anyone in and of itself should not be illegal. The application of “zero tolerance” type laws is the height of stupidity and ignorance. What the fuck ever happened to common sense in this world?
I believe banning guns and accessories is unconstitutional.
I also believe the DC police have bigger fish to fry. Say, arresting people who would do harm to others.
C-4 is completely harmless without a detonator. Crack cocaine is useless without a pipe.
You might well ask.
This is a reasonable- thought carelessly worded- argument. An M203 is a “gun accessory”, but I’m fairly certain you don’t think they should be available to the general public.
Prosecuting in this case would be a waste of time and money. If he knowingly violated the law prosecution could be justified, but it’s still a waste of time of money.
I do! I have one! And they should certainly be restricted and registered with the BATF.
Absurd? Many people and companies have a license to possess and use c4 and other high explosives, but I have yet to read of one of them using explosives in an unsavory, criminal manner. I will admit I only read USA Today and Marmaduke cartoons.
