http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/mm...ed-with-mischief-ESPN-not-an-a?urn=mma,134737 Jeff Monson is either really dumb or really smart. I'm leaning towards the latter. The fighter, who last appeared in the Mixed Fighting Alliance, winning over Ricco Rodriguez in December, has a warrant against him for defacing the Capitol building in Olympia, Wash. This warrant was issued after pictures of him painting an anarchist symbol on the building appeared in ESPN the Magazine. See, Monson is an outspoken anarchist. He has said many times that he wants to do away with the social hierarchies that govern our world. The best way for Monson to share these theories is through the mass media, so publicity is his friend. Is Monson so dumb that he would expect ESPN to not use photographs of him committing a crime? Of course not. This is a man with a Master's degree in psychology. He understands the ramifications of civil disobedience. If he didn't want attention brought to his cause, he would have asked ESPN to photograph him sitting at home, enjoying dinner. Monson was charged with first-degree malicious mischief, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of a $20,000 fine and 10 years in prison. ESPN did not do him a favor by running that picture, but it's not their job to protect athletes. It's their job to cover them, a fact which Monson has used to make sure that everyone is discussing his cause today.
Lets say that a judge or the "powers that be" decide to make an example out of this guy. He could get 10 years in jail for defacing a monument. The fact that he invited a espn photographer along shows it was blatant. I agree with some points of his cause but his means is lacking. Surely he can find a way to further his cause without losing 10 years of his life or $20,000+ of his money. Maybe he will get a great plea deal as long as he apologizes (shows remorse) and pays off everything ($20,000 fine + $19,000 clean-up + State needs money and are robbing stupid f@cks fee's). Maybe we will be talking about the bum rap he got having to go to jail for the rest of his prime. Nothings for certain for him now IMHO and he has only himself to blame.
Shouldn't the ESPN photographer be charged as an accomplice ?? Afterall, he basically did it just for the camera, and I'm sure the photographer didn't discourage him from it
As a member of the press he is granted the right to cover such an event and be impartial. I know, dumb. Gatti is right, its a childish act. If he was serious about his cause he would devote his life to helping the misfortunate of the world that have been abused and mistreated by the social hierarchies. Lobbying against the WTO and other agreements such as NAFTA. He was trying to get publicity for himself, not his cause.
