A man named Michael McGowan has been arrested in Roanoke, VA and is reported by WDBJ TV to have been charged with

"making a threatening communication through interstate commerce" Friday, according to a release sent out by the Department of Justice.

Under the Twitter handle of LittleMac, McGowan has been threatening Goodlatte with execution, with absolutely no removal by Twitter, despite its longstanding notoriety for banning conservatives for violating community standards.

 The Department of Justice says on December 17, 2017, McGowan tweeted to Congressman Goodlatte multiple times saying:

“I will do this in full belief I am defending the constitution of the United States. I am not making a joke. I will kill him. Should you believe my doing so would be illegal please arrest me so we can have this discussion in court BEFORE I actually do it. Thank you.”

According to the Department of Justice, Botetourt County deputies went to McGowan's home to interview him the next day, where McGowan admitted to sending the tweets. McGowan also told deputies that day that he "did not own firearms and did not intend on hurting Congressman Goodlatte or anyone else," the release stated.

Threatened multiple times on Twitter with assasination

Here is but one example:

If you fail to impeach Trump at such a point, I will consider you an enemy combatant attempting to circumvent our legal foundations and treat you accordingly. Aka....but a bullet between your eyes if you resist citizens arrest. Mac/out

— Little Mac (@LittleMacMcG) December 18, 2017

Following the authorities’ visit and his promise to refrain, McGowan apparently could not restrain himself:

#1: threatened my congressman with violence #2: stated I would kill people. #3: pretty much declared I would commit a plethora of anti-social behavior, publicly. Whom would like to bet I can purchase a gun three days from now and NOT be locked up in jail? #proudtobeanAmerican

— Little Mac (@LittleMacMcG) April 1, 2018

#1: threatened my congressman with violence #2: stated I would kill people. #3: pretty much declared I would commit a plethora of anti-social behavior, publicly. Whom would like to bet I can purchase a gun three days from now and NOT be locked up in jail? #proudtobeanAmerican

— Little Mac (@LittleMacMcG) April 1, 2018

This led to his arrest Friday. He will appear for a bond hearing next Wednesday.

The hypocrisy of Twitter in tolerating threats of murder against a Republican while promiscuously banning conservatives who make no threats is but one layer. McGowan is a big Twitter fan of the Democrat candidate running against Bb Goodlatte in November, primarily on an anti-gun platform. My friend Mark Fitzgibbons has challenged the candidate, Jennifer Lewis, to repudiate her gun-toting, candidate-threatening supporter.

Of course, nobody is holding their breath waiting for Twitter or Lewis to be consistent. They can just use their power over the public’s access to information to ignore it. And as for McGiwan, the supporter of gun grabbing who wants to use his guns to kill Republicans, a lack of  consistency is the least of his problems.

The real issue is the complicity of institutions fromTwitter to Shakespeare in the Park in normalizing violence against Republicans and conservatives.