Ok, I enjoy playing Devils Advocate anyway so here goes.
Let me preface this with my knowing what Ja did was stupid on multiple levels and he should want to project the right image to fans, but being stupid and projecting the wrong image isn't always the NBA's concern.
Gun related suspensions have happened many times over the years in the NBA. All of them involved illegal activity, not just stupid activity or projecting a bad image. The CBA requires the activity to have been during some NBA event and the action had to be illegal.
Now, just when do we want employers to be telling us what we can do, what we can say and when those actions can occur? Everyone accepted that the first incident happened while he was drinking. That made it illegal and it occurred during a road trip for the NBA so the CBA requirements for punishment were met.
What right does the NBA have to punish him this time?