I think you may be under the impression that a misdemeanor is not a big deal. A misdemeanor is a serious criminal charge. It is not as life altering as a felony, but it's not a joke. You seem to be taking it as a civil citation or something. A misdemeanor isn't somewhere between a parking ticket and a real crime, it is a real crime.
> In the United States, the federal government generally considers a crime punishable with incarceration for one year or less to be a misdemeanor. All other crimes are considered felonies. Many states also employ this distinction.
For example, this guy can never touch a gun for the rest of his life (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_Violence_Offender_Gun...).
In general, and I think quite properly when they're legit, domestic violence misdemeanors are viewed as much more serious than pretty much any other I can think of.