When I was a kid ( way, way, way long ago)I was told that one the worst things you could do was

[Augiedog]

to yell fire in a crowded theatre when no such danger existed. Not only was this morally and ethically wrong, it was also illegal.

So, help me out here, if the building IS on fire and I tell people it is not, that it is perfectly safe to not only go in the building but coerce those already inside the burning building to stay there. Say by telling them that they will lose their jobs or house or family if they leave.

If I was warned that the building was going to be on fire months in advance and I took out all the fire extinguishers and disbanded the fire department and made it extremely difficult to report on fires, would this be any different?

This of course is just an exercise in ethics and cannot be related to any current or past misdeeds or evil behaviors but....

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. When the crowded theater actually is on fire, you really should yell "Fire!"

And that's exactly what they didn't do. They said, that's not really smoke; it's just scorched popcorn, so you can just stay in your seats and everything will be fine.

[KT2000]

2. There must be legal recourse

late night TV is all about ads for product liability - "they knew but failed to warn." Even if there was a law to sue it would take place long after the worst damage was done. I wish we could sue the idiots who voted for this moron.