There's a Fire! There's a Fire!

"It's illegal for you to walk into a crowded theatre and shout, 'Fire!', ya know?"

How many times have you heard this argument used to illustrate how the government justifies certain restrictions on the rights of its people? Well, guess what... it's perfectly legal to walk into a crowded theatre and shout, 'Fire!'.

"What? Are you crazy? What are you talking about!" you might be asking yourself.

Here's the catch... If there's no fire, your speech is inciting panic, that's not legal. However, if there is a fire and you save hundreds of lives, not only is it legal, but you'd probably be touted as a hero.

So, I came across this article written by a guy who was open carrying his pistol lawfully and was detained and grilled, having his rights violated for an hour. He was subject to numerous officers giving their opinion that he really shouldn't carry which, to me, amounts to official oppression or abuse of office where a state official is using their position to influence its citizens.

How does this relate to my topic? Here's how I equate the two.

Me lawfully carrying an unconcealed firearm : Walking into a crowded theatre
Shouting 'Fire' when there is none : Negligently discharging my firearm
Shouting 'Fire' when there is a fire : Using my weapon in lawful self-defense

Am I off base here? This guys actions are lawful, regardless of whether someone is alarmed... Hell, I'm sure an african american would be alarmed if they found themselves caught in the middle of a Klan rally in a public venue, but our goverment affords them that freedom and that same consideration should be afforded to the 2nd Amendment.

As much as I appreciate the work that Law Enforcement does, I think that their training lends itself to make them always assume they're in the power of position. Where, rather than protecting and serving, they're trying to constantly maintain control, which doesn't work well with fostering good relations with the community.