It's Okay to Shout "FIRE!" If There Actually is a Fire

Ann Althouse takes on columnist Frank Rich:

Frank Rich opines:

It was the first time that the violent rage surging in town-hall meetings all summer blasted into the same room as the president.

Violent rage? Think what you will about the forceful expression of outrage — I've often read it in Frank Rich columns — it's different from physical violence. And no one thinks Joe Wilson was about to do something physically violent.

Wilson’s televised shout was tantamount to yelling “Fire!” in a crowded theater.

No, shouting "Fire" in a crowded theater causes fearful running for the exits, and it's actually the right thing to do when there actually is a fire.

Read the rest here.

The left is desperately trying to come up with any justification that would make Wilson's outburst unacceptable. They've called it "racist", now "violent", but in fact the only thing that made it unacceptable in any form was the violation of House "rules". As I've said before, House "rules" have about as much force in law as the rules of your local country club that don't allow men to hit from the ladies' tees.