2 Florida DJs facing possible felony charges for April Fools "prank"

• LJ

  

  I have no hope for this country
  

  Florida country radio morning-show hosts Val St. John and Scott Fish are currently serving indefinite suspensions and possibly worse over a successful April Fools' Day prank. They told their listeners that "dihydrogen monoxide" was coming out of the taps throughout the Fort Myers area. Dihydrogen monoxide is water.

  
  
  How is saying water is coming out of your water tap a false quality report?
  

  "My understanding is it is a felony to call in a false water quality issue," Diane Holm, a public information officer for Lee County, told WTSP, while Renda stood firm about his deejays: "They will have to deal with the circumstances."

  
  
  http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2013/04/florida-djs-april-fools-water-joke/63798/
• WebFire

  So they face felony charges for correctly stating that water was coming from people's faucets?
  
  Brilliant.
• WebFire

  The bad part is, if you google the chemical name, the first result to show is this...
  
  http://www.dhmo.org/
• thavoice

  I have found it interesting that, according to that link, DHMO is readily available in schools, used by al qaeda, improves athletic ability AND was used by 100% of those who commit school shootings.
  
  This stuff needs to be banned and frankly I am surprised no one has complained about it yet.
• bases_loaded

  

  I remember my introduction to chemical nomenclature in 10th grade. Teacher had a flier made up with the dangers of h2o
• O-Trap

  

  I saw this last night. I don't know which is worse: The amount of panic from locals who didn't take two shakes of a fuck stick to actually look into what Dihydrogen Monoxide actually is or the fact that they're being blamed for falsely claiming anything and already getting disciplinary action (indefinitely suspended, as I recall).
• dlazz

  We analyzed that website DHMO website for a class in one of my college courses. Apparently, a fairly large city (San Fransisco?) actually was getting ready to pass a ban on it before someone piped up and pointed out their stupidity.
• WebFire

  dlazz;1419082 wrote:We analyzed that website DHMO website for a class in one of my college courses. Apparently, a fairly large city (San Fransisco?) actually was getting ready to pass a ban on it before someone piped up and pointed out their stupidity.

  LOL
• LJ

  

  dlazz;1419082 wrote:We analyzed that website DHMO website for a class in one of my college courses. Apparently, a fairly large city (San Fransisco?) actually was getting ready to pass a ban on it before someone piped up and pointed out their stupidity.

  I'm not sure there is a facepalm picture that would be appropriate enough for this
• dlazz

  Research indicates it was a suburb of Orange County and they were trying to ban foam cups because they were made with the "dangerous chemical". I could've swore San Francisco tried to ban it altogether, but I can't find proof of that.
• thePITman

  

  Hilarious and stupid at the same time.
• QuakerOats

  The public education monopoly is the entity that should be sued; its failure to do its job led to the 'panic'. The masses should never had fallen for the joke, and the DJ's should be hailed for revealing the deficiencies in education.
• dlazz

  Public education monopoly?
• QuakerOats

  Yes; the public sector union-controlled education monopoly, which continues to turn out more functional illiterates every year despite increases in per pupil costs/funding every single year. You know, that public education monopoly.
• Pick6

  

  QuakerOats;1419126 wrote:Yes; the public sector union-controlled education monopoly, which continues to turn out more functional illiterates every year despite increases in per pupil costs/funding every single year. You know, that public education monopoly.

  A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity
• Heretic

  

  Pick6;1419128 wrote:A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity

  You have to understand -- on the poli board, he's essentially the right wing version of Gibby (minus the so-suave pic with Florida-era Urban). He speaks, people laugh. Wash, rinse, repeat.
• gut

  Is there any way these guys could actually be convicted of some sort of crime? Would be interesting - are you liable for creating a panic if you tell the truth when you should know (and in fact expected) people to be too stupid to know better?
• thePITman

  

  gut;1419166 wrote:Is there any way these guys could actually be convicted of some sort of crime? Would be interesting - are you liable for creating a panic if you tell the truth when you should know (and in fact expected) people to be too stupid to know better?

  If so, it would set one heck of a terrible precedent for future sue-happy cases. If you tell somebody something and they don't understand what you say and do something stupid, you're at fault. It's basically a law (or ruling) against smart people because the dumb people didn't understand whatever was being discussed.
• thavoice

  gut;1419166 wrote:Is there any way these guys could actually be convicted of some sort of crime? Would be interesting - are you liable for creating a panic if you tell the truth when you should know (and in fact expected) people to be too stupid to know better?

  Kinda reminds me when Bart Simpson was freaking out when Lisa told him that his epidermus was showing........
• gut

  thePITman;1419169 wrote:If so, it would set one heck of a terrible precedent for future sue-happy cases. If you tell somebody something and they don't understand what you say and do something stupid, you're at fault. It's basically a law (or ruling) against smart people because the dumb people didn't understand whatever was being discussed.

  That's a good point, however I'm wondering if there isn't some liability for exploiting ignorance to induce a panic. This is very different from not understanding the warning label on some product.
  
  However, I might counter your statement by saying we rely on tv and radio to deliver emergency news/warnings, and people are entitled to an expectation of honesty and accuracy. Because in a real emergency we can't have or expect people who don't totally understand to first go fact-checking.
  
  Just speculation. I still don't think you could convict these guys - besides April 1st being a mitigating factor, there's no harm done if people didn't drink their tap water for a day. But if idiots were tying up first responders and 911 with this BS it might be a little different.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  QuakerOats;1419126 wrote:Yes; the public sector union-controlled education monopoly, which continues to turn out more functional illiterates every year despite increases in per pupil costs/funding every single year. You know, that public education monopoly.

  
  Parents shouldn't be blamed at al. Nope.
• FatHobbit

  

  ernest_t_bass;1419199 wrote:Parents shouldn't be blamed at al. Nope.

  That's crazy talk. Why should parents be responsible for their kids? What do we pay all that tax money for?!?
• Heretic

  

  FatHobbit;1419205 wrote:That's crazy talk. Why should parents be responsible for their kids? What do we pay all that tax money for?!?

  Remember, kids! Never talk about personal responsibility and making good choices when you can simply go on a rant about something related to the gubment!!!!
• Devils Advocate

  

  I've walked into rooms and announced
  there was a fire in my pants. General mayhem always ensues...
• Devils Advocate

  

  Pick6;1419128 wrote:A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity

  Do not confuse Insane rhetoric with facts. He might burst into flames if he acknowledges them.