there was much overkill yesterday - the public talk was also based on the flight to Pella before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE and then the watchtower conductor, an impassioned bethlite, hammered home the point about obedience. There was such an air of drama and gratefulness to the WTS/GB for providing safety/means of escape that I sat in complete silence and left when they started talking about how dangerous it is to miss meetings - I wasn't trying to make a point by leaving, I'd had enough (plus my shoulder was bothering me from trying to sit attentive and satuelike).
edit: I thought this is how thinking intelligent people remain witnesses