If Only

Despite what the news media would have you believe, there are other things going on in the world besides the election and the China virus. One of those things…unfortunately…was a mass shooting at a mall in Wisconsin in which eight people were injured.

Just as unfortunate…and lamented here by the mayor of the town in which the shooting occurred…was the fact that the shooter clearly ignored the “gun free zone” signs posted at the mall. As the good mayor explains, “Mayfair has a strict no-gun policy. If the shooter had complied with that policy, no one would have been hurt yesterday.” Well, no shit, Sherlock.

“I detect that signage does not discourage murderers.”

Honestly, this sort of thinking pisses me off no end. It is the foolish daydreaming of children who still believe in the world as they wish it was, rather than the world as it actually is. If a sign was all that was required to stop bad behavior, then the fact that we still have bad behavior in the world should be be blamed entirely on the lack of signage. But good people leave their defensive firearms at home in an attempt to play by the rules, while rule-breakers defy the rules and commit violence against them.

If only murderers were dissuaded by stern signage, we could end shootings at malls. Of course, if murderers were dissuaded by signage, you could simply post “gun free zone” signs around your entire city (nation?), and put a stop to shootings entirely.

If only.