I just returned from Wisconsin.  Wisconsin tried for years to pass a handgun carry bill, only to be frustrated at the Democrat governor’s desk.  That changed with the election of Scott Walker (Republican).  Wisconsin had years of other states’ experiences to draw from, and immediately wrote a good bill which the governor proudly signed.

But, the passage of legislation restoring a fundamental liberty does not change the minds of the people who wanted to suppress that liberty.  That takes time.  I once told a group of anti-gun elected law-makers that the passage of six months would show that particular gun ban to be a non-issue.  This was not a difficult prediction to make and—of course—our Tennessee restaurants and parks have not erupted in gun fire.

In Wisconsin, I see many signs posted on all manner of doors.  In asking where one small town managed to acquire such a nice, self-adhesive, red, white and black sign, I learned that the local sheriff toured the county urging boards and businesses to post.  In the case of restaurants that served alcohol, the threat of additional law-enforcement scrutiny was an extra pressure.  The nice little library was posted.  The library.  Someone on some board made that decision.

So, here are some options.  We can simply ignore the signs.  After all, we know that they are there for that small number of evil mass-murderers who decide to gun down as many passive victims as possible in a short time.  Places like libraries, theaters, churches, Internet call centers, and ball games provide a concentration of distracted, seated people for them, I suppose.  The fearful person in anxiety until that sign is posted (Whew! Now I’m safe!) somehow imagines that the “No weapons” sign stops these killers cold.  It would be laughable if not fatally tragic.  You know that your breaking the law by carrying there is harmless—except that the scrupulously law-abiding citizen is breaking the law.

Or, we can let these signs fade, crack, and begin to peel.  That is the fate of one such admonition at one of my favorite local restaurants.

We can quietly ask, “Why did you put that sign up?”  We can find out who the decision-maker was, and make a courteous call.

This will take some time, particularly in locales with an entrenched oppressive atmosphere and government, such as Chicago and our nation’s capital.

Finally, I will leave you with this grim thought.  After James Holmes’ murderous rampage, gun and ammo sales are way up.  Holmes changed a lots of minds.  The people see and perceive what the rule-lovers and rule-makers do not: anytime, anyone, anywhere.  You are very unlikely to ever need to defend life with a gun, but when you need a gun, you really, really, really need one.

Even in the local library.

Or in the local movie theater.