On Being Your Own Sheepdog

How many often do you enter a public place in Minnesota only to be greeted by a sign that says guns are banned on the premises? What's the point of that sign? To help make sure that all the law-abiding citizens inside are sitting ducks for whatever whackjob who decides he wants Larry King to talk about him at 9:00 PM CDT? The signs are big with churches who were the driver behind such a preposterous provision to the 2003 conceal & carry law:

Like employers, business owners may also restrict individuals from carrying guns on-site if the operator of the establishment makes a "reasonable request that firearms not be brought into the establishment." To satisfy the "reasonable request" requirement, the private establishment must: 1) have a conspicuous sign posted at every entrance to the establishment that states, "[name of the company] bans guns in these premises." The sign(s) must be in black Arial typeface at lease 11/2 inches in height against a bright contrasting background that is at least 187 square inches in area (which translates to an 11x17 sign). The sign(s) must be readily visible and within four feet laterally of each entrance with the bottom of each sign at a height of four to six feet above the floor.

Preventing law-abiding citizens from protecting themselves makes everyone equally sheep-like and ripe for predation. Every now and then, there are tangible examples of the other side of the coin; events that make the sheeple quiver:

The gunman was killed by a member of the church's armed security staff before police arrived, Myers said. The gunman's name was not released. Officers found several smoke-generating devices on the church campus; their intended purpose wasn't clear. Boyd said the security guard rushed the attacker, who didn't get more than 6 feet inside the building, and "took him down in the hallway."

"She probably saved 100 lives," Boyd said of the guard. The gunman, he added, "had a lot of ammunition to do a lot of damage."