Karla's Kolumn

Several years ago Bill Engvall hit the comedic stage with his “Here’s Your Sign” trademark saying. He told stories of stupid people or people stating the obvious in the form of question, such as someone seeing skis on top of the car and asking “Are you going skiing?” He said these people should have to wear a sign so the rest of us would know.

Well it seems lately that many people could use such a sign, especially when it comes to dealing with wild animals. Do we not understand what wild means? It doesn’t mean if they are in a zoo or a national park and see people every day that they are not wild and become mild mannered. They are not pets. They are animals with animal instincts and will attack if they perceive a threat and you may just be that threat.

So here’s a refresher – Leave wild animals alone. It doesn’t matter if they are cute and fuzzy. It doesn’t matter if they look friendly or docile. It doesn’t matter if they are young or babies. You don’t pick them up and put them in your car. They are not cold. You don’t feel sorry for a young animal because more than likely they are not alone – mom is probably lurking around, watching. They are wild animals.

You don’t approach wild animals to get a selfie. If you approach an animal and it attacks you, you get your sign.

If you go off the path and into thermal water and get burned. You get a sign.

But wild animals are not just in the wild or in parks, they are in zoos. No, I’m not a parent, but in an age where the media and society seem up in arms about who’s going to the bathroom with our children, why would a parent not have a hold of a young child in a crowded zoo. I do know young children can slip away quickly but if you’re willing to turn your head for a second, or let go of your child’s hand for a second, when yes, once again there are wild animals around, then you get a sign.

But Bill Engvall needs signs for politicians as well, and there’s plenty of them.

If you’re running for office and feel like voicing opinions on social media, then you get a sign. If you voice those opinions and are shocked when people disagree with you or you get attacked for that opinion, you get a sign.

But I’m handing out signs to more than wildlife enthusiasts and politicians

If you’re a pet owner but don’t take responsibility and clean up after your pet in public, you deserve a sign.

If you believe sharing a post on Facebook is going to make you richer, more handsome or beautiful or blessed or become a Christian, then you get a sign.

If you believe every post on Facebook; if you believe every story on Facebook or the Internet without checking the source of that story; or you believe a story as happening now without checking how old that story actually is, you get a sign.

If you think freedom of speech only applies to you and your opinions, you get a sign.

If you think freedom of religion only applies to your beliefs, you get a sign.

Let’s hope you’re not among the above, or the many others who deserve a sign that Engvall made famous.