Symbols are not identical to the things they symbolize. A nationÂ’s flag is not the same thing as the nation itself.A star on the map representing a capital city is not actually the dirt and grass and trees and concrete and lumber and people in that capital.A picture of a gun is not the material weapon . . . and thus wonÂ’t do much at all to stop a criminal. Most people completely understand this simple principle, including those who have not taken an advanced course in semiotics at the Sorbonne. Even young children comprehend the distinction between a sign,...