"If you shoot at mimes, should you use a silencer?"

This quote by Steven Wright is an amusing way of mentioning the absurdity of the idea of shooting a mime. It implies that shooting a mime is an absurd notion, and that the use of a silencer would be even more absurd. The quote is satirizing the concept of utilizing violence to solve an issue, and the idea that a silencer would be needed to do so. It likewise suggests that mimes are safe which shooting them would be an overreaction. The quote is a humorous method of making a point about making use of violence and the need to believe prior to taking action. It is a suggestion to think prior to we act and to think about the repercussions of our actions.