"Don't Be a KNEE-JERK!"

Have you ever heard the term "knee-jerk reaction"? I'm sure every guy knows it. It means a reaction without thought; it's instinctive. Animals that are backed into a corner will act out of instinct to preserve their lives. A dog will bite if he feels threats from a source he can't flee from. On 911, we had a "knee-jerk reaction" from many Americans. Some of us wanted to bomb every Muslim nation in the world; a really bad idea! Some of us questioned why we were attacked and wanted investigation; a better idea! At times, I'm sure all of us have heard second hand rumors that were disturbing to us. When one is adolescent, we take these rumors very seriously and, at times, react too quickly with words and sometimes violence.
"He said, she said," can cause conflicts as quickly as a punch in the nose. Rapid action and uninvestigated allegations are a lethal combination. My Dad said "Act in haste and repent in leisure". I have found this to be good advice throughout my life.

Since the Arizona shooting tragedy, we have seen a plethora of "knee-jerk" responses from the media and some political leaders. I am saddened that this tragic event is degenerating into a chance to make political hay from the blood of the innocent. Limbaugh, Beck and Hannity have all been castigated by the left as having influence in this tragic situation, when the facts have revealed that this man seem to be mentally disturbed with very little cogent thinking involved in his decision to kill.

Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) is quickly acting to legislate further limits on firearms in the wake of the Arizona incident; she wants to get something done this week. She is already blaming second amendment advocates for the shooting. Along with the acts toward gun control, Pennsylvania representative, Robert Brady, is proposing free speech limits. Mr. Brady wants to ban designated language and symbols for use on the public forum. He believes these words and symbols can be viewed as threatening and inflammatory. Does this mean it would be inappropriate to criticize a representative at a town hall meeting, as he may feel threatened by the language used?

As Americans, we cannot allow this hasty type of action to dictate what could do great damage to our first and second amendment rights. Once legislation is passed, it is very difficult to undo, as we are now seeing with Obamacare. I understand the feelings of many Americans as a result of this tragedy yet we must not react too quickly or we may regret our actions over the course of closer examination and historical perspective. We must be very careful before we surrender any of our Constitutional rights; once they're gone, we probably won't get them back! Don't be a "KNEE-JERK"!