Tragedy and its Aftermath

In the aftermath of the horrible and tragic mass shooting that took place in Arizona recently, which included the death of a federal judge, a 9-year old girl and the critical wounding of a Democratic Congresswoman, there has been an uproar over the "violent rhetoric" being tossed about between pundits of both parties. Democrats are trying to say that Tea Partiers, Sarah Palin and others are somehow to blame for the actions of one mentally-unbalanced young man. Claiming that this rhetoric somehow incited this lone gunman to action, the Democrats are calling for, among other things, measures to limit freedom of speech as well as stricter gun controls.
Yesterday, Carolyn McCarthy, a Democrat from NY, said she wants to outlaw the type of gun used in the attacks. This type of knee-jerk reaction in the face of tragedy is not what this country needs. If somebody is stabbed with a kitchen knife, for example, do we outlaw all kitchen knives? If a car is used to run somebody down in anger, do we suddenly outlaw cars? Of course not. If we are to be truly free, we can't possibly legislate our way to safety for all people, all the time. We need to realize that it is the individual who is responsible for his or her behavior. In the case of the Arizona shooter, he should be held accountable and punished for his actions, not the rest of society through the passing of legislation which takes away our basic liberties.
Also yesterday, Democratic Congressman Robert Brady called for legislation outlawing "language and symbols that could be perceived to be threatening" to lawmakers. While I believe there is no place for violence in political discourse, I don't believe you can legislate this without limiting another Constitutionally-guaranteed liberty, namely, the freedom of speech. Are we to give up our basic rights simply to avoid any chance of offending some one's sensibilities? Once you start to limit what someone can say, how do you stop?And how can you possibly determine how somebody else is going to perceive a statement? Freedom of speech is one of the great rights that all Americans enjoy, and is one of the basic requirements needed for people to truly live free.
In a free society, everybody has rights as well as responsibilities. It is these responsibilities that we should be focusing on. Each individual is responsible for their own actions, and this is where legislation should be aimed. Punish those who, by their own actions, do not deserve the rights that every citizen of this country is afforded. Don't take away those rights that the rest of us enjoy, and which make this country great.