In the aftermath of a tragedy, it is easy to get caught up in the regulatory rhetoric promoted by politicians preying on the fear of the public. Far too often, the legislation proposed out of fear or anger is easy to support — that is until the mourning has ended and reality strikes. Realistically, all that results from these overreactions is government expansion and the destruction of civil liberty.

Absolutely no progress is made in saving lives or preventing another attack when policy decisions are made as a result of irrational legislative emotion. I feel for the families who have lost loved ones in recent attacks, but the symbolic sacrifice of our freedoms does nothing for the victims.

Calls to action on issues such as gun control can be hard to ignore after such a crisis. However, policies enacted under rash and illogical reasoning are long term and do not die with our heartache. Crisis provoked legislation is an outlet for pandering to a certain voter base from a platform of “National Security.”

Within hours of the Orlando shooting, Congressmen from both sides of the aisle proposed legislation that infringes on our civil liberties and circumvents our right to due process. Many are calling for a ban on gun sales to anyone that is on the, often flawed, no-fly list, despite due process of the law. Due process is the requirement that the state must respect all legal rights.

The Constitution acknowledges this in two separate amendments: the Fifth and Fourteenth. The Fifth Amendment states no one shall be “deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.” The Fourteenth Amendment uses the same wording, called the Due Process Clause, to describe the legal requirements of all states.

Due process guarantees the government acts within the law and provides fair procedures across the board. While Republican members of congress have attempted to compromise by proposing a bill that would only delay the process of buying a gun for those on the no-fly list, Democrats are pushing for a complete ban.

Despite the party affiliation with each proposal, both ideas are put forth as easy answers to crises. There may not be just one way to combat terrorism, but there are certainly wrong ways, and circumventing the constitution and abandoning our nation's founding principles is a large step in the wrong direction.