suddenly

  Don't make any sudden moves. That was a line I heard often in those old cowboy movies. It was a warning. Any sudden moves will result in catastrophic results. In the movie, you get shot, dead, on the spot. The old time gangsters like Al Capone used the same method to gain control of the situation. You know, it is good advice. I have discovered that I generally follow that advice in my everyday activities. Tempered they call that, I respond in a tempered way. Well unless you raise my ire that is, that I can be impulsive and rash. That usually doesn't end well for the one making me mad, or myself. It all depends. Sudden moves are a bit unpredictable. 

  Today I believe we have adopted a different approach. Now it is all about those sudden moves. Striking while the iron is hot! We want results immediately. Many people will simply abandon the tried and true method and simply rush right in. They call it being creative, thinking outside the box and all of that. That's what you do when you need to justify your actions. We even have provision in the law for that, crimes of passion. That's when you love someone or something so much you just can't help yourself, your emotions took control and you are not responsible for that. I hear a lot of "passion" these days as many believe they aren't responsible for anything they do. 

  That we are living in an emotional time in America can't be denied. Our political picture is all the proof you need of that. Politics is being based more on emotional response rather than considered thoughts. We are seeing knee jerk reactions from congress. They are sudden moves in the context of legislative actions. The rush is on right now, before the new administration enters the pictures. Emotional reactions. It's my thought that it has been social media that is driving the emotional responses we are all seeing in the country. 

  We are all seeing changes that appear sudden to us. Changes in our social fabric. When you begin to challenge beliefs, emotions begin to run high. The very reason society requires a common belief system, a set of guidelines, rules, or ideology. We all have to be on the same page. The page is turning. Some view that as a good thing, while others fear it is the end of the book. I've experienced that feeling, not wanting to turn the page because it will be the end of the story. That is exactly what is being said by quite a few today, it will be the end of America as we know it. 

 That fear comes from both sides. Fear isn't exclusive. Is it justified? Well that certainly depends upon what you believe. None of us can know what the future holds. The average empire lasts a mere 250 years. I know, we are a Republic, still life expectancy is 250 years. We are at 248 if you use 1776 as the starting point. But there is China that has lasted 5000 years. Is that a fair comparison? China has had a myriad of governments. Their focus has always been on commerce, emotional sensibilities not withstanding, what we call civil rights. I believe as long as we follow the "rules" as written in the constitution we will be fine. One rule is what is known as a Convention of the States. It is time to use that rule to strengthen our government, returning the power back to the people, as was the intent. 

  The original constitutional convention lasted one hundred and four days. I'd say there was much considered discussion and thought. The reality is the constitution presented and signed at the end of that convention did contain many concessions. Those concessions were necessary to get the job done. Many of those concessions were later changed, by amendments to that document. We are all aware of the first ten as they concerned us, "we the people" directly. Later amendments addressed voting rights, slavery, prohibition, presidential succession and a variety of other topics. 

  They were/are the slow changes vs any sudden moves. That is one purpose of the constitution, to prevent any sudden moves! It takes a 2/3 majority to make a change. It takes several years, at a minimum. The 27th amendment, the last one ratified, took two hundred and two years, seven months. That one concerned the pay of congress, no sudden moves on that! Back in 1971 amendment 26 was ratified lowering the voting age to 18. In the beginning only white, landowners twenty one years of age could vote. It took a long time for that to change. It wasn't a sudden thing. Changes based in a considered fashion, well thought out, planned and measured. Don't make any sudden moves; still good advice. What's that they say, "only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet"