them clean of bread and milk any time a local weatherman mentions snow, many people have rushed out to the hardware and building supply stores for duct tape and plastic sheeting.

But it’s not little flakes of snow that have many Shelby County residents running around like decapitated chickens, its fear of a biological, chemical or nuclear attack.

While it is a good idea to be prepared for any type of emergency (recent world events have reinforced the importance of that) it is equally as important to use a level of common sense.

Panic and undue worry do absolutely nothing to protect you from a terrorist attack, or any emergency for that matter.

Local officials have stressed the importance of maintaining an intelligent approach to deciphering the warnings and recommendations of agencies like the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

While we fully endorse those agencies and their message, we endorse them in conjunction with rationality and common sense.

Think calmly about what you are doing and be completely aware of your surroundings before taping yourself shut in a bedroom closet