Time To Prep

There seems to be a natural progression to the, for lack of a better term, Prepping Mindset.  That is to say, once a person gets into the mindset (and I consider that ‘mindset’ to be the realization that all is not well with the political/financial/economic system and the possibility one or more of those systems can significantly break down or even collapse in the near future and that you are obliged to prepare for such events), they similarly prioritize their or their families’ needs, then set about the process of obtaining what is necessary to meet those needs.  It all makes perfect sense once you accept the logical premise that the S*** can and very well might Hit The Fan in the not too distant future.  But, be advised, the decision-tree of prepping is fraught with peril.  A typical progression of prepping is illustrated below, along with the aforementioned peril.

Assuming that most people cannot or will not bug-out to their mountain redoubts, they begin their prepping by obtaining supplies of food and water.  Starting out modestly, as most people’s budgets do not permit them to purchase a years’ worth of freeze-dried food in one fell swoop.  They typically start with canned goods, legumes, pasta, soups, etc., and gallon jugs of water and simply build on that idea until a sufficient amount of food and water exists (that amount will differ from prepper to prepper). Your mileage may vary, as there are virtually infinite combinations of food and water storage methods available to the diligent prepper. Concurrent with that, the beginning prepper might begin obtaining supplies of needed medicines, both over-the-counter and prescriptions as I mentioned in my previous post on the subject.  From this point, the prepping decision tree branches out in many directions.  For example, do I need a water filter?  If so, what type, how many?  Do I have a means of cooking food if the power goes out (including the municipal natural gas supply)?  Do I need a solar oven, a firewood stove and lots of wood?  The decisions I have made on such matters have been outlined in great detail here on my blog, OPSEC permitting, but one decision, a crucial one, might (I submit, MUST) change the way the beginning prepper views his preparations for disaster – the purchase of firearms.

Unlike the other comparatively trivial decisions, purchasing firearms for the purpose of protecting you and your family is a Rubicon that, once crossed, demands that the prepper decide well in advance that he/she is capable of using that firearm as deadly force to prevent harm to themselves or their family and is at peace with that decision.  For if you waver at all in your defensive actions with a firearm (due to indecision or misplaced sympathy or guilt) against persons that seek to do you harm, that moment of indecision could cost you any your family their lives.

But, that decision alone is NOT the peril I referred to above.  In my opinion, the peril comes from the many less obvious, but weighty decisions (less obvious than taking action to save the lives of you and your loved ones which is a no-brainer) you need to have made before deciding to employ a firearm for protection.  For example, what if several weeks into a financial collapse, when many supermarkets have long since stopped receiving re-supply, a group of people begin banging on your front door demanding food, stating that “if you don’t give it to us, we’ll come in and take it!”  No threat to your life was directly made, but you will have to have already decided what you will do if they break in to steal the only available food and water to keep you and your family alive.  What would you do?  They might not mean you any direct harm, but isn’t taking your food tantamount to sentencing you to death in an emergency situation?  Have you thought this through?  I would not presume to advise you or anyone on this matter as it is both a legal and moral question.  One which is better taken up with your God and/or the local authorities – presuming that there even are local authorities in a disaster situation.  Remember Katrina anyone?   But, if you accept the premise that things can go very badly very quickly, waiting until they kick down your front door to decide what to do is a good way to lose your food, water and your firearm and maybe your life.  Again, you need to have thought these scenarios through and discussed them with your family BEFORE you are confronted with them.

OK.  You’ve taken time to think through several dozen scenarios in which you will either use deadly force or not and have discussed those scenarios with your family, sought their advice, and even prayed on it.  Good.  Now, let me throw a hypothetical monkey wrench into the works.  What if the knock on the front door is a government agent advising you that your supply of food is against the newly passed ‘Food Hoarding Act’ whereby anyone possessing a ‘cache’ of food while others are starving is in violation of the Anti-Hoarding provision of the law and he is here to ‘legally’ confiscate it.  Do you give it to them ( ‘it’ meaning, the food, of course)?  What if the folks at the door are local police or DHS minions confiscating all firearms like New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagan ordered in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  Do you leave your family defenseless because folks in black uniforms have no qualms about violating your 2nd and 4th Amendment rights?  Are your preps worth dying for?  Are your guns?  Is your family?  Is Liberty?  Again, I cannot advise you on such matters.  I can only say that you must have decided in advance what you will do in such situations AND be at peace with those decisions.  The decisions are weighty ones – and, as I said, fraught with peril.

Have you thought this through?

Be Safe.  Be Prepared.

Practical Prepper 2012

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