"When Everything Falls Apart, I Know Where To Go"

You have probably heard this from a friend or acquaint-
ance that has learned of your preps. The big question is:
what was your response?

The US public carries a mentality of entitlement that
concerns and worries preppers. This attitude of being
owed a living has mainly been instilled by the politicians.
In just the last two generations, the safety net is being
used by many as a sleepy hammock.

But in the words of Alexis De Tocquiville "It's not an
endlessly expanding list of rights -- the "right" to
education, the "right" to health care, the "right" to
food and housing. That's not freedom, that's
dependency. Those aren't rights, those are the
rations of slavery -- hay and a barn for human cattle."

With the advent of the "just in time" delivery, the
societal helplessness got much worse. Easy Credit and
the Instant Gratification mantras have bred a generation
of bawling, self-indulgent brats. The whims and desires
of the masses are catered to by a very intricate structure
that is very fragile at best.

People have pointed out this Achilles Heel many, many,
times. The few who heed the warnings are ridiculed,
marginalized or demonized. Our overextended and under
maintained national infrastructure ages and deteriorates.
Failures occur. Locallly, then regional, and some day
national. The more intricate, complex and interconnected
the system becomes, the more prone it is to failure or
sabotage. A storm can wipe out power, food, and fuel
for weeks at a time.

The US public has the idea that the government will
take care of them. It is a seductive lie and it is a mortal
trap. Our government is more concerned with its own
survival, not mine. I do not trust that it will come to my
rescue during a major disaster or act of war. If they do
come, they will be heavy handed, and will force me to
do what I do not want to do. Like leave my refuge, get
on the truck, and go to a concentration camp.

Hurricane Katrina was an example of the total
breakdown of that support system. More than a
year since the storm, many parts areas are still a
disaster, still without drinkable water, without
functioning waste treatment and without electricity.
The people have placed their total faith in a belief
that the local and Federal governments would step
in and save them, in many cases this was a fatal
mistake.

With a disaster of that magnitude there was no way
the governments would have the power to fix every
thing, even though they wanted to. Besides, the State
has no obligation to protect people in the first place.

So where does this leave those that have wisely chosen
to prepare for themselves? The answer is in a very tight
spot. The mentality of entitlement says that they are
entitled to any thing that you have simply because they
are needy, and you "unfairly" have stuff. The question
is what do you do?

The answers are just as difficult as the question.
Turning away people in need is offensive to our
cultural traditions, but in time of crisis it can
become a necessary evil.

One friend remembers having neighbors coming
to their door during a particularly bad snow storm
demanding food because they, the neighbors knew
that the family was Mormon and abided by the one
year of food storage edict.

Timothy 5:8 of the Christian New Testament states
"But if any provide not for his own, and specially
for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith,
and is worse than an infidel." However, far too many
"Sunday Christians" ignore this passage and glom
onto the parts about "feeding the sheep". They
profess to be "helpless" and "needy" when in truth
they are lazy and irresponsible, preferring to let
others take responsibility.

So how do you respond when you hear the phrase
"I know where I'll be coming..."?

I can say that my standard response to that statement is
pretty much to the effect of "Not if you have nothing to
contribute, and family comes first.". By "contribute" I
really mean "bring your own food and other goods".

Full Stop.

We are not in a position to feed, clothe and otherwise
tend to their needs. Sound harsh? It may, but so does
dying due to their unwillingness to prepare.

Notice I did not say their inability to prepare. Those
same people who choose not to be prepared all have
a bewildering array of insurance plans. The all have
spare tires in their cars. Most of them have IRA's or
Roth plans, or 401-K's. They will prepare for the
future in those ways; paying others to take ultimate
responsibility for them. What they refuse to do is
take direct personal responsibility.

The unspoken motto of the U.S. Marine Corps is:
God, Corps, Country. That's what the Fidelis in
"Semper Fidelis" refers to. Ever notice how Corps
comes before country? Ever give it any thought?
My personal motto is : God, Family, Community.
Notice the resemblance?

Naturally most people when they consider such a
chain of loyalty think of it from the self centered
point of view; first I'll take care of my own. There
is another equally important side to the coin.

Consider triage. In a life and death crisis who do
the doctors and nurses try to save first? Other
doctors and nurses, firemen, policemen,
soldiers. Why? Because those people posses the
skills and training and proven commitment to
saving others. Saving them means that many
more can be saved. The country is more likely
to be saved if the Corps is first saved so that it
can render service. The community is best saved
if the family is intact and strong and able to be a
resource to others.

There are always those who simply are not able
to organize their lives in such a way as to be
able to help themselves. Some of us feel we have
a duty to help the helpless in a time of need. The
majority could help themselves, but won't. The
excuses are endless. There will never be enough
resources tosave those who refuse to help them-
selves.

And so I keep the preps on the quiet side. The less that
those around us know the better. This is an unfortunate
but necessary result of the entitlement mentality that the
general public carries, because the scary part is that if
the unprepared don't feel cared for (by some standard
that escapes my understanding) they will try to take it by
any means necessary.

A 72hr kit can be made from household items, or can
be purchased, premade. Even people earning minimum
wages can afford one, and have no excuse for not
having one.

But, a 72 hr kit, it is only a stopgap. And yet how many
people have one? The Mormon Church estimates that
fewer than 10% of their members practice the food
storage program that their church preaches as a religious
duty. The simple fact is that most people have voted with
their dollars and their actions to be cattle; to let others
carry the responsibility for them.

Others have a 72hr kit as their complete preps. These are
told that they are not welcome. What they are telling me,
is that although they recognize and admit that they have a
responsibility and a duty, they are not willing to make more
than the most minimal effort on their own behalf. They are
saying that they are not willing to be part of the solution,
they are not willing to roll up their sleeves and help others,
much less themselves.

Some people have dismissed the whole idea of personal
preparedness with comments like "I pay my taxes!" As if
having paid taxes purchased an insurance plan that owed
them - a provider that was then obligated to come to their
rescue. And that is their attitude when a crisis happens,
they become angry, resentful and demanding of the
resources that they "paid for".

In the end it is a question of triage. If my family or I are
helpless and needy, how will I be able to help others? My
first moral duty is to not be a burden on others. My first
loyalty is to my family. Then, assist those others who
prepared. I will make great efforts to help those who were
prepared, but lost their equipment due to storm, fire, etc.
Once I have accomplished that I can then begin to consider
helping the genuinely helpless.

Those who could have helped themselves and chose not to
do so will have take what's left. If there is any.

And those who say "If Everything Falls Apart, I Know
Where to Go..." can jolly well go to . . . well, some warm
place where others like them congregate.