Clint SHivers
New Member
It has become very popular in the last couple of years, yet very few people talk about it openly, even with their loved ones. It is a useful, wise and practical hobby, and still those who are the most passionate about it are often embarrassed to admit that they are a prepper.
Why do people shy away from discussing their thoughts and fears openly? Why do some look at preppers like there is something wrong with them? What are they so scared of that would drive them to spend a bunch of money on all this stuff that they might never use? And of course, how could they live a happy life when it is centered around such a negative sentiment, the end times?
Initially, it would look silly. A closet full of canned food, a safe full of gold and silver bullion, a 1,000 gallon water tank in the back yard and a stockpile of ammo that would make any liberal neighbors nervous. We can alleviate some of our neighbors concerns with a little dialogue and open minded discussion about what drives us to collect these items on such a large scale.
Let’s put aside the reason for doing this and look only at the application that the preppers favorite items have. The moment we take the emotion out of the equation, it becomes obvious that each piece of the preppers plan has a tangible and vital use. Food, water, batteries or generator, and yes even the bullets and bullion. Now, I admit, the bullets and bullion may need some more convincing, but while you may argue that you disagree with the owners ideas, you cannot disagree that they would be of great value to that individuals personal preparedness strategy. If Joe says that he will hunt for food to supplement his food storage and vegetable garden, then he will need ammunition. And since there is no guarantee that ammunition will be readily available to purchase or make, it is reasonable to have on hand as much as you may need for an extended period of time, possibly months or years. As to the bullion, most expert investors agree that as a long term investment, precious metals should be a part of any well balanced portfolio. Ideally, there would be no collapse and it could make for a nice addition to any retirement plan.
So why doesn’t everybody do it? Well, this is where I believe the preppers are fundamentally different than most other people. Let’s take television as one example. If you watch the news you will see all sorts of negativity and wars, government scandals, NSA spying on US citizens, etc. Also, and often on the very same networks, you see stories about the royal baby, the Kardashians, what the First Lady is wearing and all that Hollywood fluff that everyone eats up. There are people who only consume one type of news, and there are those who only consume the other. Then there are people who consume both. We wil focus only on those who consume primarily one type of news.
Those who focus on entertainment news, get emotional when some movie star has a baby or gets arrested, are the type that would probably least understand the prepper mentality. Now, before anyone gets offended, I am speaking on a very general basis here, and by no means saying that anyone is stupid or ignorant. Some people just don’t like to watch the news. It is vey negative, unfortunately, this is the world we live in. The entertainment industry is a blessing to our culture, for the most part, and I think everyone should take the time to enjoy movies, television, music and all other forms of the arts. If you can’t enjoy anything, what are you fighting so hard to stay alive for.
Many people feel that there is nothing they can do to change the outcome of world events and therefore do not need to waste their time learning about or understanding them. While it is probably true, that there is little or nothing the average citizen can do about the war in Syria, it is not the point of knowing and understanding what is happening there. Or, on a more local issue, our economy. Some would say “What does it matter? I’m only one person, the rich are rich and the poor are poor and it’s going to stay that way no matter what I do”. Or “The only thing we can do about it is to just keep working and if enough people do what they do, things may get worse, but they will get better eventually and we’ll be ok. We’ve always come back from recessions in the past, and this one is no diferent.”
This is where the prepper seperates from the majority of the population. We do not expect to change the situation itself, but the way and degree to which it affects us. Continuing with the example of the economy, a prepper looks at the story about the economy, finds some other sources on the topic and does some of his or her own research. They then think about what position in which they and their family would be in the worst case scenario, such as hyperinflation or total economic collapse. The next step is to determine what can be done to mitigate this risk and improve upon a possibly dire future situation. Then finally, take action. Some go big right off the bat, others start small and are working on a strict budget. The point is this: preppers may have miscalculated the likelihood of whichever disaster they are prepping for, but everything after that is logical, practical common sense. Get informed through your own research, use logical thinking to find your vulnerabilities, use problem solving to mitigate the risk, and then use planning and budgeting to gain the tools and materials that you will need to accomplish your goals and complete the tasks your plan has called for.
I challenge anyone out there to get informed by doing your own research and not just watching main stream media. Look at the issues around us and here in the Homeland. Also, think about natural disasters. The Northeast has seen two major storms in the last two summers. Think about where you and your family are vulnerable, and think about what you can do to protect them. If anyone gives this real genuine thought and consideration, you will find yourself looking up generators, water purification products, MREs #Meals Ready to Eat# or buying canned food to keep in store and extra batteries for your flashlights. These are the basics for a beginner prepper, and many people do it because they think it’s just common sense. Don’t let the stigma of preppers being paranoid and dilusional keep you from at least making a few small improvements to your family’s preparedness in the event of ANY type of emergency or disaster.
Why do people shy away from discussing their thoughts and fears openly? Why do some look at preppers like there is something wrong with them? What are they so scared of that would drive them to spend a bunch of money on all this stuff that they might never use? And of course, how could they live a happy life when it is centered around such a negative sentiment, the end times?
Initially, it would look silly. A closet full of canned food, a safe full of gold and silver bullion, a 1,000 gallon water tank in the back yard and a stockpile of ammo that would make any liberal neighbors nervous. We can alleviate some of our neighbors concerns with a little dialogue and open minded discussion about what drives us to collect these items on such a large scale.
Let’s put aside the reason for doing this and look only at the application that the preppers favorite items have. The moment we take the emotion out of the equation, it becomes obvious that each piece of the preppers plan has a tangible and vital use. Food, water, batteries or generator, and yes even the bullets and bullion. Now, I admit, the bullets and bullion may need some more convincing, but while you may argue that you disagree with the owners ideas, you cannot disagree that they would be of great value to that individuals personal preparedness strategy. If Joe says that he will hunt for food to supplement his food storage and vegetable garden, then he will need ammunition. And since there is no guarantee that ammunition will be readily available to purchase or make, it is reasonable to have on hand as much as you may need for an extended period of time, possibly months or years. As to the bullion, most expert investors agree that as a long term investment, precious metals should be a part of any well balanced portfolio. Ideally, there would be no collapse and it could make for a nice addition to any retirement plan.
So why doesn’t everybody do it? Well, this is where I believe the preppers are fundamentally different than most other people. Let’s take television as one example. If you watch the news you will see all sorts of negativity and wars, government scandals, NSA spying on US citizens, etc. Also, and often on the very same networks, you see stories about the royal baby, the Kardashians, what the First Lady is wearing and all that Hollywood fluff that everyone eats up. There are people who only consume one type of news, and there are those who only consume the other. Then there are people who consume both. We wil focus only on those who consume primarily one type of news.
Those who focus on entertainment news, get emotional when some movie star has a baby or gets arrested, are the type that would probably least understand the prepper mentality. Now, before anyone gets offended, I am speaking on a very general basis here, and by no means saying that anyone is stupid or ignorant. Some people just don’t like to watch the news. It is vey negative, unfortunately, this is the world we live in. The entertainment industry is a blessing to our culture, for the most part, and I think everyone should take the time to enjoy movies, television, music and all other forms of the arts. If you can’t enjoy anything, what are you fighting so hard to stay alive for.
Many people feel that there is nothing they can do to change the outcome of world events and therefore do not need to waste their time learning about or understanding them. While it is probably true, that there is little or nothing the average citizen can do about the war in Syria, it is not the point of knowing and understanding what is happening there. Or, on a more local issue, our economy. Some would say “What does it matter? I’m only one person, the rich are rich and the poor are poor and it’s going to stay that way no matter what I do”. Or “The only thing we can do about it is to just keep working and if enough people do what they do, things may get worse, but they will get better eventually and we’ll be ok. We’ve always come back from recessions in the past, and this one is no diferent.”
This is where the prepper seperates from the majority of the population. We do not expect to change the situation itself, but the way and degree to which it affects us. Continuing with the example of the economy, a prepper looks at the story about the economy, finds some other sources on the topic and does some of his or her own research. They then think about what position in which they and their family would be in the worst case scenario, such as hyperinflation or total economic collapse. The next step is to determine what can be done to mitigate this risk and improve upon a possibly dire future situation. Then finally, take action. Some go big right off the bat, others start small and are working on a strict budget. The point is this: preppers may have miscalculated the likelihood of whichever disaster they are prepping for, but everything after that is logical, practical common sense. Get informed through your own research, use logical thinking to find your vulnerabilities, use problem solving to mitigate the risk, and then use planning and budgeting to gain the tools and materials that you will need to accomplish your goals and complete the tasks your plan has called for.
I challenge anyone out there to get informed by doing your own research and not just watching main stream media. Look at the issues around us and here in the Homeland. Also, think about natural disasters. The Northeast has seen two major storms in the last two summers. Think about where you and your family are vulnerable, and think about what you can do to protect them. If anyone gives this real genuine thought and consideration, you will find yourself looking up generators, water purification products, MREs #Meals Ready to Eat# or buying canned food to keep in store and extra batteries for your flashlights. These are the basics for a beginner prepper, and many people do it because they think it’s just common sense. Don’t let the stigma of preppers being paranoid and dilusional keep you from at least making a few small improvements to your family’s preparedness in the event of ANY type of emergency or disaster.
