Where to begin preparing?

Well, after our first post yesterday it probably got some people thinking which is good.  I hope it did get some of you to start thinking, specifically about what to do for your family. Here is a little about me and my preparing.  I think it has always been with me.  Beit going hiking in the mountains as a young Boy Scout up until now and I’m almost 40.  I have a military and Law Enforcement back ground but my big eye opener was when I was working security in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina came through. 

When I first arrived, I remember being driven from the airport into down town New Orleans and just looking around.  Garbage and debris everywhere and you could see water lines on buildings and vehicles from where the flood waters were.  Then you look in the lower 9^th ward and it looked like a war zone.  Myself and a couple guys from my team went for a drive in the lower 9^th and just driving through there was an eye opener.  You look at all the homes, one that was in the middle of the road and you had to drive onto someone’s front lawn to go around it and realize how things can go to shit in a very short time.  That’s when I had a switch click inside of me.  I was down there for 7 months.  It was a 7 month education. 

When I returned home I started to look at things different.  When I would go to the grocery store, I would buy a bit more than I normally would.  This allowed me to begin keeping more food and water stored in my small apartment for me and my two children.  I increased my attendance in training courses and equipment.  Time went on and finances increased a little bit at a time and this allowed me to improve and increase what I had.  I have always been into camping and the outdoors so I was fortunate that I had camping gear already.

Then 4 years ago I met a wonderful woman who stalked me, we will call her “The Supreme Allied Commander” or TSAC for short.  Since I figured I wouldn’t be able to hide from her I better just give in and let life take its course.  We have been together almost every day since.  We have a little girl now who will turn 3 this year and I remember in 2012 looking at this new little girl and another switch just flipped inside of me.  I remember holding this new little life and looking down at her and thinking “How hard would it be for her to look at me and cry because she was hungry”.  For whatever reason this lit a fire under me and I began a journey that hasn’t stopped yet.

I began researching a lot of things; long term food, water filtration etc.  Then I stepped back to pull on my military background.  I sat down with a notepad and a pen and thought “when the military shows up in the middle of nowhere to create a functioning base, what they HAVE to have?” THIS is how I started my preparing.  First thing that I looked at were the basics.  Military has to have the following:  Troops, self-defense, food, water, communication, power and shelter.  Then I started writing. 

Food: 

This is simple but people think that they will start to death very fast.  Honestly, how many Americans can afford to miss a meal or three?  I know I can.  But TSAC and I began to buy a little bit more when we went to the store and filled up the pantry pretty fast.  It doesn’t take a huge investment at first.  When you go to the store, and you usually buy 3 cans of soup, you add two more and come home with 5.  Poof, you have 2 spare cans in case things go bad.  We just kept doing this for the first several weeks and before we knew it the pantry was full.  Then I began looking at longer term food storage that we wouldn’t use unless the SHTF (Shit hit the fan).  We looked and sampled several different brands and decided to go with Wise Foods brands.  A couple reasons, they are a Utah company.  Buy local and keep Americans in jobs. Second, I liked that they came in buckets that were stackable.  Once the food is gone, you have something useful to carry supplies, water, use as a toilet etc. STG became a dealer of Wise Foods so if any of our fans, friends or readers want some, just let us know and we can get it ordered for you!  Then we looked at how long a disaster would last.  Looking back on New Orleans and the American Red Cross said 72 hours.  New Orleans was almost a week and in some places longer, before help arrived.  You need to have a way to resupply your food.  What did we do?  Simple, we have a small green house, garden and fruit trees and strawberry plants.  We dehydrate a lot of the fruit because our three year old loves it! 

This is the beginning of a several part series on how to begin being prepared.   Keep checking back for the next issue that should happen in 3 days or so.  Maybe sooner if I get time.   

Connecticut and the 2nd.

Alot of people are passing around the letter from the Connecticut State Police that is directed towards Americans who have not "registered" their firearms and magazines in accordinance with a new State Law.  So lets see what the 2nd Amendment actually says;

Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

That was taken directly from http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/second_amendment. 

Well, I think its pretty straight forward there.  "The right of the people to keep and bear arms, SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED".  It doesn't say anything about "with the exception for the State of Connecticut and with regards to magazine capacity and certain firearms.  It says SHALL NOT. 

When I was going through the Police Academy, our legal professor made it very clear.  SHALL means there is no room for guessing.

I know on our pages and our alumni, we have a lot of military and LEO's who have taken an Oath.  That oath says for Armed Forces:

I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

Then for the National Guard members, theirs adds a small addition and theirs is as follows:

I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the State of (STATE NAME) against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the Governor of (STATE NAME) and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to law and regulations. So help me God.

Now, with reading the above Oaths, is there an expiration date?  Does it say anything about " Don't worry about State laws that are enacted by State governments that go against the simple speech in the Constitution/2nd Amendment".  I don't see it if there is! 

I know a LOT of people who have taken that Oath and have stated that there is no expiration date and that we all take that oath very seriously.  I have spoken to a lot of current military and LEO's who have stated that they will not enforce any law that they feel violates the Constitution.  Now lets also step back and look at it from a perspective of "But what if I need to feed my family".  Unfortunately I think a lot of them would give in and "follow orders".  The best advice I can offer on this is simple.  Know who the Military and LEO's are in your neighboorhood and sit down and talk with them.  Offer up a plan that if the order comes for them to start confiscating firearms, and if they refuse that YOU will help them and their families.  What does this mean on your end?  Better buy more food and medecine to stock up on and keep for just in case.

For a team within your neighboorhood who will also help that family if it comes down to that.  Create a "community within a community" a Patriot community!  The people within should know that help is ther from friends and that they won't have to rely on the Government to hold things over their heads. 

A lot of people are talking about an econimic collapse.  Honestly, I can't see how our Country can keep doing what its been doing and survive.  Our Country spends more than it takes in.  Now when I look at my family budget, If I spend more than what I make, cars get repossesed, power gets turned off, kids go hungry etc.  So how can the Government think that if they keep spending more than they bring in, that it will sustain itself?  Your guess is as good as mine.  I do have to say that I'm in shock that we as Americans just sit back and keep taking it.  Look at Ukraine, they weren't happy so what did they do?  Protested.  Greece?  Same thing.  Venezuala, ya, thay are protesting as well.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying to march on D.C. or get violent, but I do fear that it will come and some people are even saying that Connecticut will be the spark that lights the fire.  Who knows,  I'm just a guy who trys to provide for my family and shares a passion with students.  But I can tell you, If that spark happens, it can get very ugly, very quick.  Bad guys will become worse.  LEO's can only do so much until they need to go home and protect their families. 

The biggest advise I can give and take it for what its worth.... Prepare.  I was a boy scout and that whole "Be Prepared" has followed me through life.  Take a couple of weeks and make a list of EVERYTHING you use and quantities.  Then go through that list and buy the items you use that you HAVE TO HAVE to survive.  Food, shelter, clothing, water, medicine, heat etc.  Create a team.  We have a team.  We have coordinated supplies, communication, transportation etc.  We know what to do, where to go, what to bring etc.  And this is for earthquakes as well as floods, and economic collapse if that ever happens.  This all starated because as friends, we worry about our families and as the "men of the house" its our job to do everything we can to make sure our Wives, kids etc have an opportunity at life.  We talk daily.  We tell each other what new supplies we purchased, how much and where to get them from.  We will do group orders to cut on shipping costs as well as get cheaper prices. Why, because we love our families.  This is what I think more people need to do. 

Thanks for reading, communicate with your LEO/Military neighbors and watch out for each other.  Unitl the next blog.. Be safe!