What the Well Dressed Prepper Wears

Finally we're getting to the post so many have requested the last couple of months: "What do I wear to a come-as-you-are Depression?" But first, a disclaimer, kind of.

I have to admit that quite often I am accused of a need to 'grow up'. Here, I am going to insist we all act like grown-ups. How do we do that? By accepting responsibility for our own actions is a good start. Do so now. I am not, do not nor will not accept responsibility for what actions others decide to follow. Let your own thinking be your guide. Also, what I say is not the ultimate authority. Every word that follows has been debated and argued, factified and falsified by too-numerous-to-mention authors in every venue available. Not only that, some of the people with whom one will speak with about these thoughts will still be wet behind the ears kids with little real world experience and, as I, have opinions that may be a bit prejudiced. However, their opinion will be predicated to aiding their employer through increasing a sale. I have no such agenda. I will mention names without endorsing those names as to being superior to any other, just that they are well-known and available.

Several actions we, acting in adult fashion, need to consider are:

1) Perceived needs should be the leading factor in decision making.

2) Do not- repeat: do not- allow yourself to be talked into something that does not fit your perceived need. All sales persons have their livelihood in mind, not yours. On other words, don't buy an accoutrement just because a sales person says you need it. Every weapon you buy should 'need' only one item to make it work: a box of bullets. Anything else is decorating the frosting.

3) Get the best you can afford, yet remember what is 'best' for one may not be 'best' for you.

4) No matter what tool you buy, get some training. Learn to use that tool to the best of your abilities.

5) No tool is fool proof and fools should not use them. Don't be a fool. Also, do not act like a child when handling tools.

Now we've cleared the legalese of this project, let's get to some meat.

Training is even more important than the tool. Without training, the tool is useless. The following tools have some basic training rules that must be followed to insure a lack of unintended consequences. (See #5 above.)

Rule number one: Treat every weapon as though it is loaded. Do not assume it is not until you have verified. The same goes for when you need it: don't assume it's loaded and discover it isn't when it should be.

Rule number two: Be very aware of where the muzzle is pointed.

Rule number three: Be aware of what is behind the target.

Rule number four: Keep all fingers away from the trigger until shooting.

The toys:

When it comes to hunting, I am an archer. Longbows and recurves predominately. I do have a compound, and like it, and for a nearly perfect long (read: decades) term weapon, I feel the bow cannot be beat. I can manufacture a bow and arrows from available materials where as a firearm needs components beyond my ability to hand make, other than reloading (which ability I recommend). That said...

My perceived need of weapons is predicated on the (oops!) assumption that I will be living my life 'normally' during the coming future. I do not feel the need to be armed with the latest 'black' rifle and a quadrillion rounds of ammo. I do see a need for some weapons of self defense, and do carry every waking moment and have firepower near to hand while sleeping. Following are my ideas and suggestions from that perspective. (Other perspectives will follow.)

Everyone should have a gun. Period. But what kind? May I be so bold?

Minimally, one should have a .22 Long Rifle caliber. Perfect as a forager for the kind of hunting that will dominate any survival, or sport, hunting: small game.

My favorite rifle is the Marlin 880, about 20 years old. Bolt action, seven shot, a 4.5-14 Mueller scope tops it. My son's favorite rifle is the Ruger 10/22 topped with a Pro-Point red dot. Accurate and fast out of the box, this is the most remodelled .22 available. More accessories are available than can be imagined to make this a very formidable weapon, even to resemble the dreaded 'black' rifles. My auto is a Remington 547. As good as the Ruger but not as customisable. Winchester, Marlin/Henry, and others, also make .22 lever guns. Fine weapons.

With either of these, I am comfortable knowing I am armed well enough to handle any situation short of a grizzly bear attack.

Final comment on .22's: any will be a good investment even if just for the enjoyment of shooting. Ammo is plentiful (well, getting scarce now) and cheap, allowing ample supplies for practicing weaponcraft. For every .22 you own, have 5000 (thousand) rounds. That's just ten bricks. About $200.

Pistols and revolvers (pistols are semi-auto firing, revolvers have cylinders) are an excellent addition and partner for a .22. My recommendation is the Ruger MK3, a Smith and Wesson 22A in semi-auto. Again, I am prejudiced in that these are the only two semi-autos I've shot. I like them both and their accuracy is all I can handle. I have no preference or experience with .22 revolvers other than a full-blown Iver Johnson competition model my dad had sixty years ago. Again, include the ammo as above.

If I'm going gun hunting, you can bet it's after birds. No hunting excites me so much as hunting partridge, ducks, geese, and pheasants. If I'm going to freeze my bunns off, it's going to be over a spread of deeks. And for reliability, power, accuracy and pure cussed toughness, the best of all is the 12 gauge pump.

Shotguns come in five flavors: single shot, double barrel, bolt, pump and semi-auto. Each of these comes in differing gauges: .410, 16, 20, 12 and 10. (There are oddball gauges, but stay away from them. Also, unless you like to torture yourself, stay away from the 10 gauge. It's a goose gun suitable for Cape Buffalo.)

My recommendation on shotguns is going to be a pump. Remington's 870 and Mossberg's 500 are the reputed best available. I have shot a Marlin 550 for thirty years with no malfunctions. Other makers are probably as good as, maybe even superior to, the Remington and Mossberg. Maybe. Military and law enforcement love the 870 and 500. Whatever you buy, get it in either 20 or 12 gauge. Sixteen gauge are becoming popular again, but ammo is not so easy to find as 20 and 12.

I love my over-under 12 gauge, too. But not as a SHTF weapon. Ditto on dad's single shot. They are great hunting weapons, however, and for the price, are well worth considering.

Rifles dominate the shooting market. They are also dominate in the gun control media. Reasons being, they are as accurate as the shooter can be, are powerful and appealing to the American mystique. Remington, Mossberg, Marlin/Henry, Winchester, are the more well known makers of guns for the 'common' man. Available in single shot, bolt, pump, lever and semi-auto configuration, high power rifles can be as expensive as one would want to spend on a gun. (Though I have seen $10,000 12 gauges as well. Seriously. They get even more.)

Let's be real: we aren't going to spend that kind of money on a survival gun.

If I am of limited funds, or want to go as cheaply as I can, I'd get a single shot rifle in either .223, or .308, caliber. Reason being: ammo availability. Probably the two most common calibers now. They come in any caliber desired, however.

For $10 more, a serviceable Mosin Nagent can be had. The M-N are military arms, very durable and accurate enough for big game hunting. The M-N is probably the most endorsed low-cost survival weapon to date. Not a beauty, it's a tough, reasonably accurate bolt action, cheap and every where. Ammo availability is great at the moment, but may be scarce in the near future. One will not go wrong buying this weapon. Other military weapons of great fame are the British Enfield .303 (British) round, and the Mauser, usually in 8mm. I have both and they are very fine shooters, mil-tough and accurate for hunting. Expensive to play with unless reloading, though. Even then, more expensive than the 30 calibers.

Savage, Marlin, Remington, Ruger, Winchester, Mossberg...all excellent makers of firearms. (Notice which brand is 'first' on my list? :-) ) Again, purchase in the very available loads of .223, .243, .308, 30-06, 270. My fave is the 30-06, but I like pain, too. (kidding.) I do like the 30-06 simply because it's a long time favorite. Savage has the Accu-trigger (tm) and their guns do shoot well, are very accurate and on the lower end of cost, the upper end of available.

"Automatics". Oh, yes- the bane of the anti-gunners and most dreaded of all weapons upon the face of the earth, bar none. Not even an atomic bomb frightens an anti-gunner so much as an "automatic" rifle. I have five words for those kind of people: "Grow up, get a life."

Semi-auto rifles available come from many makers. Remington, Winchester, Ruger, Springfield, to name a minimum. Available in calibers from .223 to the magnums, these are the rifles Everyman loves to shoot but is afraid to tell his wife he wants. Currently, the most popular of the lower cost semis is the SKS, a Chinese weapon in military configuration. (Incidentally, along with the AK, the SKS is the minimum- but not most desired- weapon most militia suggest.) It is a reasonably accurate, fast shooting, readily available rifle.

More well known, the AK clones are the second choice for cost/availability. Again, reasonably accurate, fast shooting, high-count magazine and fun to play with, they have the reputation of being the toughest military arm ever created. Even our military SpecOps people like using this weapon.

Going up the line, DPMS makes an AR-15 that is on the low cost end of military look-alikes that can come in whatever caliber one desires. Usually that is .223 (similar to M-16 military round) and .308 Winchester (M-14 military similarity). Other makers are Colt, Remington, Springfield...the list is endless, really. Google M15 and you will find hundreds of makers all claiming to have the best.

Probably the most sought-after semi auto today, for those with a few bucks to spend, is the FN1aL in .308 caliber. If you're 'into' getting what many consider to be the 'ultimate survival rifle', google Fabrique Nationale and you'll learn more than you ever wanted to know. (Not my cup of tea, obviously- but I'm a 'frugal prepper'.)

Assault and Black Rifles...

If you want one of these, join the Armed Forces or a Law Enforcement Agency because, contrary to popular myth espoused by the Brady Bunch and other anti-gun lie fabricating organisations, these weapons are not available on the Common Gun Show Market. Nor can you walk into any gun selling store and buy or order one. Ain't gonna happen, Jack.

However...

One can buy a can of black paint and cover their M-N, SKS, M1A1, Ruger, Winchester, Savage, Marlin, Whatever brand rifle and paint it. Then I guess you've bought a 'black' rifle. Also, the M-N, SKS, Mauser, Enfield, M1 are actually surplus military arms, so I imagine they can be classified 'assault' weapons. You decide.

Oddballs...

Cowboy Action shooting is the fastest growing shooting sport out there. They shoot the guns our 'cowboy' ancestors shot. .44/70, .38/70, 32-20, 45 Long Colt, etc. These are the configuration for the most popular deer cartridge ever- the 30-30. Lever action rifles, these can be bought almost anywhere and are probably the only repeating rifle that will be available if the new AWB comes into effect. Light weight, for the most part, accurate and mid-priced, they are very viable survival weapons. More on these in a minute.

Handguns...

Probably the most fun anyone can have an still be within the law is shooting handguns. For the moment, anyway.

From single shot Thompson Centers to semi-auto 'grease guns' such as Kel-Tec and Hi-Point 9mm's, pistols are the 'fun guns'. Everybody should own a handgun.

Easily concealable, these are what we carry for self defense today, what every cop has on his belt (and the reason they hitch their pants continually) and the most viable of guns to own, simply for self defense.

A .22 for practice/skill gaining and fun should be in everyones gun cabinet.

Minimal for honest self-defense/CCW, but a bit on the anemic end of performance, is the .380 caliber. It's an abbreviated 9mm, but it will cause some intense pain and no person killed by it has come back to tell the shooter it was not enough gun. Up the scale is the 9mm, by many deigned the minimal self defense caliber. Again, no one has come back to whine about being killed by a wimpy Nine-em-em.

For nearly a hundred years, policemen the nation over carried the .38 caliber. Even the military had adopted it in the 1800's, notably the Marine Corps. Again, we have no reports of dead people coming back to... However, historically speaking, the lack of 'stopping power' against the Moros by Marines using this arm lead to creation of the 1911 and .45 caliber semi-auto. A .38+P cartridge, pronounced "thirty-eight plus pee", has quite a fine reputation as a self defense round. A .38 Super is available in semi-auto pistols and are a bit more potent than the .38 Special.

Big brother to the .38, and using the same caliber bullet, is the .357. (As an aside, there are lever rifles chambered in .357 as well.) This is a man-stopper and beginning of the magnum cartridges for pistoleroes. Available only in revolvers, to my knowledge anyway.

Reasonably new on the market is the .40 caliber. (New being just catching on.) Many military and PDs are converting to this caliber and, as some gun gurus point out, the caliber does begin with a "4", so it's okay to shoot people with.

From the days of Yesteryear comes one of the oldest pistols made, certainly the most famous: the Colt 1911 in .45 flavor. This is a man-stopper. Period. Now manufactured in many calibers by many companies, the 1911 design is reliable and tough.

Made famous by Dirty Harry, the .44 Smith and Wesson magnum was the most powerful handgun cartridge made. It has probably also broken more wrists and eardrums than any handgun ever made. This is a two-handed gun. Of course, I'm going to get lots of letters from gargantuan wristed people who shoot it one handed (including from a brother-in-law), but for the common man (color me common),this gun requires two hands to shoot. But it will stop anything hit with it. And you'd better hit with the first shot 'cuz the second shot is going to take a while.

Monster handguns are now on the market making the .44 mag kind of the wimp of the Big Boy calibers. Among them, the .454 Casull. I have heard rumors of a .50 caliber Casull, as well. Wimps need not apply to use these weapons. That leaves me out.

Black powder...

My Hawken .50 caliber is fun to shoot. Nothing quite comes close in fun as popping heads off squirrels with a weapon that is nearly as old as firearms. Slow to load, using only black powder or the modern equivalents, these are the weapons used at Lexington and Concord Green, the Civil War and on all continents of the planet. Fun to shoot, a bitch to clean- and they gotta be cleaned after every use- these may qualify as survival weapons since the powder can be made from charcoal, salt peter and sulfur, the bullets can be manufactured from any lead type found and, in flintlock configuration, nearly any rock can be used to strike a spark. After all, these are the guns carried by Kit Carson, Jedediah Smith, Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, Jim Bridger...

Answering the ultimate question...

So, James: what do you suggest for Common Man as survival weapon selection? My personal choice, and keeping cost to almost a bare minimum are:

.22 rifle, Marlin Model 60 with four power (4X) scope. This is "Americas Most Popular Rifle". Period. And for good reason. Accuracy, availability, durability. The Ruger 10/22 is my next choice.

Handgun: Springfield Armory XD (or XD-M) in any flavor: 9mm, .40 or .45. (I will also include a revolver here: a .38 or .357 Detective Special (type) snubby. With either handgun, find an Inside Waist Band (IWB) holster and carry it over your appendix. Sometimes referred to as AIWB holster, it's the most logical (to me and many others) place to carry a handgun for concealment.

Shotgun. 20 or 12 gauge. Cost effective single shot or a pump- I will not be brand specific here cuz they're really all good. One word about the Remington 870 and Mossy: they do come with a choice of second barrel. Called a 'slug' barrel, these have sights like a rifle. My opinion: don't get it. If you need a rifle, get a rifle. I know southern MN is shotgun only deer hunting, but we're talking survival gun, and a slug can be fired from a 'normal' shotgun barrel.

Rifle. A single shot break action in .223 is a good choice for the low-cost, good quality rifle. Beware that some do have plastic sights. Ignore these and find another gun. I do feel the smallest caliber one should go with is .243. Ammo availability for this will be good, I think, because it's not a military caliber as are the .223 and .308. Also, the .243 has a bit larger bullet than .223, therefore more stopping power. But not much.

Up the price range, a Savage bolt action in .243, .308 or 30-06.

Lever action 30-30 is an excellent survival gun, even for combat situations. Perhaps, in combat, a better choice than a bolt action for CQB (Close Quarters Combat).

Combat/militia or "Black" rifle. On the low cost end, SKS, rising in price to the AK or the clones of same. DPMS in .223 or .308. Get the basic rifle, use it, get used to it, then decide what accoutrements you need for it. Again, these are not "assault rifles", they are semi-auto (single shot) rifles of military origins.

What I'm going to be carrying...

Daily carry is either a S&W 9mm with 13 round clips or a Charter Arms Police Undercover in .38 (with +P).

My trusty old Marlin 12 gauge is plenty of gun. In a SHTF situation, I will hacksaw 12 inches or more off the barrel and carry it in a shoulder holster, similar to a back quiver.

For survival purposes, I will carry the Savage 30-06 until I run out of ammo. Then I'll reach into the pack, string the bow and live happily ever after.

Hopefully this has kind of given some ideas what to think about and look for. A complete arsenal can be had for less than $500 if one is not concerned with needing a warriors bag of tricks. The first rule to not break is "When going to a gunfight, bring a gun." If you're good with it and remember to get your bunns off the 'X', any gun will do. It may just take longer. If one trusts pawn shops, guns can often be bought for less than new prices. What's that expression? Caveat Emptor?

Whatever weapon you buy, it is useless without ammunition. That is a whole other post...egads...well, it could be.

Suggestions on ammo- and this ain't gonna be cheap!

For .22, have at least ten thousand rounds for them. You'll go through plenty fast. Small game will make up most of the hunting, so it makes sense. I like CCI Stingers.

For shotgun, get 250-500 rounds of various shot. A good mix would be five boxes each of number 6 shot, Double Ought buck and slugs. That is, figuring 25 rounds per box.

Rifle, my suggestion is as much as you can find, but a minimum of 500 rounds for each caliber. If you're looking at some sort of militia duty, even as a Lone Ranger, get five thousand rounds at least.

Cabella's, Sportsman's Guide, B.A.S.S. Pro Shops, others sell ammo at bulk prices and by the case in ammo boxes that are worth their weight in gold. If you can 'get in good' with a local store, you may be able to buy ammo at his cost and that will save a few bucks. Whatever caliber you decide, buy lots of ammo. Also, think of spare parts for the weapon. Things like firing pins, extractors, springs and guides do break or wear out. It never hurts to have spares.

Along with the ammo, if your weapon of choice uses a separate magazine, buy as many spare mags as possible. You'll never regret it.

Now, before you run off to the store...

Shy's "Dream" collection...

When the rubber meets the road and if I had all the money I wanted, these are my choices when asked, "If you could have only one choice of weapon, what would it be?"
I'm going to set the bow aside and stick to a gun, in this instance.

If I had all the money I wanted and could buy what I wanted, I buy two (ROFL) of these...

Lever action rifle in .357 or .44 mag caliber. And an accompanying revolver in same caliber.

God bless, happy hunting.

Shy

Here we goooooooo!

"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." The United States Constitution, Second Amendment.

This post was planned (mine, anyway) for a bit farther down the road. (Chuckling as I write it 'cuz it's a subject very dear to me and close to my heart.)

Publius brings to the fore some excellent points in his post, among which is self-preservation and that of loved ones and neighbors.

Not to detract from the most excellent job most Law Enforcement Officers do, but it should be common knowledge, if not understanding, that police forces are not here for 'protection', regardless what is written on their cars (To protect and to serve). Not totally, anyway.

They do serve as a deterrent to crime and violence, but not all. In some instances, such as at a street/bar brawl or fight in progress in a home, they may help to save a life by stopping the altercation. There's an adage in CCW that is simple and direct, completely covering this topic: "A gun in hand is better than a cop on the phone." That is where most peace officers are found when trouble strikes. Not at the scene stopping an intruder from breaking into your home. Not at the home when the drunken husband decides to beat on his wife or children. Not at the bridge when the mother decides to take her children to the bridge and drop them into the water below.

Also, if you ever make a 9-1-1 call and tell the police there is an armed intruder in your home, don't expect them to be 'right there', because they won't be. And when they do arrive, don't expect them to come charging in on white stallions to gather you in their arms and carry you safely away. Because they won't.

Most likely, they will set up around your home, or wherever you are, and cordon the area, take time to set up their SpecOps platoon and a few others, call in a shrink to talk to the intruder/hostage taker...you get the idea. None of them wants to, nor will they, come charging in to take the criminal element under fire. Nor should we, as citizens, expect them to. No one should have to die as part of their job, though in police circles it is an occupational hazard.

This would be a perfectly safe world if every person had a police officer at their side continually protecting them.

But we don't and this is where the Second Amendment of the Constitution comes in, one small section of it, anyway. (Other Amendments that protect our right to guns are the Ninth and Tenth.)

The Second Amendment is constantly under attack because some people who want all the marbles know that a civilian populace without weapons becomes a herd. When only the police and military have weapons, everyone else is a sheep. (For evidence of this, refer to what Hitler did in Germany and other parts of Europe, or what is happening in parts of Africa or South America today.) Our Founding Fathers knew this and gave us the power of their wisdom in the Second Amendment, and the others. All people, not just Americans, have the God given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Those are inalienable rights. Rights guaranteed Americans by our Constitution.

So it behooves every legal, law-abiding American to exercise their freedom, for a freedom not exercised is a freedom lost. "The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Exercise that right. Buy a rifle, a shotgun, and a handgun. (I'll get to what kinds later, so be patient.) Check the facts about gun 'control' in any city or state or nation that restricts gun ownership and you will see that crime rises in every one when civilian gun ownership is taken away. Australia, England (especially), Washington D.C., etc. At the opposite end of that, states that allow concealed carry have reductions in crime. Prime example: Florida. Don't take my word for it, check the F.B.I. statistics.

Now, as to the remainder of the Second Amendment. The part that reads, "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state..."

We have to first answer the question, "Who is the militia?"

Succinctly put: The militia is any person who lives in the community/county/state/country and who is not part of the standing military.

In short: every able bodied man between the ages of 16 and 60, according to the Constitution. If the women want to be included, that is fine, there is no prohibition against it. I encourage it, even. Who better to know when they need defending than the person being attacked?

The Militia Act of 1903 enabled the National Guard, it did not abolish the militia. What it did was establish a reserve military component that was also instructed to aid its home state in times of emergency. At no time can a Guardsman/woman enter a private home uninvited if they are acting in their military capacity. That, too, is in the Constitution, Amendment Three. (There is a 'prescribed by law' clause there, but it's beyond this at the moment since the country is not under direct attack nor has martial law been established. But I can feel it coming.)

Militia units are still a very viable and active component of the Civilian Army as envisioned by our Fathers, verifiable in their correspondence. So, again I ask, "Who is the militia?"

When under attack by anyone, I am the militia. I am the one most responsible for my defense or demise. Therefore, it is in my best interests to be ready for that attack.

(Do you realise that Switzerland requires each citizen to not only be armed, but to practice regularly with that issued weapon? America should have the same law. Crime rates in Switzerland are among the lowest per capita in the world. Plus: No country has ever attacked Switzerland.)

So, we have settled 'who' the militia is. Let's examine 'unorganised' militia a little.

Let it be known, I am not in any militia. I want to be, but have got a little long in the tooth (those remaining) to be of much value to them regardless how young I think I am.

Minnesota has the 32nd Field Force Militia. It is part of the unorganised American Militia, so far as I have been able to discern. Not all states have an unorganised Civilian Militia, but they should. If they were following the Constitution they would have. A standing Civilian Militia is the only honest, real force to follow what the Fathers adhered to in the Constitution.

In part: "...Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government..."

And that is one part of the Constitution liberals and socialists would love to abolish. That is the sole aim of any person who wants to "change the Constitution to be a more forward, modern and understanding document" (Re: Mubarack Obama).

What that sentence in the Constitution says is that 'We, the People' - the actual employers of those in the Capitol- have the right to rebel against the government, even to the raising of arms.

(No, I am not advocating an insurrection, rebellion or take-over of anything. But if the need arises, so be it.)

The expression, "Freedom is earned, not given," is what the militia is about. Those people are taking their responsibilities to their loved country very seriously. As I believe we all should.

Is joining a militia for everyone? No, not at all. Some are just not cut out to defend themselves and will always need someone to do the dirty work for them. No offense meant by that, it's just life. Some people don't feel a need to defend their homes, their country, their lives or their loved ones. Some people do. More power to them. Here again, if you don't feel your rights are worth defending, you don't deserve those rights. Our Founding Fathers knew this. They pledged everything they had to it, that's why we are where we are today.

However you look at it, joining a militia is up to the individual- they don't 'draft' anyone. Nor do they send their emissaries overseas to fight foreign wars. They strictly defend the Homeland. That is their job. Your job. My job. Our job.

Now- will we need the militia one day?

If events keep on as they are, my opinion: yes we will.

If the government continues to corrupt itself, spend itself into bankruptcy, erode our rights and take what they have not earned from those who earned it, we most certainly will. I have no doubt of it.

But the militia will not be our police force. That will be up to the individuals of the community.

Consider this. Taking another page from history after the Civil War and the West was wild and woolly and hard to curry below the knees. Did you ever see a movie where the outlaw gang took over a community? Do you think it would have happened easily? I don't. Every man in the community had a gun and knew how to use it. They'd just fought a war. They fought Indians. They fought each other. No outlaw gang was going to ride into a town and take it away from the citizens unless the citizens wanted them to. Every window, door and rooftop would have been an opening for a marksman. Those outlaws would all have been worm food in Boot Hill.

That is going to become the responsibility of every citizen of every community if a worst-case scenario evolves. We will have some people 'hired' as 'town Marshall's' or lawmen, but total safety will be up to the individuals. A lawman's job is to give a semblance of peace, to patrol and prevent so much as possible. It is not to jump in front of a bullet to save anyone. It should not have to be, it will not be.

A neighborhood watch is a good idea. Neither militia nor police force, they are a deterrent to crime, even encouraged by Minnesota law. Drive around any community and you will see the rectangular sign with the blue eye, its caption: Neighborhood Crime Watch. Should these people be armed? Of course. Everyone should be armed. That is how peace is kept. Seriously- you don't think the blue uniform of a policeman stops attacks, do you? Of course not: it's the gun they carry, the ability to use it and the criminal's knowledge of this. That's what stops the crime. Imagine now if every honest citizen was armed. There's your police force, your crime deterrent, your militia. That is your Home Guard.

So there you have it, self defense, in a nutshell.

One further thought about the current police forces throughout the country. When the money stops coming in, where are these men going to stand? Are they going to continue their positions for little or no pay? Or will they be as the rest of us: trying to 'get by' ? Of course, we could barter for their services, if they were willing. Or if the community was willing. Here again, there are so many unanswered questions about what is going to happen that we all are playing this by ear. No one knows the music. Or else we can't read it.

As to answering another of Publius' questions: Yes, most certainly there are preppers who are militia members. I don't know any, wish I did, but they are among us. Thank God.

Now, a few links to militia matters, in case anyone is interested in getting to know them a bit more.

Here is the Militia Act of 1792:The Militia Act of 1792 and it's an excellent read.

Minnesota's 32nd Field Force website is: http://www.32ndff.net/ and it is an interesting read. They have the Standards for joining, equipage and regulations.

Overseeing many militia sites is the Well Regulated Militia. Their web address is: www.awrm.org/ and you can find all the standards and reasons to belong to any state militia there.

Again, consider how much your freedom means to you and yours before you decide to not join a militia group. But do understand, joining a militia will be tough work. Not hard, tough. It isn't something to do if you just want to bang guns on a week end or stroll through Como Zoo. It's going to be tough- worse than Basic Training. And rightly so because you're learning to defend your home. Also, militia do not provide the weapons or equipment: the individual does. A valid reason being, it's the individual's responsibility and if that person puts their own money into proper gear, they're not going to be wasting others' time and be more willing to do what needs doing- which is train.

Prep on, Folks. Thanks for stopping by. Up next: what the well dressed Prepper packs on his belt.

Shy