Are Preppers responsible for the unprepared?

World Net Daily ^ | 12-8-12 | Patrice Lewis

[dynachrome]

Last week on the website Emergency Management, there appeared a blog post written by an emergency manager named Valerie Lucus-McEwen in which she made a grave error in judgment. She called doomsday preppers “socially selfish.”

She based this startling conclusion on the National Geographic’s “The Doomsday Prepper” series and concluded that because the people featured in this show were spending their OWN time and their OWN money to stockpile their OWN resources in order to prepare their OWN families for whatever disastrous scenario they foresaw, they are selfish. Specifically, as another emergency manager phrased it, this is “a level of indulgence that is selfish and counter-productive to providing for the common good.”

snip

I, along with many in the prepping community, found this attitude disturbing to the point of creepy. It was exacerbated by the follow-up comments as she replied to reader questions. “It really doesn’t matter how much food you have or what you buy with your money,” she writes in a comment. “The tipping point is how you use it. … Is it something you are planning to hoard or are you working in your community to make sure everyone else is prepared also. I’m not sure how else to say it.”

[packrat35]

I feel the same. Tired of the “you can’t kill them all crap”, so I guess this means I shouldn’t even try.

The hell with that, I don’t intend to be a sheep!

[Stand Watch Listen]

Hmmmmm..seems ants, grasshoppers and a little red hen come to mind. And perhaps some armed Koreans on a roof.

[packrat35]

It used to bother me that in the last two years, I am subconciously evaluating my friends, family and co-workers on whether I would help them if it all fell apart.

Mentally, I am thinking “do they have useful skills that make me use my valuable resources on?”

All the ones who I know voted for obama are now a no-go!

[Kartographer]

Preppers’ PING!!

[Kartographer]

This is from my Preparedness Manual. By the way I wrote it myself. Our Christian Duty to our Fellow Man For many Christians their responsibilities to their fellow men weight heavy in their minds and the vision of a friend or neighbor coming to them for help with a staving child is a nightmare that they fear. I have discussed this subject at length with fellow ‗preppers‘ on various online preparedness groups that I frequent to and I have come to the conclusion that there is no ‗one size fits all‘ answer. For almost every scripture one quotes as to it being our Christian duty to do all we can to help our fellow man, one may quote another that distains the slothful and the ill-prepared. In the end I believe it is up to each of us and the circumstances as to what and how much action we take. For a childless couple to give a neighbor a couple cans of powdered milk during a blizzard is not the same as a couple with children doing the same thing after an EMP attack. To me the order of things should be God, my family and then my fellow man. I should never do anything that jeopardizes the relationship that come before. As for me to ease my conscience and hopefully meet my duty as a Christian my own plan is to put away an extra 10% of preps‘ to use as tithe towards helping my fellows in an emergency. To me by setting aside that which God ask in tribute and then distribute it to those in need I have meet God‘s covenants and yet have not place my family in need or want. I will add a warning to this solution and that is for you to be careful as to how you distribute this aid. In these days in which so many seem to deem that it is their ‗right‘ to have their needs provided to them by others, the knowledge that you have prepared and have stores of food and goods could quickly cause others to ‗demand‘ that you share. When possible I urge you go through a trusted third-party to donate your extra stocks, your church or an organization such as the Salvation Army are two good choices. But try to remain anonymous with your assistance, for desperate times drive many to desperate deeds. There is a quote from one of my all time favorite TV shows Deep Space Nine which explains this so very well: Let me tell you something about humans, nephew: They're a wonderful, friendly people - as long as their bellies are full and their holosuites are working. But take away their creature comforts, deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers, put their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time and those friendly, intelligent, wonderful people...will become as nasty and as violent as the most blood-thirsty Klingon." Quark from: Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Episode: The Siege of AR-558 (#7.8)" (1998) Or as 1 Timothy 5:8 says: Anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. You should never commit an act of charity that in turns places your family‘s safety in jeopardy.

[superloser]

You can bet they're taking names of every prepper post out there/in here in cyber space so they'll know who's door to knock down to spread the wealth.

In a freak accident, my entire earthquake and disaster survival kit was burned to a crisp when my lawnmower exploded in the garden shed.

Then, two weeks later, amazingly, as I was duck hunting, my entire cache of guns and ammunition went down in a freak accident when my boat hit a snag and capsized.

Honest.

There will be another such set of freak accidents next week if anyone wants to join.

[jazzlite]

...”Last week on the website Emergency Management, there appeared a blog post written by an emergency manager named Valerie Lucus-McEwen in which she made a grave error in judgment. She called doomsday preppers “socially selfish.”...

The destroyers, (the takers), like this woman are so afraid a day will come when they cannot use the government to steal what others produce, sometimes with blood, sweat and tears. My patience is short these days..I find them despicable. Any able bodied person should be working at something, even volunteering..They should not be pulling in more tax payer money than those who work..When you consider bought votes, this is a criminal enterprise designed to steal a country and nothing less.

[jazzlite]

...”I wonder if it even occurred to them that they would have better luck continuing to ride the wagon if more people remained pullers and fewer competed with them to be riders”...

Why do we never hear the story of the “Little Red Hen,” anymore? It perfectly describes the American population today. Or, why do we not see people on the news like my young friend who is a single Mom with two children. Finally, after years of struggle, she finally managed to finish her college degree and within a few days, her son was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, requiring care and treatment which eliminated her ability to go get a job. Friends pulled around to help as they could..As time passed, her daughter had a lump which had to be removed and my friend suffered from various health related issues, and still is..However, she never relented in her search for work..She took what was available and what would fit into her busy schedule. Now, she has found that cleaning houses pays more than most jobs..Why does she not just rely on government? She has had government help to get her over humps, but she is an educated, smart person who does not want her precious children to live under Godless communism and she knows that the tipping point resides in more “takers” than “producers”. After what she has sacrificed, she wants their lives to be worth living. My advice to all would be to “help those who help themselves.”

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Specifically, as another emergency manager phrased it, this is “a level of indulgence that is selfish and counter-productive to providing for the common good.”

[MaxMax]

I would like to point out that when you get robbed, it's usually someone you know,
someone who's been in your house, or a neighbor around the corner.
Heck, even a relative.

Now if SHTF you should expect these same people to not show any mercy if there is
any desperation for resources. They will come for you if they know you're stockpiled,
and you will be a target. People will come around and probe if they can but if they
know you're armed you will most certainly be the last house on the list.

And another thing, the Government is the largest prepper of them all. Are they being greedy?
Those officials will be hiding behind armed military with years of resources for their family.

Funny, the blame game has already started and nothing has happened.
News feeding the occupy types.

[MaxMax]

I lost all my prep supplies in a horrible boating accident.

[NTHockey]

>>No. Everyone is responsible for themselves and any coalitions when/if TSHTF.<<

Last year, I took a lot of fire for saying that even members of my family would be turned away, if they came empty-handed. Well, that message has been repeated over and over to my family members. It’s starting to sink in. Christmas presents this year are all survival gear.

[Donnafrflorida]

First CHRIST mas i have nothing to typical charities. all I can think of is “you voted for him” now reap the consequences.

[Kartographer]

Many of us preppers cling to our bibles and mine says:

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. NIV Proverbs 22:3

In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has. Proverbs 21:20

But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:8

The bible is full of stories wherein God punished the wicked while instructing his people to prepare for the bad times he was sending. God didn't send Noah a ark nor did he make the rain not fall on him, but he told Noah to prepare for what was coming. And Noah heeded God's word and prepared and was saved.

[Kartographer]

Yes that will work! Let’s all of us that didn’t vote for Obama just quit our jobs and pack up our families and all move the Philippines. What that would only be 100-150 million people, but we would all live in paradise. Yeah that will work.

[Daffynition]

>>There is just no way for me, or anyone, to prepare for every act of God, crime, or war.<<

...or typhoons and looting.....

Paradise. Meh.

http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/109-world-top-news/94570-philippines-typhoon-survivors-loot-shops-official-.html

[trebb]

Preppers are responsible for themselves and their families - if others want to "get in on" the stores set aside, they need to petition the nanny government to add it to the benefits list.

The only way preppers are responsible to the unprepared is to cover their bodies with dirt if they get killed trying to take what isn't theirs - if it comes to that, looting will be prevelant and looting is a death offense..

[Pollster1]

“The tipping point is how you use it. … Is it something you are planning to hoard or are you working in your community to make sure everyone else is prepared also. I’m not sure how else to say it.”

Is she not paying attention? She should read the preppers posts here on FR and in many other locations. Preppers are working very hard to help others, to educate others, and to make sure that those who wish to take care of themselves will have the resources to do so. We are not making sure "everyone" is prepared also because some choose not to prepare, but we are working to make sure that those who choose to prepare can do so as well as possible.

[ronnie raygun]

Is it something you are planning to hoard or are you working in your community to make sure everyone else is prepared also. I’m not sure how else to say it.”

A communal communist view, and the response....... the entitled and the lazy will starve period!