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The Threats From Within

December 12, 2012 by

I meant to write this article last year but time got away from me and then I misplaced my notes.  My wife recently found my notes so I decided to write the article now.  I had the opportunity to attend  MSTEP, Minnesota Symposium on Terrorism and Emergency Preparedness, in November of 2011.  This article will be about some of the things I learned about through MSTEP, but will not just be about Minnesota.  I will discuss several of the threats that I believe we face from within our borders.

At the symposium there were four keynote speakers and twenty four classes to choose from.  Each person attended eight classes they chose.  Much of the information given was facts, and some of it overlapped between the various classes.  Because of this, the article might be a list of facts and not flow all that well.  I apologize.

There is not a nation on earth that could successfully invade America.  Our armed forces are unparalleled, even if the majority of them are overseas.  Also, as the Japanese General said, “You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.”  For these reasons, I believe we will see small groups of people and even lone wolves that strike us.  I wrote an article a couple years ago called Lone Wolves and Swarm Attacks that goes into more detail on them.

 

Gangs

There are an estimated 1,400,000 gang members in the Unites States.  In this article from the military newspaper “Stars and Stripes”, the FBI says U.S. criminal gangs are using military to spread their reach.  I have also read reports of gang members joining the military to learn tactics.

 

Unrestricted Warfare, China’s Plan to Destroy the USA

One of the keynote speakers mentioned that a Chinese Military manual touts different ways to attack America, which our Military could not deal with.  Some of the attacks are terroristic in nature, while others are economic attacks.

 

Hackers Infiltrating our Infrastructure

I have linked various articles detailing hackers from unfriendly nations, such as Russia, China, and others in the Middle East, infiltrating our electric and water infrastructure.   The thinking is that they are learning the systems and could shut them down at a later time.

 

Terrorist Attacks

From 9-11 until the fall of 2011, there have been 58 terrorist attacks stopped.   Every two weeks there is another terrorist attack plotted.  One of the keynote speakers said that a deputy director of the FBI said he believed a dirty bomb would go off in the USA.  I have read other reports from people “in the know” who have predicted the same thing.

 

Somalis in Minnesota

You may have seen reports over the last few years of Somali men that immigrated to Minnesota, who were found dead in Somalia and other places in Africa.  It was said that in 1991, charity organizations moved Somali refugees to Minnesota.  On a side note, did these charities look at the weather differences between these two places?  I digress, many of these families moved into the Twin Cities, which consists of Minneapolis and St. Paul.  Most of the families continue their ethnic heritage and traditional dress and have not assimilated into American culture.

It is believed that these men were approached by Al Shibab, a Somali terrorist organization, in a Mosque in the Twin Cities.  If they can recruit them to go back to Somalia and commit a suicide bombing, they can probably get them to do one in the states.

 

Pandemic

Trudee also attended a talk on the risk of pandemic and the response of healthcare in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas.  Whether the pandemic is natural or “weaponized” this is an area of great enough concern that there are caches of antibiotics and others medications that might be needed.  There are also several facilities that can be converted into mass dispensing facilities, and other facilities that will be used when local hospitals are filled.

 

Outside of Minnesota

I have seen multiple articles, such as this one from the Arizona Capital Times entitled Hezbollah terror threat on U.S.-Mexico border is real .  The article is worth reading.  It gives several examples of people tied to terrorist groups sneaking through our border with Mexico.  One example is:

“According to Mr. Taylor, a Muslim cleric, Abdullah al-Nafsi, said that “there is no need for airplanes and planning; one man with the courage to carry a suitcase of anthrax through the tunnels from Mexico to the United States could kill 330,000 Americans in one hour.”

There are also issues at many of our ports.  I read a report that said maybe only 10% of the cargo containers are checked.  It would be quite easy for someone to sneak in along with some type of payload.

 

Please Don’t Dumb it Down

Terrorists have a thing for big elaborate attacks.  9-11 is well known, but there have been many other, mostly failed, attacks all over the world.  Don’t get me wrong, they have some luck with collaborated attacks, sometimes bombing multiple US embassies in multiple countries.

When they have done the greatest damage is usually when one man acts alone, using easily attainable weapons.  It is when they include multiple people or elaborate plots that they are arrested or fail.

 

Final Thoughts

There are so many potential threats already inside our borders, they only need to get lucky once for terror to set in, and liberty to slip away.  Let’s pray for continued excellent law enforcement, as well as continued elaborate and failed plans for those who seek to do us harm.

 

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Filed Under: Security, Signs of the Times, Uncategorized Tagged With:

Protecting Yourself and Your Property After a Disaster

November 19, 2012 by

Scenario:  Jerusalem has been devastated by war and is in ruins.  It’s walls have been broken down and it’s gates burned by fire.  Nehemiah, King Artaxerxes’ cup bearer, has received permission from the king to go to Jerusalem and rebuild it.  Their enemies have plotted to catch them unaware, kill them and stop their work.  Nehemiah has discovered this and decides:

Neh 4:16 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah 4:17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, 4:18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. 4:19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. 4:20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!” 4:21 So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. 4:22 At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and workmen by day.” 4:23 Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.

In every medium to large scale natural disaster there are people who come to the area to loot.  There is a second group of people; “disaster tourists”.  These are people who want to go to the disaster area to see, in person, what they have seen on TV.  One of these is obviously a criminal but the other isn’t as nefarious, at least not on purpose.

 

Looters

These dirtbags pray on the misfortune of others during what might be the worst time in their life.  I have heard of people both sneaking around and stealing items that have been relocated by the event, as well as people dressing up, pretending to be representatives from utility companies.  I have also heard reports of items gone missing once a restoration company is hired, the home owner believing their contractor’s employees stole from them.

I think the default tactic most people go to is “I’ll guard my house, gun in hand”.  This may be an option in some circumstances, but it might not always be.  Imagine if there is massive destruction and, God forbid, your home is destroyed.   Your family is okay and has relocated to a nearby shelter on the night of the destruction.  You have nothing but the clothes on your backs.  When you attempt to go back to your home the next day, there is a police officer parked on the road leading into your neighborhood.  He will not let anyone enter without proof of residence.  Remember, I said you only have the clothes on your back?  This scenario is a very good reason to have a copy of the important documents stored away from your home.

Now let’s say there is a smaller amount of damage but still too much for you to feel comfortable letting your family stay there.  Would you put them up in a hotel room and guard the house alone?  Remember, after Hurricane Sandy, there were many people who didn’t have power for over a week.  While that might not be a stressor for some of you, do you want to put your family in a position not only be without power, but possibly face looters and other dirtbags?  Not to mention, whatever destruction is in the area, such as flooding, debris from destroyed homes and businesses, etc.

If the damage in your area is minimal and the biggest problem is lack of power, you might choose to stick it out and guard your home.  If so, the following are some things to keep in mind.  There is safety in numbers.  You might choose to form a group with other neighbors who have stayed behind, forming a neighborhood watch.  Have a 2-4 hour shift from sundown to sunup every night, rotating people so everyone gets enough rest.  If possible, I would want two; one stationery and one roving watch.  If there is trouble, the stationery watch would alert the others.  Having two-way communication would be a huge plus.  Another option for the roving watch is to carry an air horn, giving three blasts if they find trouble, everyone heading for the source of the noise.  I realize this gives away the element of surprise, but if it’s all you have, it is better than nothing.

I’m not a big fan of the “Looters will be shot” signs.  Why tip your hand?  It might also invite Joe Dirtbag to use overwhelming force.  Whereas, before, he might have just snuck around to see what he could steal, now he expects trouble.  He might just shoot you and take what he wants.  On a side note, this is also the reason I don’t open carry.

Nehemiah expected trouble from his enemies.  He also knew that with the limited resources he would need a citizen army, which meant each person would pull double duty as guard and laborer.  He told those who lived outside the gate to stay inside to help stand guard.  They slept in their clothes so they could act immediately.

If we had a modern day example, I think it could look something like this; each family is armed and prepared to defend their home and their neighborhood.  There is a neighborhood watch that had a stationery watch and, depending on the size of the neighborhood, either one or multiple roving watches.  You might think this is overkill, but Nehemiah’s enemies didn’t defeat him.  They could see they were ready for battle by the ever-present sword or spear, with plenty of people on the lookout.  This isn’t to say that everyone has to be armed.  The presence of people will often deter Mr. Dirtbag and company.

 

Disaster Tourists

As I said, these people aren’t nefarious on purpose, but they can be harmful unintentionally.   If you read the Fox News story on “disaster tourists”, you’ll see that the home owners said the gawker traffic was much higher earlier in the week.  If the roads are in bad shape, there might only be a few routes to use and they are congesting them.

One of the people interviewed for the Fox News article said she felt violated.  I can understand that, I wouldn’t like it very much if people wanted to come and “tour” one of the worst events in my life.

The disaster tourists also can be a means for Joe Dirtbag and friends to blend in to case the neighborhood for later looting.  This would be the reason that police are often posted near entrances and refuse entry to anyone who cannot prove residency.  If law enforcement is stretched too thin, you could always do this yourself.  Most folks will understand if you tell them only residents who can prove residency are allowed in.  Keep in mind that you have no legal ground to stop anyone who demands entry, even if they cannot prove where they live.  You could ask if they know someone in the neighborhood and find that person to vouch for them.  You could also have someone follow them to their “home”, to see if they do, in fact, live where they say they live.

Going back to Nehemiah, having people who take turns working on cleanup and standing guard/watch is a great idea here as well.  While the tourists might not mean you harm, keeping tabs on those not helping to “rebuild the wall” is still a good idea.

Do you have any other ways to protect oneself and property after an event, from looters and disaster tourists?

 

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Filed Under: General Preparedness, Security Tagged With: , ,

Interacting With Police While CCW

November 12, 2012 by

Thanks to Jim Moore for the idea on this article and for the transcription below.  First let me state the disclaimer; the laws on CCW vary from state to state, so this is not to be viewed as legal advice.  Use it as part of the information you gather to guide how you will respond if you are ever approached by a police officer while you are legally carrying a firearm.

Many of us have our CCW (Carry Concealed Weapon) permit (or whatever your state calls them) and many more might choose to in the future.  This topic is important because there have been citizens who were legally carrying who had encounters with police end very badly.  One example happened at a Costo in July 2010 that left the CCW carrying citizen dead.  I have read a few different takes on the encounter and I will just say that it could have and should have ended differently.

In the CCW class you were probably told what to do if you are ever approached by law enforcement while carrying your firearm.  Some of the instructors are better than others or, for some of us, it has been a few years since we have reviewed this information.  Think of this article as a refresher.  There are really only two times you’ll have to deal with law enforcement while carrying a firearm; when things are normal and your firearm has not been drawn from its holster, and after you have had to use it to defend yourself.

 

Normal Times

When you’re approached by law enforcement while carrying a firearm, there are two components that will determine how it will go; your demeanor and the officers’ demeanor.  You can determine your demeanor and how you respond to the officers.  Remember the reason you carry a handgun is for self-defense, not to make political statements.  Once police approach you, you should not get into a confrontation about your Second Amendment rights.  They know the law and it is their job to make sure you are legally carrying that firearm.  If you are following their directions, chances are you’ll be on your way soon.  Not following their instructions could land you in a jail cell or, worse, in a box.

Here are a couple great videos that offer some different approaches to interacting with law enforcement while you’re carrying.

This first video is of Massad Ayoob, one of the great firearms and self-defense instructors.  In it, he is explaining the correct way of telling law enforcement that you are licensed and carrying a firearm when you have been pulled over.  Much of this would transfer out of the vehicle to any time you encounter law enforcement while carrying.

 

 

Here is a video from The Best Defense, which airs on the Outdoor Channel.  In it there are three scenarios where someone with a CCW has their weapon spotted and how they deal with the civilians and with law enforcement.

Here is another video from The Best Defense on open carrying and interacting with law enforcement.

Again, remember the reason you are carrying in the first place is for self-defense, not to make political statements.  Remember the goal of law enforcement is to go home every night.  As long as you’re compliant and not putting your hand near your firearm, you will, most likely, be on your way in no time.

I have heard a few stories where a police officer who was not in favor of citizens having a CCW went too far, but those are far and few between.  If you run into one of them, you should still be compliant during the encounter and file a formal complaint afterward, just make sure to get his name discreetly.  Going home safely should be your goal as well and escalating into an argument, as I mentioned earlier, could end up with you in a jail cell or in a box.

 

Post Shooting Interaction with Law Enforcement

Praise God I have never had to use my firearm for self-defense.  I know enough about shooting aftermath to know it is a good idea to know what you will say now.  What you say and do after a shooting could land you in jail, even if you were fully justified in your actions.

Here is another video from open carrying, showing a bad, mediocre and good example of how to respond to law enforcement after a shooting.

Their final approach is pretty solid; being compliant and giving enough information to show you were the victim.

Here is another example given by Massad Ayoob.

Jim Moore (Thanks again Jim!) also transcribed the following, which aired on an episode of Personal Defense TV from the Sportsman’s Channel.  This text is the transcription from Massad Ayoob on that show.

“You’ll hear a lot of people tell you don’t tell anything to the police after you have used force in self defense” I can’t recommend going that far. Certainly in the immediate aftermath of the near death experience that led you to draw your weapon, you’re going to be under the influence of physio-psychological phenomena such as tunnel vision which will alter your ability to perceive distances and sizes, tachypsychia, the sense that things are going in a slow motion, that will make it almost impossible for you realistically estimate how long the encounter took. And for reasons like that you never want to go into detail at the scene. Professionals recommend 22 to 48 hours before that’s done.

At the same time I honestly think there are things that need to be established immediately at the scene. The criminal justice system was predicated on the assumption that whoever got hurt was the victim and whoever hurt them was the perpetrator. Well, you have just caused this guy to have a sudden and acute failure in the victim selection process and the perpetrator is laying on the ground in a puddle of blood doing a very convincing imitation of a victim, you’re standing there with a bloody knife or the smoking gun, you look a whole lot like the perpetrator and if don’t say anything you’re going to find yourself typecast. It’s critical that from the begging it be established who was the victim and who was the perpetrator.

And for many years now we’ve had good success with the five point check list.

First point; explain the active dynamic (what actually led to the shooting). The active dynamic is not ‘I shot him,’ the active dynamic is whatever caused you to shoot him, ‘this man attacked my spouse,’ ‘this man was dragging my child out the back of a blacked out van,’ explain the active dynamic.

Second; confirm the situation that you are the victim complainant and that thing laying on the ground looking like a victim is actually the perpetrator.

Third; offer to sign the complaint and I would offer simply those words ‘officer I offer to sign the complaint.’ It’s critical that you point any evidence you are aware of, evidence tends to disappear from crime scenes, it gets overlooked, it gets moved in the hub-bub of the emergency personnel who are responding, a spent shell casing that may have fallen here now actually accidentally gets lodged in someone’s boot and winds up dislodged over here and it changes the dimensions of the scene.

Fourth; point out the witnesses before they decide they don’t want to get involved and disappears and now with them disappears the testimony that would have proven your innocence.

Fifth and final point; I would personally answer any further questions at the scene with “officer, you’ll have my full cooperation after I’ve spoken with an attorney.

 

Final thoughts:

I hope and pray that none of us ever has to be in this situation, but please take some time to think about how you will respond to law enforcement in both of these situations.  During a training session with a retired SWAT instructor, he said that it is standard for an officer to be sequestered for 48 hours after a shooting.  They do not speak to anyone without their representative present.  If a law enforcement officer is involved in a shooting they have many things in their favor, things the average citizen does not.  Having a plan for what to say and possibly the name and number of a seasoned attorney who understands your states’ CCW laws might be a good idea.

There is also insurance coverage available from a few different providers.  I have only looked in to one, which was provided by USCCA.  I decided not to get it, as money is an issue but I might get it at some point.  They had a free trial membership that I signed up for.  They deliver a high quality magazine and have some other nice benefits.  I’m not making an endorsement, but thought some of you would be interested in getting more information.

 

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Review of the Glock 19

November 9, 2012 by

Before I purchased my first firearm, I did a lot of research.  I went to a few gun stores and held them to make sure I liked the feel.  Doing these two things helped me narrow down the list of guns I was interested in.  I then found a range that rented guns and rented my top three choices.  I chose the Glock 19.  I thought I would share some of the reasons I bought a Glock.

 

Specifications

Caliber:                9mm
Barrel:                  4.02 inches
Overall length:    6.85 inches
Weight:                 20.99 ounces empty
Grip:                      polymer
Action:                  Glock Safe Action
Capacity:              15+1
Price:                     $599-$699

Trustworthiness and Reliability

As I mentioned, I did plenty of research before I decided on a Glock 19.  What I found was that Glock is the most commonly issued pistol in law enforcement (most law enforcement carry a .40 rather than the 9mm Glock 19).  I also found that the Glock 19 is used by Israeli special forces.  Glock, in general, and the Glock 19 specifically, is used by countless police and security organizations around the world.  These agencies have strict standards and put potential firearms through stress tests. Knowing this and knowing that they use Glock speaks volumes to me.  In the complete Book of Autopistols, August 2010 edition, the author called the Glock 19 the “Quintessential combat handgun”.  James Yeager, the CEO of Tactical Response, a firearm training company that provides tactical training worldwide, has a saying that goes something like; “All handguns should be Glocks, all Glocks should be 9mm and all 9mm should be Glock 19’s.”  I do understand that some of the above is due to personal preference, but that preference is developed from shooting hundreds of thousands of rounds.

 

Concealment

I carry concealed for a reason; I don’t want anyone to know I am carrying, especially Joe Dirtbag.  For this reason, I chose the compact Glock 19.   With the polymer GLOCK Sport Combat Holster you cannot easily tell I’m carrying.  Depending on what I am wearing you might be able to tell from behind me, but you would have to be looking for it.

 

Stopping Power

Some might say a 9mm doesn’t have enough stopping power.  If you are trained and can hit what your aiming at, and are using self-defense loads that dump their kinetic energy into the target so the round does maximum damage and stays in the target, then a 9mm has plenty of stopping power.

 

Maintenance

The Glock is, by far, the easiest handgun I have disassembled, cleaned and reassembled.  We own a Walther .22 handgun and, while it’s a decent gun to shoot, it requires a special tool to disassemble.  Once you learn how to take the Glock apart, you can do so in seconds.  Once apart cleaning and greasing it are also very easy.

 

My Take:

I really like this firearm.  I have put thousands of rounds down range and have not had a single failure.  My wife also has a Glock 19 and has only had one failure.  Liking them is one thing, but we and so many others trust them with our lives.  That might sound a little dramatic, but I mean it.  If I am ever in a situation where I need to use a firearm to defend myself, I will be glad that I have my Glock 19.

If you don’t like the feel of the polymer grip, you can fix that with a bicycle inner-tube placed over it.  I was shown this by a firearms instructor and have since done it to all my handguns as it really helps.

 

I happily give the Glock 19 four stars.

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Keeping Watch Once It’s Hit the Fan

November 2, 2012 by

If society falls apart, even for a limited time, it would be a good idea to post a watch.   This can assure that your family or group stays protected and rested.   In Light, Sound and Smell Discipline I covered some things that should be considered at all times once its hit the fan.  This goes for being on watch too.  Below are other things to keep in mind while on watch.

I stood many watches while I was in the Navy.  Those watches were much different.  There are, however, many principles that are the same.  Please add your suggestions in the comments section below.

 

Staying Awake

This is probably the most important thing and can be one of the hardest.   In a time when stress and tension are high for an extended period, you might not get a lot of rest.  After a few days without rest, your mind easily wanders off and your body rebels to get sleep, especially when things are quiet at night, but your family and friends are counting on you to stay awake to keep them safe.

Staying awake can be a real challenge.  What works to keep one person awake won’t necessarily work for the next person.  It might help to keep moving.  Your mind may still drift off, but it can snap back as long as you’re awake.  You can’t fall asleep if you’re walking.  Well, I suppose you can, but not for very long!  LOL.  Be thinking of things that help you stay awake now that don’t completely distract you.  Make a note of them.

The trouble with caffeine and other stimulants it is that they can affect you after your watch has ended and interfere with your rest.  The four hour energy “shots” might not be a bad option if they work for you, they just make me yawn louder.  If you do decide to use coffee or other stimulants, limit them so you won’t be awake after your watch has ended and so you don’t have to step away for repeated restroom trips.

Taking small shifts is a must.  In the Navy, we stood mostly four hour watches.  Some of you might be tempted to take a longer watch to give your family more rest.  Don’t.  Everyone needs their rest and your family needs you to be rested as well.  The longer you delay sleep, the harder your mind and body will rebel.  In a training school in the Navy, I had a young man in my class who, for some reason, could not stay awake.  He was told to stand up during a lecture and still fell asleep.  The instructor gave him a three foot 2×4 and made him hold it over his head.  By the end of the day, this young man had two knots on the top of his head.  I share this just to show you that sometimes your body simply shuts down.  Rest when it’s your turn or you’ll be more of a danger to your loved ones.

 

It’s Called “Watch” Not “Defend”

If you hear something that goes bump in the night, wake others up, depending on how big of a bump it was.  If you go check it out on your own and are overpowered, there is no one to sound the alarm.

If you go with a buddy system you have two sets of eyes and ears to look for what made the noise, and two people to defend if needed.

 

Communication

If you’re standing watch and see or hear something, being able to radio someone to wake them allows you to continue to observe what is going on.  I have recently become an affiliate for Midland radios.  I did so because I have a few Midland products and think highly of them.  In the interest of full disclosure, I will receive a small commission if you purchase from them by clicking on the image to the right or the Midland text here.  The Midland two way radios or any higher quality FRS two way radio would be a good fit here.

 

Sound the Alarm

If danger is imminent, having a fast way to wake everyone is a good idea.  If you want to maintain the element of surprise, sending someone to give everyone a quick shake might be the only option.  If the element of surprise is lost and you just need bodies fast, an idea I had was for small air horns.  I bought a bunch of them at the $1 store.

 

Neighborhood watch

If you have developed a neighborhood watch, you might develop have a stationary watch at a main entrance or two, having a roving watch that goes between the two.   This is another area where having radios for fast communication is essential.  Depending on the size and density of your area, a two way FRS radio should work ok.  If not, moving up to a CB is a good option.

 

Rules of Engagement

Having the response planned ahead of time is crucial.  Now is the time to be thinking about what you might do if society is erupting and you hear a noise a house or two away at 02:00.  Does this response change if there is no established rule of law?

You should also have defined what everyone’s job is, even if it is to stay with the kids and reassure them and keep them as quiet as possible.

 

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Light, Sound and Smell Discipline

October 31, 2012 by

While I hope and pray we never see the worst case scenario where society truly does just collapse, I still think about what it might look like from time to time.  It’s a good exercise for seeing possible shortcomings as well as potential dangers.  If we do see things melt down, the rules change and you have to be ready to adapt quickly to keep you and yours safe.  Today I want to give you some things to consider.  Think about how you might make use of them should the need ever arise, while praying to God it never does.

 

Light Discipline

My neighborhood has underground power lines, so we very rarely lose power.  When we do it is usually short lived.  The power went out this week shortly after I got up at 06:00.  It was still dark outside for the next hour and a half, as we sat in battery powered lamp light.  I looked outside a few times and noticed that there were no lights on anywhere, but I could easily see that someone was moving through their home with a flashlight.

If society does fall off the rails, even for a few nights, you need to make sure you’re using as little light inside at night as possible.  Now, if you have a room where you have somehow completely blacked out the windows, you might be ok using a candle or battery powered lamp.  If you have to move through the house, you might be better off letting your eyes adjust and sticking the flashlight in a cloth to let just a little light escape to guide you.

One option for flashlights is to use colored lenses.  They provide less light but it is harder to pick them up at a distance.  If you use say a red lens and turn your flashlight on from a dark room, you won’t lose your night vision when you turn it back off.

If I was Joe Dirtbag and was looking for someone who might be home during a meltdown, I would do one of two things; climb to the top of a tall building or water tower and look for light, or walk through people’s backyards looking for signs of light.  Keep this in mind, just because there will not be any light visible from the front of your house, doesn’t mean there is no light visible.

 

Sound Discipline

I live in the burbs, not far from a busy highway.  Even so, aside from traffic sound, it still gets quiet here at night.  Much to my chagrin, noise travels very well, and on a quiet night we can hear people from a few houses away.  Right now, aside from being annoying at times, it isn’t that big of a deal.  If things meltdown and Joe Dirtbag starts listening for anything that stands out, it might be a bigger deal.

This can be a much more difficult thing to manage, as I can control when and how lights are on, but I have four dogs and one of them, I joke, barks at gnats farting outside.  So this is something I have given some thought to, as should you if you have dogs or young children who may be scared or hungry and unpredictably loud.

I don’t care for the idea of muzzling the dogs for an extended time, so I honestly don’t have a good solution.  Bugging out might be the only choice.

 

Smell Discipline

In a survival situation, I know many of you will be eating those beans and rice, so this might be a lost cause. (LOL, just kidding.)  I’m thinking more along the lines of things that smell good and draw attention.   Many of us have some food stored.  One might think that it is safer to cook at night, as it can hide smoke.  While that might be true, you can’t hide the smell very well.  It is very easy to tell when someone is grilling in my neighborhood.  I bet I could track down the house in a matter of minutes just by smell alone.  The smell of something like an MRE might not carry as far as something that is home cooked.  This is just something to keep in mind.

 

Turning to Your Advantage

You can also use these things to your advantage.  Let’s say the power wasn’t out and I saw someone moving with a flashlight at my neighbor’s house.  Or let’s say that things have gone very bad and everyone in your area is staying put and not making much noise.  If you hear yelling or glass breaking it would stand out and should be paid close attention too.

 

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Oil and What it Means For Our Future

October 29, 2012 by

 

For better or worse our economy is tied to oil, so I want to connect a few dots and explain, in part, why that is and what it means for our future.

 

Why Are We So Dependent On Oil?

To fully understand this, we need to go back to oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller.  Mr. Rockefeller believed that oil was a gift from God and he was determined to find as many uses for it as he could.  Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t completely altruistic.  This also meant higher profits, as he could make money from the parts of oil that many other people were dumping in rivers and lakes as waste.  Some of the uses they discovered were gasoline, tar for paving streets, lubricating oil, Vaseline and paraffin for making candles.  Today oil and oil byproducts are used in those things listed above as well as polyester and other clothing blends, many plastics, many medications, such as cortisone and aspirin, not to mention the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, which is reported to make up 2/3 of the oil that is used.

 

Harvesting Oil

The theme song from the Beverly Hillbillies said that Jed Clampett was “shooting at some food, missed and up from the ground came bubbling crude”.  While this is an exaggeration as to how easy it used to be, it’s not a huge one.  It used to be very easy to find and drill for oil, and the very first attempts to refine it weren’t much more than boiling it.

The same cannot be said today.  All easy to harvest oil has long been harvested.  Crews have to drill many miles deep into the ocean, which is dangerous and expensive.  There are vast amounts of oil shale, but oil shale is mined in the form of rocks that have solid bituminous materials that are released as petroleum like liquid when the rock is heated in the chemical process known as pyrolysis.  So, while it is there, is it harder to get than traditional oil deposits.

Due to several federal regulations on oil exploration, drilling and refining, the United States will always be a net importer of its oil.

 

Peak Oil

There is some confusion when it comes to this term, so let me define my use of it.  Peak oil is simply the point at which we have reached the peak of oil production.  This could but doesn’t necessarily mean that an oil field that has hit peak oil is running out of oil, just that it has hit the limit in the amount it can produce.

The problem that peak oil causes is that, in the last decade, China, India and some other developing countries, have seen a massive increase in the amount of cars and drivers, which means a massive increase in the amount of gasoline and diesel needed to fuel them.

This is nothing to worry about as long as the largest oil fields and the world’s leading oil producing nations stay out of peak oil.  As you can see from this story, Mexico’s Cantarell oil field, which is the world’s largest oil field, has reached peak oil and is, in fact, declining in production.  This report from CNN says “WikiLeaks cable: Saudi oil estimates may have been exaggerated”

It reports that:

“Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves may have been grossly overestimated and its capacity to continue pumping at current capacity exaggerated, according to a U.S. diplomatic cable sent from the kingdom in 2007.”

 

Alternative Energies

I don’t know of any alternative energy that could replace oil.  Some might say “what about solar?”  Solar panels are very expensive to make, thus very expensive to purchase and install.  I have seen estimates of $20,000 on the front end, which could take 20 years to pay for themselves.  By that time you would need to start replacing panels and would have already been replacing batteries.  There were several solar companies who were given millions of tax payer dollars by our current administration.  We have all seen the reports of them going bankrupt.

Wind just doesn’t produce enough energy for it to be viable to replace oil.  Sure, it could be used in tandem to reduce some of the oil consumption, but I haven’t seen enough information to know if this would be cost effective or be like solar and pay for itself near the end of its life.

Don’t get me wrong, I think we should keep looking for ways to make alternative energy a viable option.  I have to be realistic and say that there is a very good chance that America will be tied to oil to meet our energy needs forever.

 

What Does All OF This Mean For Our Future?

Simply put; higher prices for everything.  Remember all of the items I listed that oil are used in its production?  That was just a fraction of the many items.  I have seen lists with over 6,000 items on them.  Even if you find an item that used zero oil in its production, there was still fuel used to bring the parts together or to ship it to its destination.

Remember that I said an estimated 2/3 of oil is used for fuel, including the fuel you use to drive your vehicle.  It is also used to power the ships, planes, trains and trucks that deliver goods all over the world.

There are places in the world right now where a gallon of gas costs $7.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that much in my gas budget.  That means if prices ever get that high here, the money will have to come from something else.

 

What Can We Do?

I think the best thing we can do is pay attention and be thinking about it.  Be conscious of the electronics that are left on 24/7 and how much power they soak up.  As gas prices rise it may be prudent to look for car pool opportunities to get to work.  I know MNDOT has initiatives to put car poolers together and your state may as well.

What other ideas do you have on things we can do to prepare for rising energy costs?

 

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Filed Under: Energy/Power, Signs of the Times Tagged With:

Rising Crime and Limited Law Enforcement

October 22, 2012 by

A note before today’s article: Camping Survival has really stepped up to the plate and given me 3 1000’ spools of paracord to give away. I will be picking the second random winner this afternoon and the last none Monday October 29th. If you want to enter the drawing you have until then. If you have already entered that entry will just be carried over for the new giveaway’s so no need to reenter. If you didn’t enter then send one in for the new drawings.
My email is: chris (at) preparedchristian.net

Again, my many thanks to Camping Survival for supporting the Prepared Christian community!


 

 

Rising Crime and Limited Law Enforcement

 

Mike from Mass sent me an email with a very interesting article.  This is a subject I have touched on before but I want to take a deeper look at it with you today.  The article entitled Armed posse patrols timber land in sheriff’s place is about a rural county in Oregon that has had its Sheriff’s Department shrunken to 3 deputies who patrol for eight hours a day, five days a week due to budget cuts.  Because of this and rising crime, some residents have taken to different forms of assisting the Sheriff.  One of these forms, as the title explains, has been forming armed posse’s to patrol the county.

The reason I want to take a deeper look at this is because I think many of us can relate to a statement made by Sam Nichols in the article, which states:

“I believe in standing up for myself rather than waiting for the government to do something for me,”

I think this is something we will see more of for a variety of reasons.  For instance, in Oakland California, police will no longer respond to certain crimes, which is similar to the circumstances that are in the article; because of cuts, police and sheriff departments are limited in their patrols.  I also think that because of impending economic slowness we will see a rise in crime, as can be seen in this story from USA Today; Violent crime rises sharply, reversing trend.  I think we will see an uptick in crime from people who’re hungry and looking for ways to make ends meet.  I’m not justifying it, just explaining that we will see a different percentage of the population committing crime.

 

Formation of a Posse

A posse is essentially made up of unpaid civilians who assist local law enforcement.  I think there are two ways to go about forming one.  The first is what the Citizens Against Crime did in the story from Oregon that is mentioned above.  From the sounds of the story, they patrol armed with little or no formal training and report crimes to the Sheriff’s Department.

Josephine County Sheriff Gil Gilbertson is quoted saying:

“They need to really understand there are consequences that can be very costly, physically as well as legally,” he said, explaining that volunteers could get sued or shot if they pull a gun on someone or make a false arrest.

“Most of them haven’t had what I feel is an adequate level of training to do that they do,” he said. “But if they serve as eyes and ears and only report what they see to law enforcement, I think they can keep themselves at a safe level.”

The Sheriff brings up some excellent points, but we shouldn’t necessarily let that keep citizens from forming a posse in times when, for whatever reason, local law enforcement is unable to meet the needs of the community.

An approach that I think is better is one that the Pinal County Sheriff from Arizona did by forming armed anti-smuggling volunteer posse.  The county has a large problem with Mexican cartels trafficking in drugs and humans, so the Sheriff formed a posse to help “bring the heavy hand of enforcement to those who think they can smuggle drugs or humans”.

From the article:

“According to a news release from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, the ASP will provide “surveillance and intelligence support to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Regional SWAT during tactical operations they perform against the Mexican Drug Cartels in western Pinal County.”…

“ASP members are required to pass a full background investigation, and will be trained on Pinal Sheriff’s Office Policy and Procedures, the news release stated. The armed posse members will be required to take quarterly training and qualifications. The members will receive tactical training before any operations.”

This Sheriff saw a need and a potential resource and took the time to make sure he was using people without a criminal record (that is not to say that the men from Oregon might have a criminal background).  He trained them and they undergo quarterly training which is as much as some police departments require.

A posse is usually formed for a short time and with a specific task.  I think an ongoing force is more in line with what the original militia was created to do; to augment local law enforcement with armed, trained civilians who have their own rank and command structure.

 

While We Have the Rule of Law

In this time while we still have the rule of law, we are not the sole means of law enforcement.  You may decide to join a posse or militia to assist local law enforcement.  The following are some things to keep in mind.

 

Citizen’s Arrest

I’m sure everyone reading this has heard of making a citizen’s arrest, but do you know what making one entails?  I am not a lawyer or giving legal advice.  These comments should be viewed as information, not law.  Many states allow a citizen to make an arrest for felonies committed in their presence.  You are allowed the use of reasonable force to subdue the felon until the police arrive.  You do not need to read them their rights.  That’s the job of the police officers who will file the police report.  If you are mistaken and the suspected felon did not, in fact, commit a felon, or you used too much force, you may open yourself up to a lawsuit or to facing charges and jail time yourself.   Here is an article from the Art of Manliness called How to Make a Citizens Arrest that goes deeper into the subject.

 

Buddy System

The buddy system is something I learned of in the Navy.  It means that you never go anywhere alone; always go with at least one buddy.  I can tell you from personal experience that using the buddy system saved me a few times.  There really is safety in numbers.

 

Communication

Being able to provide accurate, minute by minute information with instant and reliable communication is vital.  If you’re a part of a Sheriff sponsored posse, you will most likely be given a radio and trained in how to use it.  If you form a posse or militia with some other concerned citizens, one of the first things you should look into is communication.

 

Know Your Role

I honestly don’t know if a posse formed by a sheriff would provide the same umbrella of protection to its members that the sheriff and deputies would have.  If you form a posse with other citizens you are just that, a citizen.  You might be well advised to take the advice of the sheriff from Oregon :

“If they serve as eyes and ears and only report what they see to law enforcement, I think they can keep themselves at a safe level.”

 

Being Armed

If you have been a reader of this site for a while, you know I am a strong supporter of the second amendment.  I believe it is the responsibility of each citizen to be able to protect themselves.  With that being said, you need to think long and hard and pray about taking a firearm with you if you are going to put yourself in a situation where you’re essentially looking for trouble for the purpose of reporting it.

If George Zimmerman from Florida wouldn’t have had his firearm with him when he saw Trayvon Martin, he may have been less likely to follow and confront him and may have just called police.  Now, I am not saying you shouldn’t.  I’m saying you need to understand the ramifications of your decision.  If you are looking for criminals for the purpose of reporting them to police and are armed, there is the potential for gunplay because you brought a firearm.

Carrying a gun may also give a little extra courage to some, but just because you put on a cape doesn’t mean you can fly.  If you are level headed, can legally own and carry a firearm and are trained in its use, then move forward with caution.

I also think that if you carry a firearm, whether it is just for conceal and carry, or as an armed member of a posse, you should have other means to defend yourself.  When I carry, I have pepper spray, a flashlight that can be used as a striking implement and am trained in an Israeli based form of Real World Self-Defense called Haganah.  If I was patrolling, I would also carry either a larger flashlight or an asp to use for striking.  If you only have a hammer in the tool box, you see every problem as a nail.  I like to have as many options as I can legally.

 

Without the Rule of Law

I really hope and pray we never see a time when we no longer have the rule of law.  I think it would take an unlikely event such as an EMP or other far-reaching event to remove the rule of law.  Even though I believe it is unlikely we will see a time when there is no law enforcement to enforce the rule of law, I still think we have to be aware of it.  How will it affect us in the area we live?  How will we respond?

All of the things listed in the section “While We Have the Rule of Law” will still apply, with the exception of maybe citizen’s arrest.  If there is no law enforcement to retrieve the felon from you, you must think now about what you might do if you witness a felony.

There have been many of these types of situations discussed in several survival fiction books such as Lights Out or One Second After.  These and others have helped me think through some of the possible situations we may face without the rule of law.

 

What Will You Do?

Have you thought about whether or not you would ever join a posse to help enforce the law?  Would it matter if it was created and trained by the sheriff?  Have you thought about how life may be different without the rule of law and what you might do?

 

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Cover and Concealment

September 13, 2012 by

Random gun violence has and will continue to be a problem. Because of this, I think it’s important for you to understand the difference between cover and concealment. Let me emphasize now that cover and concealment are not the end goal. The end goal is to get away from the area. Cover and concealment are what is used to get you away from the area.

Concealment is something that hides you, but will not stop a bullet.

Cover is something that hides you and will stop a bullet.

Here are a few examples that you might see in daily life in places where there has been gun violence in the past.

 

Shopping Mall

Shopping malls are horrible places to find cover, but some things to look for are the big heavy planters that are used to hold small trees. Another option might be an escalator or staircase. Vending machines might also be a good option for cover.

 

Outdoor Area

Look for any building that isn’t lined with glass. Brick and concrete are excellent cover. Hiding behind the front tire of a car gives some cover from the engine block, but it is limited. Hiding behind any other part of the car only offers concealment at best. Trees wide enough to hide behind can offer cover. A dumpster might also be a good option.

 

Schools and Universities

School shootings are something we hear about every year. I think you should find out your child’s school policy and decide if you agree with it or not. Most schools have a lockdown procedure in place. I don’t like it and think it is actually more dangerous. They slide a different colored piece of paper under the locked door and then hide inside the room. If I’m Joe Dirtbag Jr., seeing a piece of paper of any kind near a door tells me there are people inside.

Whether you tell your kids to abide by the lockdown or to safely make an escape if possible, I think explaining cover and concealment is a conversation you should have with your kids. You never know where they may be if a shooting starts.

Kids tend to hide in place out of fear. Make sure they understand that if they are near the shooter, to keep looking for a way out and for more cover and concealment until they are out of harm’s way.

 

Filed Under: Security

Gorilla Gardening

September 11, 2012 by

There are two types of gorilla gardening.  One type is where people plant flowers in public places to make things pretty.  The other type is the one I want to talk about today; ways to plant edibles or improve their condition.  By “improving their condition”, I mean making it easier for them to retain moisture, maybe thinning the area out to elevate competition for resources.

 

Introducing New Species

One option is to plant new species of plants in various areas.  A great way to do this is something I may have heard on The Survival Podcast.  You take the seeds for the plants you want to introduce and put them in a clay ball and let it dry.  When you go on a walk, you simply throw these clay balls in areas you think they would be well suited.  Now you just wait for rain.  When it rains, this will dissolve the clay and give the seeds an added boost of nutrients from it.

Native Americans used to plant three plants together that benefited each other.  They have been dubbed the three sisters.  The three plants are corn, pole beans and squash.  The corn grows tall, the pole beans will climb up the corn as they grow and will also bring nitrogen to the soil for the other two plants.  The squash will help protect the soil around the area, the leaves keeping the soil moist and blocking out sun, which can limit weed growth and help limit evaporation.

 

 

Some Things to Keep in Mind

When you gorilla garden you have limited control over what happens.  Someone else could come along and destroy or harvest what you have planted and wildlife can also help themselves.

Because of this you’ll want to plant in places that are off the beaten path but are easy enough for you to get to from time to time.  Keeping a journal of what was planted and where you planted it is a good idea.

I would not plant a gorilla garden and depend on its produce to sustain you and your family.  I would take the approach that anything you may harvest from gorilla gardening is an added bonus.

Gorilla gardening could also be used to draw game into the area throughout the year.

 

Enhancing the Wild

Another type of gorilla gardening is simply enhancing what is already in place.  For example, let’s say you’re on a hike and spot some wild blueberries.  If the area is over crowded with them, you may remove a few bushes to give the others less competition for nutrients.  If you see the path rain takes, you may create a little swale to slow the water down and retain more in the area.

Another option is to take leaves from the area and use them as mulch covering the bottom of the berry patch.  You could also plant things that would help bring in nutrients to the area.  For instance, beans tend to bring in nitrogen.  Planting them near an area and then cutting them once they get to a certain height, leaving them to decompose; called “chop and drop”, returns nitrogen to the soil.

Again, with the wild edibles, I would make note of where you found them and look at anything you harvest from them as a bonus.

 

Do you have any ideas for a gorilla garden?

Filed Under: Food Tagged With:
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