Saw some chatter about surviving martial law (which may be a future possibility, and wouldn’t be the first time for America). The blog post gave the author’s suggestions. I share my thoughts, what I agree with, what I don’t and what I think needs more expansion. I also give a few thoughts of my own at the end of the post
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Eight suggestions for surviving martial law in the U.S.
1. Seek out reliable alternative sources of news. The mainstream media will be worse than useless in giving you a sense of what is really happening politically. Without such a sense, you will not be able to make an educated guess about what is likely to happen next.
Hmm…already do this as mainstream media is utterly unreliable. What Vice-President’s church was burned down by an arsonist?
2. Avoid high-surveillance areas with a high police/military presence like airports or checkpoints. The authorities are there in strength to ferret out wrong-doers. If you make a bad joke, show up in a database or just seem too nervous, then you can be detained, questioned and/or arrested. Remember: there will be no due process.
Fly on small private charter planes…make friends with a pilot today!
3. Do not visit controversial sites on the Internet. Do not buy controversial books or material with a credit card. Do not check them out of a library. Do not read them in public places. Do not discuss them in casual conversations or ones that are likely to be overheard. Do not wear T-shirts with political slogans or controversial sentiments.
I remember standing in line at Barnes & Noble. I had come in to buy a 2008 gun price guide. Then discovered Massad Ayoob’s digest book on handguns. I also had picked up Thomas Payne’s “Common Sense” and then noticed these really cool “feather quill pens”.
As I stood in line, I realized two things a) I was spending too much and could probably get a few of these books much cheaper used online b) I had two gun books, Thomas Payne’s revolutionary letters and a quill pen – and realized that if I bought all of these I’d probably be entered into some FBI database.
So I put half the stuff back. *lol*
4. Be careful about the information you disclose to anyone in a position of power (e.g. your doctor) or to strangers. Indeed, be careful with anyone whose decency and discretion you do not trust. Remember that even your doctor may have a legal obligation to ‘turn you in’ should you confess to ‘crimes’, such considering suicide or owning a gun. Train your children to show a similar discretion and to never discuss what goes on in your home, especially with strangers or authority figures like their public school teachers. Make sure your partner understands and agrees with you about the need for privacy.
This is a toughy. And is a serious issue for us gun owners. Many feel they should remain silent about owning guns. I used to feel this way, but I think it is misguided now a days. Let me explain why I think that.
Years ago there was no registry, not talking about what you owned helped protect you from the powers that be. The government can’t take what they don’t know you have. In turn, we lost the power of advocacy. Others contemplating buying a gun felt awkward, alone, not know the geek in the cubicle next to them owned guns as well.
IMHO, this point is moot. The government pretty much knows about every gun you buy these days (exception being a few gifts and person to person long gun transfers in those states that don’t yet monitor those sales). The end result is that the powers that be already have the knowledge. Not declaring you’re a gun owner is not going to protect you from the government if they come for your guns. They know you bought them, sure they destroyed the records after 90 days. But they archived them first and use them to this day.
I have changed my viewpoint. For the time being I think it is a better idea to be an advocate, and try to get as many in-betweeners to join our ranks. To remove the solitude that is gun ownership.
5. If you can, find ‘authorities’ you can trust, especially a lawyer.
Not sure lawyers will be much help when law is suspended and martial law enacted. I am more of the opinion to have a few people in good positions locally who can vouch for you. And also to have an ample amount of silver for comforting their palms.
6. Encrypt sensitive and/or valuable computer files and keep a back-up copy off-site — that is, somewhere other than your home or office. Don’t keep a record of where the back-ups are secured.
WHY? What are important records? If you mean receipts for proof you own your firearms. That’s pretty pointless if they’re seizing them. If it hasn’t come to that point yet, than such are useful. But they don’t need to be secure, rather they need to be easily accessible.
I’ve been meaning to scan in/photograph all my gun receipts. Than keep those files on my computer, post them to the web, and store them in a zip file in an offsite email. But more importantly, I plan to keep those images on my iPhone. So that if ever stopped and told well “Do you have proof of ownership”…by an officer expecting me to say “no” so he can seize my guns. I can retort… “right here sir”.
7. Own a gun and keep a healthy supply of cash on hand. Tell no one.
I disagree.
Own guns not gun. Keep a healthy supply of hard currency (silver), ammo, and food & medical supplies. Enough to arm & feed yourself, your family, and several neighbors. Realize, that when you retreat to where you hope to weather things out. You need to be able to support most of those you come in contact with. If you can provide protection and food, you’ve created an ally. If you can only scare them off with a gun, you’ve created a jackal you must be on alert for at all times, because if they are starving they and think they will die – than they will try to get what you have. What do they have to lose? They’re life? They already think they’re going to lose that.
The food feeds you. It feeds your neighbors. Because a) you’re not going to want to watch your neighbor’s children starve to death. And your neighbors will cease being neighborly when their children are dying and you have stockpiles.
And rest assured you will be discovered. But if you’re out in the rurals, and a local constable or deputy discovers your holding out. A little silver can go a long way toward him keeping you secret. Try to have something of need or luxury. These are good trades as well. Go watch Schindler’s List. See how Oscar Schindler built support for himself. This support also became his protection.
8. Support organizations and people who are fighting openly to push society in the opposition direction from martial law. It may not be appropriate for you to take that risk but do encourage those who are.
I agree, but also admonish prudence. Pick your battles. Know when a battle is a lost cause and be willing to retreat. Aid where you can, discretely, unless you are willing to become a part of the resistance.
These recommendations came from the following blog:
http://www.wendymcelroy.com/news.php?extend.2148
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I’ve shared my viewpoints on the above, where I agree and where I disagree. Now I am going to share some thoughts of my own:
- I. Financial, if you have dollars, savings sitting in a bank – get rid of it. Put it in the following.
- Hard currency – gold, silver, copper bullion.
- Land, property
- Store items (food, clothing, ropes, pulleys, etc)
- Stocks (now be careful, I said stocks, not mutual funds). If the U.S. currency fails and the dollar with it.
There will be three things that will transition in value. Land, hard currency, and shares of companies with good business models. If the dollar fails, and the Amero appears. Netflix will just start charging $19.99 Ameros instead of dollars. Your investment in a good company will rollover with the change. Where as investments in CDs, bonds, U.S. Treasury notes, etc will all be lost causes.
- II. Self-sufficiency, if you have the means consider becoming as self-sufficient as possible.
- If you’re in the rurals consider investing in solar technology. Electric cars are just around the corner as well. Being able to have both a house and vehicle that run off electricity you generate is truly an advantage.
- If you have some land, buy some of the tools you’d need to grow your own food. Buy other useful things like rope, pulleys, etc.
- Have a good hunting rifle, good stock of ammo. Make sure you have a decent .22LR rifle and a ton of ammo. This could be your lifeblood. Pigeon may be the best dinner around.
- Consider a black powder rifle and the tools to mold your own “lead ball” ammo. Go for the simpler flint lock that does not require percussion caps. Why waste valuable modern ammo that is costly to replace on hunting when a musket ball will do the same?
- Medical supplies, these will be one of the hardest things to acquire.
