The Politics of Preparedness

This is going to be what I hope will be the only post on politics on my blog. One of the primary reasons I fell the need to start my own blog was the fact that I couldn't read the front page of many of the "prepper" or "survivalist" pages with out some sort of political attack, indoctrination, jab, or diatribe. That is not what being prepared should be about. I fully believe both sides of our current two party system are doing a fine job of running the country into the ground. And disaster knows no political party, it will happen when it happens regardless of who is in office. And it really doesn't matter because neither party has FEMA as a top priority. Why prepare for a rainy day when you have plenty else to spend your time and effort on elsewhere.

Too many good resources are being wasted trying to politicize being prepared. Too much effort is it being wasted to brand preparedness as a right-wing, antidisestablishmentarinism movement to make it sound like anyone who wants to be prepared for a disaster is some sort of nutcase hiding in a cabin in the woods with food and guns.

Personally when a disaster strikes, I want me and my family to be able to weather the storm without standing in soup lines. That does not mean I won't be at the soup line, pouring soup. Being prepared means taking care of your self first, for the entire purpose of being able to help others second. If you have all the supplies in the world, but don't help rebuild your community. Why are you even surviving in the first place.

Get involved with your comunity emergency preparedness programs so you can help be part of the solution. In Oklahoma they are making great progress in getting things organized. Visit http://www.ok.gov/reddirtready/ and find ways that you can get involved.

Animis opibusque paratus sum

I am prepared in mind and resources.

This is my family motto and it is ever more relevant today as when it was established. We live in a society that is connected by so many fragile interconnections that it is nearly impossible to see the strands of the complex web. Yet it only takes a few broken strands to bring down a whole spiderweb. Our society is built upon so many services and technologies that we have taken them for granted. Electricity, food, medical supplies, various raw materials are all where we need them, when we need them. Often we are without them so little that we never adjust to not having them. A power outage is typically measured in hours, at most a few days.

But what do we do if and when the power goes out and doesn't come back on? If the trucks and trains that distribute food across the country are interrupted?

I am writing this blog to share my own adventures in making sure that I live up to my family motto, and to share useful information with any who may find it handy. I hope that you will join me on this adventure and find peace of mind in knowing that you are prepared for all things in mind and resources.