JWR, Hugh, SurvivalBlog Readers,
In case you haven’t noticed, our 2nd Amendment rights are being stripped before our very eyes. As uncomfortable as it was, I chose to participate in the local pro-gun side of the recent #MarchforOurLives protest on March 24, 2018. The only thing more disappointing than the turn-out for “our” side was the complete absence of any members of my circle of preppers.
I’m not sure when it became the apparent modus operandi of so many in the self-reliance and prepper movements to stop participating in chances to voice our opinions and stand in the here and now to fight for our rights. For some, it has become much easier to rationalize that nothing can be done to right the ship, retreat to their mental or physical hidey-holes, caress their firearms and dehydrated food, and wait for the collapse. If we are to have any hope for the future, that must change.
The 800 Pound Gorilla
While it is much easier to fight the hypothetical enemy of the future, where we get to control the imaginary scenarios, we must stand toe to toe with the 800 pound gorilla standing before us in the present. To prepare for the worst outcome of a situation without first making every effort to prevent it from happening is absolute madness. Placing a coffin and a trauma kit at the bottom of a 200 foot tall waterfall before you jump is preparing for an eventuality. Not jumping over the waterfall in the first place is the epitome of reason.
The Delusion
As a Christian and a prepper, I believe the time has come to start putting as much effort into preventing what we are preparing for as we do preparing for it. Being martyred on your front porch while resisting gun confiscation is too little, too late. I implore all who suffer the delusion that this will all pass without affecting you: Get out there, make your voices heard, and stand in the face of those who would prefer you dead or enslaved.
“I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.”-Revelations 3:1-3
– D.D.
The lack of turn out can be attributed to those not wanting to be known by “big brother”. They don’t want to be on “that” list.
That. And we have jobs to go to.
1) gray man theory. Being seen at that kind of event may expose you
2) people working for large or otherwise leftist tending companies don’t wish to risk losing their jobs being seen at such an event
3) our organizational skills seem far inferior to those of our enemy. This is puzzling, but none of our local groups nor the mighty and disloyal NRA have even any outreach to get interest or mobilization for counter ops
4) smaller factor, but there: we are more family oriented. I can’t get time away from small kids to go stand and yell for 4 hours, nor am i willing them to take with me and exploit them like the left does
5) even if we did, it wouldn’t get the same media exposure or could be turned against us like the open carry marches of 4-5 years ago
End of the day, I don’t think that is an effective medium for us. Grassroots outreach via free gun safety classes, range days, fun shoots, etc seem to have a much higher ROI. Furthermore, guns tend to be a “gateway drug” to moving one’s political spectrum to the right. Bring a leftist trap shooting, or to IDPA or Steel Challenge so they see the fun side and also how safe we are. The rest can follow.
Agree with WannabeRedneck, especially on point 4. I have small children and a full time job. I can’t just set those responsibilities aside and travel all the way to DC or wherever there is a march going on, unless it’s close to my location (which they hardly ever are).
It appears David Hogg and other anti-2nd amendment teens have no problems getting out of class to attend events all over the country. No doubt they are fully funded for their efforts as well. Any travel I do is totally at my expense.
There is a picture of David Hogg in a graduation gown dated June 20, 2014 circulating on the web. When I look at pictures of him now, I tend to think that he is no longer a teen.
Unfortunately more people are trying to be a gray man or woman . We are all already known by our government , make no mistake thinking otherwise . Many do not want to make waves and plan to flee their home state after retirement . I live in a rural area so there are no big protests for me to challenge . I do my best to express my unhappiness with any laws that violate my rights and encourage others to do the same . The last time I commented against voting with your feet a reply I received was “how did that work for the German Jews in the 30’s and 40’s “. I did not respond . After reading your article I respond to the reply , they stayed low and tried to wait it out until it was too late . Don’t run ,don’t feed stereotypes , be civil , try to effect change locally first, then at the state level , then nationally . I fear too many of us have lost hope . We may suffer a death from a thousand cuts . Saul Alinsky’s minions have already taken the schools . Send e-mails and letters to your representatives , be polite , any profanity or wild ideas will be ignored . Simply tell them what law or change you are happy or unhappy with and if on occasion they perform well contact them with a thank you . Eventually there will be nowhere to run . Encourage others to contact their representatives. Most people don’t have a problem complaining to a retailer or food service worker , yet they say nothing to the people wiping their feet on your rights . Please get back in the fight for your rights . Thank you and keep up the good work . As a side note , I never used to comment figuring I would end up being flagged somehow . I could no longer remain silent , I hope my comments are helping others .
Amen!
Careful where you stick out your neck. OPSEC rules are there for your own protection.
Cast not your pearls before swine least they be trampled upon.
The march for life was a joke and your anti march march was a joke. And a waste of your precious time and energy
This battle will not be won by marching. marching is way to easy and superficial, scratch the surface and you will see nothing but fluff/boister/immature pawns being used by liberal teachers.
You wanna help the cause…never deride a fellow prepper to start, we are too few. And vote right, contribute right, shop right, pray right, become as self sufficient as possible. stop feeding the pig, grow your own garden. and HOME-SCHOOL… that’s commitment and can save kids, really save kids a handful at a time.
We home-schooled and gave up a salary to do so, but it saved our kids. And they know how to think for themselves and can see right through all this marchy fluff nothingness!
Much of the complacency comes from decades of playing defense, and decades of stagnation.. We write, call, donate, join and support gun rights causes, because of the threat of further restriction. This simply plugs the holes the left puts in Gun rights. It does nothing to restore the 2A. To repeal current unconstitutional laws, to advance the rights, to enhance, shore up, reinforce, clarify.
We sit back and bat away the volleys the left throws, never taking the offense.
Magazine bans are introduced and we react, restrictions are introduced, and we react.
why arent 2A reinforcing bills introduced, bills that shore up our rights? Bills that reduce the regulations? We need this on a federal level, Conservatives historically support reducing big Government, But there are certain instances when we need MORE Gov intrusion… Federal laws that block the ability to whittle away Individual rights to the 2A, the 1st A..
At this point I believe we are Just closing the barn door after the horses have run off.
Dear LO, while I agree that “defense” has it’s problems, have you forgotten “Constitutional Carry” initiatives, or the widespread CPL successes in recent years? For myself, (a)I don’t go to rallies, because of my aversion to crowds, both due to Ol’ Remus advice in that regard, and my years as a street medic in Da City. In addition, I’m re-evaluating my spending choices. Delta Airlines has provided my family OUTSTANDING! service in the past. Henceforth, I’ll drive, or find an airline that is not afraid it’ll catch my NRA cooties. Similarly, Kroger (our local supermarket chain) will not sell “assault rifle” glorifying magazines. Looks like I’m driving a bit farther, and going to Aldi’s.
Presently, I’m voting, with my ballot and my dollars.
Hi Skyrat,
You are right there have been a few advances… with an emphasis ‘few’, but they pale in comparison to the leaps and bounds that the gun control crowd has been heaped on us..I don’t accept the notion that just because we have a few brownie points on the board we have somehow made progress..
Whats needed are enhancements to the 2A on a Federal level, Not agreements between a few states as to who can carry across borders.
Im a small town redoubter in North Idaho population 200. Rallies, airlines and Walmart are 40+ miles away, one way. Needless to say we dont do much of any of those things. Da big city to us has a population of 24k
We have met the enemy and he is us. Quote from the great Okefenokee sage Pogo.
“Let’s roll!”
Personally, I think counter-protesting whiny little children is a waste of time, validates their position, and the media love it, portraying us as senile knuckle draggin mouth breathers.
I prefer the wait and watch approach.
When someone anti-gun actually becomes a real threat, we’ll deal with them. They do not know what they’re really playing with.
A much more effective approach is to isolate a little snowflake and calmly explain to them what will happen to them if they try to take our guns.
I would like to participate in many of these counter protests, but I’m still a working stiff, with responsibilities to home and family. If all protests were held on a weekend, easy-peasy. But most aren’t.
Trump’s our guy. He will fix it all. Why keep prepping? Pfft.
More seriously, you make an excellent case. Of course making more Christians by the spreading of the Gospel is the actual long term solution. After all, I’ve never heard of a criminal shouting “By the blood of our Holy Redeemer!” before committing a sin.
The White House, Washington
Thank you for taking the time to express your views regarding our Second Amendment rights.
My Administration is committed to upholding the Second Amendment and defending the right of our free and sovereign people to keep and bear arms. Our Founders fully understood that the ability of law-abiding citizens to defend themselves, their families, and their property from harm is a hallmark of a free people.
Over the eight years before I took office, the Second Amendment was under continuous attack from policies that made it difficult or impossible for law-abiding citizens to purchase firearms. I have already begun to reverse this dangerous trend, and I continue to work to ensure that your Government is abiding by the Second Amendment and does not infringe on your rights.
We took first steps to restore the Second Amendment in February of 2017 when I signed legislation nullifying an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rule that would have allowed the IRS to conduct mental health investigations of Social Security recipients and turn their names over to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
In addition to administrative steps, I look forward to working with Congress to pass laws that will protect the Second Amendment from Federal overreach in the future. These laws will hopefully serve to further protect this key constitutional right.
Thank you again for writing. As President, I am steadfastly committed to protecting your rights and the security of our Nation.
Sincerely,
Donald Trump
Visit WhiteHouse.gov
No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!
Wrong! The state of Oregon is putting a measure on the ballot that would take away/confiscate all semi-auto guns and make you a felon if you do not comply. If that measure passes while pro-2nd amendment people a “waiting and watching” it will take years to overturn or reverse even IF that is possible. That is how some of these laws that the gun grabbers will work. BOOM overnight you are a felon facing years perhaps a decade or more in jail EVEN IF the law is later found to be unconstitutional.
There is some good news for those who prefer to wait and watch… You will have plenty of time to do that if they sentence you to 10-12 in the big house.
Don’t go to the big house. After all you only have one chance to use those guns for what they were intended for….. killing bad guys and tyrants. If you aren’t willing to defend yourself, and you let them haul you off, what is the point of owning firearms?
We all laugh at the self-described prepper whose activities are limited to buying gear online that he never unpacks, and sitting on the couch watching videos. The disengaged prepper described in the letter, and they are a great many, is really no better, frankly lazy, perhaps not serious at all about surviving, and the example in the letter of the first-aid kit at the bottom of the cliff is very apt. I bought a small farm, dreaming of self-sufficiency, in 1978, and moved off-grid to my current mountain home in 1989. But I have also been a regular writer of letters-to-the Editor, have run twice for local office, have led a local citizens’ rights group, and have fought unjust and unlawful regulations as far as State Supreme Court (without a lawyer).
If you are only willing to sweat to defend your life and freedom AFTER the crisis, you are a liar and a hypocrite, because the best opportunity to save our lives and civilization is NOW, not after the establishment of a totalitarian NWO or an apocalyptic return to mediaeval warlordism.
If any of you reading this wants to be a truly loyal disciple of our God-given American experiment in freedom, truly wants to defend family, community, and culture, I urge you to get out of your spider-holes, get out from behind the sniping rifle on your porch, stop sitting on your hoard of supplies like a hen on her eggs, and most important, get off the endless complaint-train on your computer, and check out a comprehensive, historically-rooted, peaceful, lawful, practical and feasible plan and organization called Tactical Civics. http://tacticalcivics.southcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com/
If enough of you reading this are willing to truly stand up for what you say you believe, we CAN save our Republic and civilization.
Absolutely spot on John. Read my comment. Those who do not stand for freedom now are no better (maybe worse) than those who want to take it away. I have zero respect for cowards.
“When someone anti-gun actually becomes a real threat, we’ll deal with them”
Have you seen the anti-gun legislation successfully passed in several state legislatures, and being actively considered in other? I don’t care about whiny kids, but I do care about a supposedly conservative state representative considering ‘doing something’ is appropriate.
It will happen.
Parading in the street does nothing to eliminate the threat.
We will have to deal with this in only one way eventually.
Making ourselves targets is counterproductive.
Are you willing to kill those that would take away your guns?
If not, you’re going to lose, no matter what you do.
If in Illinois please try to attend this event. Up to 8,000 in the past.
http://www.isra.org/Events/AnnualEvents/iGOLD.aspx
@OneGuy: laws like the one Oregon is considering have already been passed in CT and NY. No challenges to this laws have been successful to date.
The challenge is to find the individuals who pushed the law and have a person to person discussion with them at 0200 hours. Unless they feel the fear and the burn the problems will compound…. Good luck..
Three steps and in this order…
1) go out to internet sites and purchase Monstet latex powder. Make your own cheek and chin bones as my wife and I do— wear wigs and ball caps with IR flashlights beaming bright into big brothers facial recognition cameras. That will foil your face. I work for Apple Computer in Silicon Valley if they ever found me at a pro gun event there goes my family income and benefits and retirement. I will not NOT take a stand.
2) you need to write /call / attend town halls with your local representative — Republican. Though Liberitarian and Independent have a small footing Republicans are our party to knock out democratic human rights confiscation. You need to physically show up at the local school district and complain the “H” out of their liberal leftist antiGod curriculum.
3) last case resort and last case is to track representatives/federal judges/mayors which are hurting Constitutional values. That means understanding their travel times, what coffee shops they attend, where they live. Most of this information is public anyhow. Keep a thumb print on them for safe keeping.
Also l, it dismays me to see so many varying ossolations from “like minded “ preppers. Want to know how the LEFT is joined at the hip. Read the 45 communist goals written by cleon skousen. They’ve almost got that list completed.
We need a list of 45.
Lack of turnout, speaking from a personal view, may be from the idea that reasonable methods such as debate and protest are past their shelf lives in the current dynamic, and there is no point being a visible target once a war has started. The statists will not be swayed from their goals by protest or facts, this is obvious. So there are those of us who work hard to fight their agenda in every effective way we can, but know that a hot war will be the end result of this societal debate. Therefore we will not be outing ourselves to the enemy and becoming more of a target than is necessary.
Neither should you. Your appearance opposite a larger crowd with a disappointing level of support of your own was optically positive for the other side, and did nothing for you. That is termed a loss in operational thinking. Know the enemy, know yourself before engaging in an operation. Your enemy had the edge on organization and logistics, and you, in reactive fashion, met them on a field of their choosing at a time of their choosing, only to be surprised snd disappointed by the lack of manpower on your side. Had that been a hot battle, you would not be here to be disappointed. We need to get smart, get organized, and become a nationally cohesive unit. There is one getting the other side into the streets. We have to be competent tactically and excellent strategically. And there is a lot of work to be done on this side before we get there.
WE’RE IN a PR battle. There are a lot of VOTERS out there that don’t necessarily like guns who aren’t hostile to the 2nd A. Having a bunch of well-meaning protesters show up wearing their AR-15s is not only scaring the VOTERS who may well determine which candidates get into office, but also runs off supporters who don’t want to be seen as radical nut jobs. We should be wearing nice, office clothing and ties, not battle dress utilities.
I wanted to go to the pro rally, but when I got there I saw dozens of participants with slung rifles. Not the image that needs to be presented.
I remember a pro-con TV interview between an FBI agent and the leader of the Montana Militia. The agent wore a nice suit. The MM guy wore BDUs. Guess who looked like an idiot to the majority of viewers?
I’d rather win this war at the voting booth, not the other way.
As long as public schools are politically indoctrinating our children (like the Hitler Youth Corps) these problems will only get worse. If and when the shooting starts, the teachers and the “snowflakes” will disappear into the woodwork until it is safe enough to “bite the hand that feeds you” again.
Paul understands this. We need to be the rational, calm and intelligent image juxtaposed against the ignorant, mouthy, insincere masses of the statists. The founders of this nation were literate, professional, and intelligent. They garnered the support of their base by being able to be identified with by some, and being respected by the rest. You can’t do that by acting in a threatening manner or appearing to be ignorant, selfish, and illiterate. If we debate the statist, we have to know our facts, present them in a manner that a neophyte can assimilate, and always be the calmer, more rational side of the debate. We have to also present the image of that in how we dress and in our body language. They wish to paint us as ignorant mouth breathers dying to kill everyone. We have to offer a completely different image and make them look like the liars they are. I personally think this will end in violence, But when it does, do I want all my neighbors and acquaintances to just nod and agree with the statist when I am branded a terrorist? Or do I want them to be skeptical of the line, because the guy they know is a peaceful, rational family man and business owner who is always calm, intelligent and friendly? Do we want to be the loner that everyone expects to snap someday, or the guy who makes them all question the motives of the State when he is opposed to it?
Paul and Gray Wolf are both correct!
As a traveling consulting in the accounting world, I work with many Fortune 500/100 companies. I always have my CCW permit for almost all states with reciprocity I travel. I wear business suits or always have a dress shirt with tie. I now have bullet proof vest [as they make them almost unnoticed – even if someone says something, I state “It’s a weight vest to put stress on my heart.” as it is heavy]. I never show up with tactical bag at the client or my nice leather bag from the NRA [those bags are for the gun range] but a nice leather attache case looking like a businessman. That’s what should be the mode for all of us. Let’s face it if the grid goes down and you need a ride home – camouflage and tactical military backpacks will get you home faster??? Wrong, use business attire and only camouflage for your home defence and grid down.
I don’t like the comments here that “protesting/ marches don’t work”… I am really tired of people stating a bunch of negative and then having no act to move in a forward direction. So what I tell my team at work, when you state one thing negative about out project plan, you must come up with two solutions around your negative statement. Please have positive forward looking comments folks! We have no time to do nothing as our country is being torn apart by Liberals!
Here is what we need to do with marches – 10 Commandments:
1) everyone must know about it first. JWR made a comment on a pro-gun march and that none of us showing up–I never knew about it…. We need a forum to get the word out.
2) everyone should dressed in business attire and nice dress shoes.
3) wear a bullet proof vest under your shirt in case of confrontation. They make good ones that a stabbing wouldn’t affect you. Even getting hit with a baseball bat across the ribs would do little harm with a vest on.
4) have can of mace or two on hand for Leftist Zealots – every spray might come with an attorney – you simply state you are fearful for your life and judging by Trump supporters being beaten to a pulp would be good enough for me and that would get you out of any charges. Fearful of “Serious bodily injury.”
5) Do not carry – but keep it in your car!
6) Have phone camera or physical camera and record every confrontation with LEO or Libtards.
7) When Liberal LEFTist leaning media gets in your face simply state, “I don’t talk to biased news networks which will slant everything we’re marching into untruthful fake news. Please excuse me.” If they don’t move – push them aside and if it goes to fist-a-cuffs be sure they started it.
8) Use JD II comments [above] to disguise your faces and stop facial recognition from pin pointing you.
9) Upload to internet the real story of your videos and photos.
10) Pray and debrief with your fellow Patriots – Maybe set up a rally point for next march such as Tea Party movement did in the past – post things out on the internet and blogs.
Solution 1,use the system against them;courts,sue the groups and individuals responsible for attacks on the Constitution. Avoid class action and make them fight hundreds or thousands of seperate actions(overwhem their ability to defend and bankrupt them). Legislators who draft,sponsor,and vote for these measure are violating their Oath of Office(support and defend the Constitution) and need to be removed for it. A suit to remove them from office should be the same as if they commited any other felony/breach of trust. Judges who try to be judicially active from the bench need the same treatment. They will immediately revert to”judicial immunity” which is something they made up and needs to be crushed,a violation of their oath is never protected and also cause to take their pensions(a 2 for 1 off the bench and off the payroll) also may be grounds for obstruction/conspiracy charges.
What is needed is a network of attorneys who are willing to work the system(2-3 in each state) by advising individuals on how to write,file and follow through maybe by holding how to workshops.
Here in New York State, after our tyrant Governor passed his gun control laws (the SAFE Act), gun owners staged what was alleged to be one of the largest marches in state history in Albany to protest the law. It didn’t matter. They were mocked relentlessly by the media and even the Governor’s administration. We could have a pro-gun rally in Washington equal to the size of this recent choreographed DNC farce, but the media outlets would either ignore it entirely or “report” on it in the most slanderous, condescending way possible.
I’ll still write politicians to voice my opinions, but large scale gatherings are utterly pointless.
Citizen oversight of politicians making a difference stopped decades ago. Why? Because at a certain level, politicians DON’T CARE. You maybe able to make a difference locally but now even county-wide is being encroached upon by the Hate Left agenda. At this point, I advocate local churches unifying for mutual protection and planning for the war being brought to us. Make no mistake: Christianity is the intended target. I also advocate local civic organizations using ‘back-channels’ to protect our God-given rights, and effect the outcomes we want.
Maybe some of us don’t want to preserve the mess that society has become.Perhaps that’s why so many sit back,keep our heads down and wait for the house of cards to come crashing down.Sometimes its easier to tear the house down and build a new one than keep trying to fix the old one.
Interesting comments. I believe the biggest reason so many “conservatives” do not engage in the public eye is fear. Afraid of what others will call them, afraid of being on a “list” (you already are). I am writing from first hand experience. I was in the public eye for many years. Received the usual threats, lies and attacks from the left for standing on the principles that founded this exceptional country. Served in our legislature, introduced freedom oriented bills and got little support from the “silent” majority. Yes, support from those who have the guts enough to stand for freedom (those are few). But little elsewhere…especially from the “church”. I could go on and on will refrain. I understand the “grey man” and OPSEC issues, but if you do not fight in the realm of political, public discourse now what makes you think you will have the guts enough when things really get bad? Imo, you are only fooling yourself. If you do not have the ability, get out and support those who do. In my mind, bottom line is this…if your eternal destination is sealed, what have you to lose? I am no longer out on the front lines due to family health issues but I do darned well support the very few who are. Speak up now…or forever lose everything you hold dear.
The *appearance of supremacy* on the leftist campaign against God-given natural rights is temporary. The true battle is not against the rights, but against the Giver! That battle will fail.
We have no promise of the survival of a godly government, on this or any nation on earth, neither for a godly majority of people, despite hopes and prayers for such.
More than one hundred fifty years ago, POTUS Lincoln penned:
“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
November 19, 1863 at Gettysburg.
Rather the promise of the Giver is that the Church, though a remnant, will prevail.
==========Psalm 2 (KJV)==============
1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
==================================================
I think that about wraps things up, hope you are listening….writer!
Excuses Excuses Excuses, Whether talking about Gun Control or Christianity it seems that all we get from our side is Excuses, as for the Christian we hear , well my Christianity is personal, or I don’t want to be a Bible thumper, or I don’t really know what to say. Then on the other hand when it comes to Gun Control we hear, well they won’t listen to us anyway, or I don’t want to be on a List, or OPSEC or Grey Man is the way to go, well the silent majority is a bunch of do nothing people that just floats along on the tide and complaints. If you won’t make a stand while it’s the easy thing to do you sure won’t make a stand when your life is on the line, you can bet on that ! Trekker Out
GIVE ME A BREAK ON THE MODERATION!!!
Sirs: I would certainly agree that we must show up and speak out at every opportunity, although the big confrontational “marches” may call for special caution. I would like to suggest that a better way may be to absolutely DOG our representatives in Congress with e-mails and phone calls expressing our support for 2A and our disgust at Congress’ inability to deal with the many fiscal and social problems that we send them there to solve, and their lack of backbone in standing up to those who are slowly chipping away at our sacred Constitution. More important perhaps is to get to the polling places every election and vote for the most palatable candidates, and encourage like minded friends to do likewise.
Monday the VFW hosted an AR-15 build. Word got out and a liberal college professor organized a protest. There were 55 people in the class, around 20 armed VFW and local militia protecting the grounds and 30 protesters showed up. The local police kept them across the street. First time I ever pulled inside guard duty. Took my 14 year old, home schooled daughter and let her experience the 1st and 2nd amendments at work. I do think we need to show up and we need to push back.
I am becoming less and less concerned with opsec the more the anti gunners become unhinged. It is hard to be silent in the face of such lunacy.
That being said, I am actively planning an exit strategy from Oregon simply because I believe the battle is lost here.
It does not matter unless we back those who are on our side whe one is arrested, threatened, harassed or sued. The left will team up as long as the enemy is white, male, Christian and pro constitutional. Die hard feminists will support extreme muslims and vice versa for examplewith money, support, whatever is needed.
But we are all patriarchs. Divided up into very strict boundary lines and if we find someone who crosses our boundaries and offends are tastes we won’t stick by them. We barely do when we find them tasteful. Don’t punch right. JWR who has a thousand times virtue signaled he doesn’t like the Bundies tactics for example. Or me just calling out JWR. Don’t punch right. Hold your nose and realize we have a common enemy and you are going to be called the names, sued, threatened, beaten regardless how you dress, what your beliefs are and where hour exact lines are drawn.
Conservatives keep losing because we value how the fight takes place and how we are viewed more than winning.
They hate you. At best they want to see you forfeit everything you believe in and join their satanist global cult. At worst they want to see you destroyed, imprisoned and killed. Be willing to be viewed as the bad guy and don’t punch right. Hold your nose and go to bat for those you find less than tasteful.
Quick story: I knew a guy that loved to hail the bravery and heroics of a family member that he claimed fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. As chance would have it, I met another gentleman that had bound volumes of official records noting the enlistment and duty of soldiers from the area. I quickly found my friend’s family member listed and beside his name: “FAILED TO MUSTER”. I never told my friend.
I have no interest in deriding my fellow preppers. If they choose to believe they will become a Les Stroud/Rambo hybrid while gorging on Ramen when the SHTF…so be it. We will be judged by our actions, not our good intentions. Jefferson, Washington, Adams, Franklin, Hancock…they did not hide from their oppressors and proudly stood and signed their names to their beliefs and values for the world to see.
What does interest me is convincing my cyber- family here at SurvivalBlog that we are the frog that is slowly being boiled. Our inaction is no different than running room to room in a burning house hoping to avoid the flames rather than taking pro-active measures to extinguish the flames.
My neighbor, a former Special Forces soldier that exchanges war stories for small amounts of a Macallan single malt, tells me that there are those that belong in supply and those that were born to fight. Each has their place and victory is impossible without both making every effort to win. We owe it to those brave men and women, past and present, to face evil head on and do our part to the best of our ability.
My tombstone will never read “He hid with cases of Spam and canned goods while others stood and fought for his freedom”.
God Bless
Amen! All but a few are on a list and have a threat score. Might as well try to turn it around.
Now is the time to stock up on ammo and preps. I went to a gun show recently where the sellers, although not legally required to, were asking to see either a Concealed Carry permit or a permit to buy a handgun- neither of which I had or was willing to obtain- before they would sell me even a 12 ga. shotgun. These were not gun dealers who are required to get a background check, these were amateurs who had all decided beforehand to ask for this paperwork on their own. Needless to say, I went home empty-handed. I refused to buy anything there, not even a knife, and I will not return to that gun show next year.
I feel fortunate to own my present guns, and will be redoubling my efforts to stock up on ammo for them.
There has been way to much talk about guns for so long. The anti-freedom folks are in our schools and winning in other ways. With their voices and the media. A rethink on how to win hearts and minds is in order. Logic and reason rather than emotions should win in the long run. Pointing out lessons from history. Using examples of governments where citizens didn’t have access to firearms and what happened. A few thoughts anyhow.
I have always found the tactics of the open carry crowd curious to say the least. Walking around openly with AR/AK rifles just because it is legal does not mean it is smart. Typically scares the average Joe/Jane public and reinforces in their mind that we are gun freaks and need regulation.
If you are at a Pro gun rally you can rest assured you will be photo tagged and filed for future reference as a possible domestic terrorist threat. That is my reason for not being at such events. If that does not sit well with some of my fellow preppers so be it. I vote for all pro gun candidates, am a NRA member, and personally talk to me local representatives about 2a issues, calmly and reasonably. That is what I offer, and my prepper group feels the same way. We strive to be gray, and avoid being noticed and, let’s face it, targeted.
The Homeland security people just put up a large antenna of some sort about 3/4 mile from my house last fall. This is not paranoia: it is fact that my neighbor, who is well connected at the town hall found out. They put it up in the night, fenced it the next several days. When the town officials inquired they were told Homeland security matter, and no further explanations were offered. Big Brother, at work and just move along you little peons and never mind the man behind the curtain. He means you no harm. Rrrriiigghhttt.
D.D., what do you expect to gain by attending counter protests? The street protest is the province of the communist rabble. There are so much more effective methodologies within our reach. The true problem is not gun owners failing to counter the rabble in the streets, it is gun owners failing to do anything at all, much less do anything as a group. I agree that a man who does nothing now is unlikely to do anything when the chips are down. And how many completely inept gun owners have we seen at local ranges. But they are more a friend to us than our enemy, so let’s mobilize them in whatever capacity we can. If Joe gives up his guns when they demand it, that is a sorry thing, and his cross to bear. But we can get him to vote with us and maybe ride along to the capitol when we go, to add numbers to our group.
Optics matter, and being a group of 20 at the state capitol is a far better optic than being a group of 20 counter protesting a group of 100 in the street. Let the rabble hoot and holler. Go around them and get your business done while they whine and rant. Constitutional carry, misnomer though it may be, did not come about by street protests. It came about by men doing the harder thing and being present where it mattered and being educated enough and respected enough to get things done in places where that is not the norm. Keep in mind, I despise most of what happens at the capitol, and most of those doing it. I also think we will be required to fight for our rights soon enough. But we must do what we can in the meantime to prevent that. And we need to make it count.
Don’t worry about the guys not showing up to the protest. Worry that they are probably not going to do anything that matters, because that is harder than going and countering the rabble. Anything that makes a difference in this life is never easy. And those who like easy never do anything that matters. Find you some good hard men who will roll with you to do the hard things, now and in the future, and forget the can’t crowd. Be good at peace while we can, and good at war when we must.
OGW,
To clarify, the protest I attended was in a large city in the state of Virginia, not D.C.
Those who attended the pro-2A side did not sling rifles, wear camo, or hurl insults at the other side. I attended to show that there was a brain and body on the opposite side of the argument lest they believe their actions will be uncontested. It also served as a reconnaissance mission. Remember, the Stasi proved your neighbors will be the biggest threat when resources are in short supply and the government is offering rewards.
I agree with your comment about the ones who won’t do anything. That’s another reason to attend these events. To discover who will stand with you on the front lines, one must go to the front lines. Excellent opportunity to network.
For the sake of argument, I will assume you have a Social Security number, a drivers license, voter ID card, tags on your car, car insurance, and we know you have a computer to conduct this conversation. Stop believing that you have any level of anonymity in 2018 America. If you stay home to avoid Big Brother, they have already won without a fight. The same conditioning that makes you stop at a red light on a deserted highway at 3am for fear of cameras or a hidden patrol car is what they count on and why 97% will always comply.
That being said, I think you and I know with a level of certainty who we can count on when/if things go bad.
If I were concerned about anonymity, I would not be here, or at the capitol of my state, or anywhere that does us any good. Trust me, anonymity is the last of my concerns. 😉
It’s hard to know which “side” to join. It seems that the times have changed and the propaganda has muddied the waters by eroding trust of anyone outside of an individual’s known circles of trust. It may be better to sit back and try to discern the motives, machinations, and direction of current events. Who really are the good guys, or are there any “good guys” anymore? It seems everyone is approaching the “other side” with severe animosity, dehumanizing speech, and extreme anger. Very similar to historical events which have led to violence and eventual genocide.
When this $h!? show starts, I don’t want to inadvertently find myself exposed to the elements of the changing winds. I think it’s time to be prudent and look both ways before crossing the street.
I’d say that pot is definetly boiling at a rate that will boil over in short order. The fact that it is a planned agenda against freedom loving American’s makes it a clear choice. We can’t not fight. And now is the time to voice common sense. The Second Amendment is about stopping out of control government from stomping on the people, which is happening in their march to world government at the expense of sovereignty. History shows the death toll to be over 200 million killed by their own governments. DUH. Need I mention the muslim flood, the invasion wrought on the west by the globalists? The basis for the Second is on the news nightly. Hillary, obama, flat out marxists. It’s our Republic, and we are going to keep it. You commies can’t have it, without a fight.
It’s non negotiable. That’s the story line. You, who have stated you expect to kill 25 million or more who will not re-educate / indoctrinate. We are those people.
Stop infringing. It’s non negotiable.
I agree with JWR, letters to the editors, call in talk radio, talk to those who don’t see it. Too busy with life and family, I get it, but now is the time to be bold, and prepared with what you have, where you are. The days are numbered, the clock started in 1948, it ends no later than 2028. That’s another thread. Trust God to have your back, be bold brothers and sisters.
Fortunately most law abiding gun owners have jobs. We don’t have the time to go to these events. I do my part supporting the NRA, speaking with my vote, and promoting what our founding fathers did with our Bill of Rights. In the end the moto I live by when they come for my guns “I have made my choice, don’t let me help you make yours” Keep the Faith
Mr. Rawles:
I am deeply concerned by the Trump administration’s attempt to ban bump stocks, aside from the ban it self is the way it is being done.
The previous president’s ATFE, which even tried to ban green tip ammo, ruled that current law did not restrict bump stocks, the ATF ruling letter gives a pretty good description of the law, as it still exists.
However President Trump has ordered the DOJ to ban bump stocks. And they are working to do just that. If a gun part which is not referenced or controlled by current law can be banned by regulation, then how are we to believe that it will stop at bump stocks, they could just as easily ban pistol grips or regulate magazine capacity, we could see this or a future administration use this process to essentially bring back the Assault Weapons (so called) ban.
Whatever one’s position on Bump stocks, for them to be regulated this way sets a very dangerous precedent.
The issue is that if the ATFE/DOJ can ban bump stocks
The reason we don’t “protest” (yell, yammer, destroy, cry, demonize) is simply because the useful idiots of the Left have nothing better to do but protest. They don’t work. Everything’s handed to them. And us; we get stuck paying their way and ours. This was most likely the plan, all along.
As for being a “grey man,” this country wasn’t founded on fear, but it sure is crumbling under it…