Dear Jim,
I am a very recent reader of your blog, and just finished your novel [“Patriots”] (which I thought was fantastic). I plan on taking the 10 Cent Challenge just as soon as I set up a PayPal account. Anyway I thought you might be interested in how I was able to convince my wife that our family needs to be more prepared in case “something happens.” My wife thinks that I am a little nuts because I believe that society is extremely fragile and will collapse with just a little prodding. She has always put off my desire to spend the family money on preparedness items. This has recently changed: We took a short vacation to New Orleans, and while there went on a post-Katrina tour. The devastation was frightening. Even now there are neighborhoods where cars are rolled over in the middle of the streets and abandoned houses go on for miles. Even more powerful than that was the stories told by the guide. Months without power, no drinkable water available for weeks, and the rampant looting that went on throughout the city. It was one thing to watch it detached on TV and another to view it up close and be able to talk to people who lived through it.
My wife has done a complete attitude shift. We started discussing preparedness from a “natural disaster” standpoint and are making plans to purchase items to see our family through in case the worst happens. She has also asked me to buy more ammo and guns, and we are looking to make our house livable without city electricity or water. Our biggest drawback is the fact that we live in California and can’t leave for about ten years. My boys from a first marriage are still in school here, and I can’t abandon them. I would ideally like to buy land in a more rural location in a more “friendly” state, but will consider it a “win” just to have my wife more interested in preparedness than she has ever been in the past!
As an aside, I have been in California law enforcement (we are no longer “peace keepers”) for thirteen years, and would be happy to answer any California law questions that come up. I will tell you that most officers I talk with these days believe, just like most citizens, that it is the government’s job to take care of us and individuals have little responsibility for their lives.
Keep up the good work and keep your powder dry! – Kevin M.