I have a special appreciation for the letter written and posted on July 25th by S. C. S. C. has mirrored my sentiments exactly. I have had several friends say to me, “When the SHTF I know where I am going, I am coming to YOUR house.” My reply, as I laugh hysterically, “You might want to rethink that one, cause you might get shot!” They do not realize just how serious prepping is. When I began prepping in earnest (I prepped somewhat half-heartedly for more than 20 years), I was very excited about it. I wanted to tell everyone I knew about my epiphany, my new-found knowledge, and my plan to save myself and my family from disasters and hard times.
Today, my feeling on OpSec is completely different than before. I regret ever having said anything at all to anyone about being a prepper. Additionally, I feel mounting pressure to move far from my current location. Partially to get away from those that know that I prep, and also to choose a better location with fewer people. This is a double-edged sword in that it also puts me in a position of being far from those who do currently give me support in my prepping endeavors. In other words, I would have to make new friends fast, and I know it. So I am merely validating how many people likely feel about their friends and neighbors in relation to prepping. It is a slippery slope. The Christian thing to do is to help those in need, but when you do that you may be risking yours and your family’s lives in the process. Also, when we give up those extravagant vacations, Saturday night movies, new clothes, and the like, in order to assign that income to our perceived long-term survival needs, do we really owe that to anyone else? My thought is that if you give to those in need, they will be back for more, and before long you have nothing to eat and nothing to give. What happens then? My family has and is doing without now so that they might be fed later. – PJP
JWR responds: As I’ve mentioned a few times in SurvivalBlog, I recommend that you make arrangements in advance to make charitable donations of food through your local church. Just brief your church elders, and get their solemn assurances that your name will never be mentioned.
This method has several advantages: First, it maintains your anonymity. Second, it keeps your charity food stocks separate from your home larder (which reduces the chances of your home being identified by miscreants). Thirdly, it encourages a godly, humble attitude. This is in accord with Matthew 6:3, which states:
“But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth”