Announcing C.R.O.S.S.: A Unique Missionary Outreach to South Sudan, by Micah Wood

SurvivalBlog readers and brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, Greetings!
My wife, Dania, has always desired in her heart to be a missionary. Until recently, I did not. Yet here I find myself publicly announcing to the readers of SurvivalBlog that God has sovereignly led us down a path, which clearly points to us becoming full time missionaries for our Lord Jesus Christ, in South Sudan.

Growing up, Dania read many of the famous missionary stories and felt God would likely lead her to the mission field one day too. Me? I didn’t read many of the missionary stories and couldn’t even name most of them, but knew missions were a worthy Biblical command and thus prayerfully and financially supported missions over the years (and presently do). But Dania and I shared this in common about our views on missionary work: we both knew that if we were to ever be sent to the mission field, that it would likely be to a harsh and remote place.

So what changed in me that I’m now eager to serve on the mission field, teaching the Reformed Doctrines of Grace? Simply put, God started me down this path without me knowing it about a year ago, working within my nature to guide me to the realization that this is where He wants Dania and me. A key part of this path was Jim Rawles’ posting here on SurvivalBlog: How You Can Help Defend South Sudan back in March, 2012. Another SurvivalBlog post, Learning From Extreme Missionaries, by Chuck Holton contributed significantly to the overall picture God was painting. It also led me and my wife to very helpful advice and mentoring from some wonderful fellow Christians who helped mold this plan into what it is now: God willing, a plan that will magnify His name and spread the Gospel of Christ! Each step of the way, God sovereignly directed me, corrected me and guided me and my wife. Praise God, for without Him I am nothing!

Please see the Christian Reformed Outreach, South Sudan (C.R.O.S.S.) web site for more details on the country of South Sudan, their desperate need for the Gospel and basic humanitarian assistance and our plan (and doctrinal statement) to help with both needs. There is more on how you can help us defend the weak and helpless, and most importantly to assist us in spreading the love and knowledge of Christ’s saving work on the cross and resurrection from the dead! – Micah Wood

JWR Adds: C.R.O.S.S. Ministries plans to support Micah’s first trip to South Sudan, early in 2013. I have begun sponsoring C.R.O.S.S. Ministries with monthly support, and I strongly encourage SurvivalBlog readers to do likewise. All donations are tax deductible. (Begin your donations before December 31st to take a deduction for this tax year.) They also take donations via PayPal–either as a one-time donation, or as ongoing monthly support donations. And even if you can’t spare a dime, please pray fervently for the people of South Sudan. Also pray that the government of South Sudan will be receptive to this unique ministry and that Micah will get in-country and start training villagers as soon as possible. I also encourage corporate sponsors to donate cash or field gear. Or, they could create “Buy One, Give One” (BOGO) gear, so that one item is donated to C.R.O.S.S. for distribution in South Sudan for each item purchased by a customer here in the States.

A Legal Review of Secession, 150 Years Later, by Attorney Terry E. Hogwood

Introduction

The Civil War [aka War Between The States] (or The War of Northern Aggression, depending on your personal view) ended in 1865. However, the legality of secession by the Southern States simply will not die 150 years after Texas formally seceded from the Union and joined the Confederate States of America. As late as May, 2011, secession by part of the State of Arizona from the rest of the State is being proposed. Secession is often bandied about by politicians on both sides of the spectrum but do any of its proponents really understand what secession, from a legal standpoint, is and isn’t?

This article will explore the illegality of secession through the style United States Supreme Court cases dealing directly with the issue. As much as possible, the article will let the Court, through its own words, explain what secession is and its legal effect on the seceding states. All emphasis within the following quotes, unless otherwise noted, are those of the author.
           
                        Texas – 1861

            The Texas Ordinance of Secession, at least in the opinion of its drafters and the people of Texas, officially separated Texas from the United States in 1861. It was adopted by the Secession Convention on February 1 of that year by a vote of 166 to 8.

            The Texas Ordinance of Secession – (February 2, 1861)

“The ordinance of secession submitted to the people was adopted by a vote of 34,794 against 11,235. The convention, which had adjourned immediately on passing the ordinance, reassembled.  On the 4th of March, 1861, it declared that the ordinance of secession had been ratified by the people, and that Texas had withdrawn from the union of the States under the Federal Constitution.”1

                        Alaska – 2003

“Scott Kohlhaas drafted an initiative calling for Alaska’s secession from the United States or, in the alternative, directing the state to work to make secession legal, and submitted the initiative, along with one hundred signatures, to the lieutenant governor.”2                                                  

            The Background

Texas seceded from the United States on March 4, 1861.

The Confederate States of America declared War on the United States.- “An Act recognizing the existence of war between the United States and the Confederate States” – May 6, 1861.

The US never declared war on the Confederate States. Abraham Lincoln (and not Congress, since war was not and would not be declared) did issue a Proclamation that an insurrection existed in the states of SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, and TX on April 15, 1861 (Messages & Papers of the Presidents, vol. V, p 3214). The Congress of the United States retroactively approved these initial actions of the President. 12 Stat. 326 (1861).

The Confederate States surrendered April 9, 1865 (Lee surrenders to Grant)

“Order” is restored in the Southern States via the Reconstruction Laws.3.

Jurisprudence Language By the Winners

A very strong clue previewing the rulings of the Supreme Court of the United States on the issue of the illegality of the secession of the Southern States can be found in the preparatory language of the Court leading up to its decision in the seminal case of Texas v. White, 74 U.S. 700 (1869). The following is a selection of the Court’s classification of the Confederate States’ attempted secession.

Texas v. White, 74 U.S. 700 (1869)

“…At the time of that outbreak, Texas was confessedly one of the United States of America, having a State constitution in accordance with that of the United States, and represented by senators and representatives in the Congress at Washington.  In January, 1861, a call for a convention of the people of the State was issued, signed by sixty-one individuals.  The call was without authority and revolutionary…” 

“…Thus was established the rebel government of Texas.”

“…War having become necessary to complete the purposed destruction by the South of the Federal government, Texas joined the other Southern States, and made war upon the United States, whose authority was now recognized in no manner within her borders.

Significant Case Holdings in Date Order

The Amy Warwick, 67 U.S. 635 (1863)

Context

This case involved vessels (and their cargoes) which were seized during the Civil War. One of the significant issues in the case was whether the President of the United States had the right to institute a blockade of ports in possession of persons in armed rebellion against it.

The Supreme Court entered into a detailed, logical analysis of the effect of secession by the Southern States and the right of the United States to react to their secession. The first inquiry was whether a state of war existed when the vessels were seized, remembering that the Congress never formally declared war on the Confederate States. In fact, Congress passed an act “approving, legalizing, and making valid all the acts, proclamations, and orders of the President, &c., as if they had been issued and done under the previous express authority and direction of the Congress of the United States.”4  On the issue of the declaration of war, the Court held:

“        Insurrection against a government may or may not culminate in an organized rebellion, but a civil war always begins by insurrection against the lawful authority of the Government.  A civil war is never solemnly declared; it becomes such by its accidents–the number, power, and organization of the persons who originate and carry it on.  When the party in rebellion occupy and hold in a hostile manner a certain portion of territory; have declared their independence; have cast off their allegiance; have organized armies; have commenced hostilities against their former sovereign, the world acknowledges them as belligerents, and they contest a war.  They claim to be in arms to establish their liberty and independence, in order to become a sovereign State, while the sovereign party treats them as insurgents and rebels who owe allegiance, and who should be punished with death for their treason.”5

The Court acknowledged that only Congress could declare war. However, Congress could not declare war against a state(s). According to the Court, only the president had the authority to use the military force of the United States to combat an armed insurrection as was encountered during the Civil War.

             “       By the Constitution, Congress alone has the power to declare a national or foreign war.  It cannot declare war against a State, or any number of States, by virtue of any clause in the Constitution.  The Constitution confers on the President the whole Executive power.  He is bound to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.  He is Commander-in-chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several States when called into the actual service of the United States.  He has no power to initiate or declare a war either against a foreign nation or a domestic State.  But by the Acts of Congress of February 28th, 1795, and 3d of March, 1807, he is authorized to called out the militia and use the military and naval forces of the United States in case of invasion by foreign nations, and to suppress insurrection against the government of a State or of the United States.”6

The Court concluded that, in light of the “insurrection” of the Southern States, the President of the United States had the right to institute a blockade of the ports in the possession of the rebelling states and that all neutral countries/citizens were bound to recognize same.

Texas v. White, 74 U.S. 700 (1869)

Context

             This case involved the bringing of an original action in the United States Supreme Court by the State of Texas for the recovery of payment from certain bonds of the Federal Government. The issue before the Court was whether Texas, after the end of the Civil War (1867), was entitled to bring an original action in the United States Supreme Court as one of the states of the United States even though it was still attempting to comply with the Reconstruction Acts.

 

To answer the very significant question of jurisdiction of the Court, an analysis of the actions of Texas prior to its succession, during its succession and after the end of the Civil War was performed by the Court. Its findings were as follows:

Statehood Prior to the Civil War

The Republic of Texas was admitted as a state into the Union on December 27, 1845. By its admission into the Union, Texas and all of its residents were immediately vested with all the rights, and became subject to all the responsibilities and duties, of the original States under the United States Constitution.

“        From the date of admission, until 1861, the State was represented in the Congress of the United States by her senators and representatives, and her relations as a member of the Union remained unimpaired.  In that year, acting upon the theory that the rights of a State under the Constitution might be renounced, and her obligations thrown off at pleasure, Texas undertook to sever the bond thus formed, and to break up her constitutional relations with the United States.

Secession

On February 1, 1861, a convention of secession was called (and subsequently sanctioned by the legislature) where an ordinance to dissolve the union between Texas and the United States was adopted and Texas declared to be a separate and sovereign state. The relationship to the United States (and its government) was disclaimed – Texas seceded from the Union. Texas thereafter joined with the other Confederate States and declared war on the United States.

“…….The position thus assumed could only be maintained by arms, and Texas accordingly took part, with the other Confederate States, in the war of the rebellion, which these events made inevitable.  During the whole of that war there was no governor, or judge, or any other State officer in Texas, who recognized the National authority.  Nor was any officer of the United States permitted to exercise any authority whatever under the National government within the limits of the State, except under the immediate protection of the National military forces.”8

.            Status of Texas After the Civil War

And so, the Court came to the filing of the original action by the State of Texas in 1867. The issue clearly before the Supreme Court was whether it had jurisdiction to hear the case. That is, was Texas one of the United States entitled, under the Constitution, to bring its original action before the Court? The issue was raised in light of Texas’ secession, formation and joinder with the Confederate States of America’s declaration of war against the United States, the defeat of the Confederate States and the imposition of the Reconstruction Acts upon Texas and the other seceding states. Stated another way, was Texas a State within the meaning of the Constitution immediately after the Civil War and prior to compliance with all of the requirements of the Reconstruction Acts?

The Court held the following:

1.            “  The Constitution, in all its provisions, looks to an indestructible Union, composed of indestructible States…”9

2.            “…..When, therefore, Texas became one of the United States, she entered into an indissoluble relation.”10

3.            “…..And it was final.  The union between Texas and the other States was as complete, as perpetual, and as indissoluble as the union between the original States.  There was no place for reconsideration, or revocation, except through revolution, or through consent of the States.”11

No citation to the Constitution nor to any prior writings were alluded to by the Court. According to the Court, Texas never left the Union, despite its secession, reformulation into the Confederate States of America and declaration of war on the United States. Texas was before, during and after the Civil War a part of the United States of America (unless it had won the war).

             “Considered therefore as transactions under the Constitution, the ordinance of secession, adopted by the convention and ratified by a majority of the citizens of Texas, and all the acts of her legislature intended to give effect to that ordinance, were absolutely null.  They were utterly without operation in law.  The obligations of the State, as a member of the Union, and of every citizen of the State, as a citizen of the United States, remained perfect and unimpaired.  It certainly follows that the State did not cease to be a State, nor her citizens to be citizens of the Union.  If this were otherwise, the State must have become foreign, and her citizens foreigners.  The war must have ceased to be a war for the suppression of rebellion, and must have become a war for conquest and subjugation.”12

“        Our conclusion therefore is, that Texas continued to be a State, and a State of the Union, notwithstanding the transactions to which we have referred….”13

Based on the foregoing analysis and legal conclusions, the Court held that Texas was and had remained a State of the United States and was thus entitled to bring its original action before the Court.

White v. Hart, 80 U.S. 646 (1872)

Context

A suit was instituted in the Georgia Superior Court AFTER Reconstruction, as it applied to Georgia, was deemed terminated and Georgia had accrued to all of its former rights of representation in the Congress of the United States. Georgia had also amended its Constitution. The suit involved recovery on a promissory note which was secured by a slave. The reconstituted Georgia Constitution, as approved by the Congress of the United States (as required under the Reconstruction Acts) contained a provision that prohibited the enforcement of such a contract. The issue before the Court was whether Georgia/Congress could pass legislation which invalidated a contract that, when made, was legally enforceable. The following is an analysis of the effect of the Reconstruction Acts visited on the southern states. The legal requirement under the Reconstruction Acts that State Constitutions be amended and approved by the Congress will become significant in the Florida case determining the three league limit of Florida’s offshore jurisdiction.

All of the Confederate States, after their surrender, were governed by the Reconstruction Acts. These acts applied until each Confederate State complied with the terms and provisions of the Acts, including the amendment of their respective state constitutions to recognize the rights of freed slaves. This amended constitution had to be approved by Congress before each state could regain its representation rights in the United States Congress.

The court defined the acts of the individual states in seceding and prosecuting the Civil War:

“……  The doctrine of secession is a doctrine of treason, and practical secession is practical treason, seeking to give itself triumph by revolutionary violence.  The late rebellion was without any element of right or sanction of law….The power exercised in putting down the late rebellion is given expressly by the Constitution to Congress.  That body made the laws and the President executed them.  The granted power carried with it not only the right to use the requisite means, but it reached further and carried with it also authority to guard against the renewal of the conflict, and to remedy the evils arising from it in so far as that could be effected by appropriate legislation. At no time were the rebellious States out of the pale of the Union.  Their rights under the Constitution were suspended, but not destroyed. 14

Again, the Court is of the opinion that the Confederate States had never left the Union. They, and their citizens had, however, lost the right to be represented in the Congress. The Reconstruction Acts provided certain requirements that each state needed to satisfy (in the opinion of the Congress) before their rights of representation in the Congress would be restored.

 

The Civil War Continues

United States v. Florida, 363 U.S. 121 (1960)

Context

When Florida was admitted into the Union it got to keep, as a condition for statehood, its claim to submerged lands adjacent to its state shoreline boundaries. Then came succession and the Civil War followed by Reconstruction. As part of its congressionally mandated duty under the Reconstruction Acts, Florida was required to amend its constitution in certain particulars.

“Florida claims that Congress approved its three-league boundary in 1868, by approving[3] a constitution submitted to Congress as required by a Reconstruction Act passed March 2, 1867. 14 Stat. 428. That constitution carefully described Florida’s boundary on the Gulf of Mexico side as running from a point in the Gulf “three leagues from the mainland” and “thence north westwardly three leagues from the land” to the next point. The United States concedes that, from 1868 to the present day, Florida has claimed by its constitutions a three-league boundary into the Gulf.[5] The United States also admits that Florida submitted this constitution to Congress in 1868, but denies that the Gulf boundary it defined was “approved” by Congress within the meaning of the Submerged Lands Act.[6] This is the decisive question as between Florida and the United States.”15

The Court held that the Florida constitution, as rewritten and approved by Congress under the Reconstruction Acts, did indeed contain a three marine league boundary. It further held:

“…Thus, by its own description, Congress not only approved Florida’s Constitution, which included three-league boundaries, but Congress, in 1868, approved it within the meaning of the 1867 Acts. In turn, the approval the 1867 Acts required appears to be precisely the approval the 1953 Act contemplates.”16

 

Due to its careful consideration and attention to its offshore boundaries, Florida had affirmed by the Court its constitutionally mandated three league boundary as the same appeared in its constitution which, in accordance with the dictates of the Reconstruction Acts, was approved by the Congress prior to the restoration of Florida’s right to representation.

Kohlhaas v. State, Office of Lieutenant Governor, 147 P.3d 714 (Alaska – 2006)

Context

Secession, long thought to be relegated as a historical aberration, once again raised its head in this new century. This time, it was an individual in Alaska seeking to force the state to place the issue of secession on the Alaska initiative ballot. A modern state court was thus faced with the question of whether the issue of secession was one which Alaska residents could vote on and thus was a proper subject for placement on the initiative ballot. Prior to court review, the lieutenant governor declined to certify the issue for ballot placement since, in his opinion, the initiative sought an unconstitutional end – SECESSION.

The Alaska Supreme Court agreed with the lieutenant governor. That is, it found that it was unconstitutional for Alaska to even consider seceding from the United States. It further found that neither Alaska, nor any other of the states of the Union, possessed the right to secede before admission to the United States and thus, no state would retain such a right under the Tenth Amendment after admission.

“  When the forty-nine-star flag was first raised at Juneau, we Alaskans committed ourselves to that indestructible Union, for good or ill, in perpetuity.”17

Since the act of secession was found to be unconstitutional, the Alaska Supreme Court found that the citizens could not vote on the issue as a referendum item. Alaska would not be seceding from the Union. 

NOTE: Second case on same issues reached same conclusion Kohlhaas v. State, Cause No. S-13024 (Alaska 2010)

Conclusions

Under present federal Supreme Court jurisprudence:

  • The union which is the United States can never be dissolved by an independent action of one state (unless approved by Congress and/or the other states?)
  •  An individual state may never secede. Apparently, only people rebel – the states remain a part of the Union.
  •  Secession can be successful only if accomplished by force of arms (or agreement of the other states/Congress).

Postscript

Arizona

The right to secede simply will not die. In 2011, it is not conservative activists seeking secession but rather liberal activists. According to Reuters, a group of liberals want to split Arizona into two states and want voters to decide the issue in the next Presidential election (see Alaska). 

According to Reuters (May 10, 2011): “A group of lawyers from the Democratic stronghold of Tucson and surrounding Pima County have launched a petition drive seeking support for a November 2012 ballot question on whether the 48th state should be divided in two.”

“The ultimate goal of the newly formed political action committee Start our State is to split Pima County off into what would become the nation’s 51st state, tentatively dubbed Baja Arizona.”

“The ballot measure sought by Arizona secession backers is a nonbinding measure asking Pima County voters if they support petitioning state lawmakers for permission to break away.”

“Before secession could occur, it would have to be approved separately by the Legislature, and by a second, binding referendum by residents of the proposed state.”

Endnotes

1.            Texas v. White, 74 U.S. 700 at Page 704 (1869)

2.            Kohlhaas v. State, Office of Lieutenant Governor, 147 P.3d 714 at Page 715 (Alaska – 2006)

3.            Acts of March 2d and March 23d, 1867

4.            The Amy Warwick, 67 U.S. 635 at page 670 (1863)

5.            The Amy Warwick, 67 U.S. 635 at page 666 (1863)

6.            The Amy Warwick, 67 U.S. 635 at page 688 (1863)

7.            Texas v. White, 74 U.S. 700 at Page 722 (1869)

8.            Texas v. White, 74 U.S. 700 at Page 724 (1869)

9.            Texas v. White, 74 U.S. 725 at Page 725 (1869)

10.            Texas v. White, 74 U.S. 700 at Page 725 (1869)

11.            Texas v. White, 74 U.S. 700 at Page 725 (1869)

12.            Texas v. White, 74 U.S. 700 at Page 725 (1869)

13.            Texas v. White, 74 U.S. 700 at Page 725 (1869)

14.            White v. Hart, 80 U.S. 646 at Page 650 (1872)

15.            United States v. Florida, 363 U.S. 121 at Page 123 (1960)

16.            United States v. Florida, 363 U.S. 121 at Page 124 (1960)

17.            Kohlhaas v. State, Office of Lieutenant Governor, 147 P.3d 714 at Page 720 (Alaska – 2006)

JWR Adds: As the preceding article illustrates, it is the victors who write the history books and write the post facto legal opinions. They determine what is “legal” and “justified.” But if successful, it is those who were branded “rebels”, “traitors”, or “seccesh” who get their portraits stamped on the new coins. Modern day secession can work. Just ask the people of world’s newest country, South Sudan. The secession of predominantly Christian South Sudan was not just magnanimously handed to them by predominantly Muslim Sudan. The South Sudanese had to fight for their independence, in a costly and protracted civil war.

The White House opened up a data mining public petition web site that quickly resulted in more than 675,000 people in 50 states politely pleading for secession. Unfortunately, this is a futile effort. The Federal government presently does not recognize any right to secede. In essence, secession is not accomplished by asking permission. Rather, it is accomplished by a state (or subdivision thereof) simply declaring their secession, with the full knowledge of the consequences. Audentes fortuna iuvat. This very nearly happened in 1941, with the State of Jefferson, but our nation’s entry into World War II completely overshadowed and quashed that movement.

I now have high hopes for the American Redoubt movement, and the spin-off Redoubts in other regions. As conservative demographics and constituencies solidify in the Redoubt regions, the prospect of meaningful change becomes more likely. Vote with your feet!

Letter Re: Natural Gas Explosion in Indianapolis

Just writing in for the first time to bring an interesting incident to the forefront of the readers minds. It’s been lost in the national news since it happened .

Saturday night, November 10, 2012 at just past 11 p.m. an explosion rocked a south Indianapolis neighborhood. Officials immediately cordoned off the neighborhood and started doing sweeps of the debris looking for survivors. In all four houses were totally destroyed, two were wiped to the foundations. Several surrounding homes were damaged beyond repair and 80 homes were damaged. The scene looked like a war zone with the look of a 500 pound bomb explosion (minus the crater). Luckily for the couple who lived in the house where the blast originated, they had gone gambling at the casino. They won this bet for sure. The couple in the house next door weren’t so lucky. They both perished in the explosion and accompanying fire. The wife was a teacher in the school system that my children attend.

Moments after the initial blast that was heard and felt up to 20 miles away, sirens wailed on  for hours. Emergency crews flooded the neighborhood causing gridlock in the surrounding area. There was no way for survivors in the vicinity of the blast to drive away due to water hoses and emergency vehicles. Many survivors were moved to a school located across a field from the subdivision with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Gas and electricity was cut off to keep the emergency workers safe. The division of code compliance was soon on the scene in the early morning hours to check the area for structures that were deemed unsafe and they were tagged such so no entry was permitted. Some homes will need to be bulldozed, many of which were knocked off their foundations.

The Subdivision is a standard quarter to third acre lot brick faced vinyl village that has sprouted all over in suburbia. These homes are built to meet and never exceed code requirements. They build them as cheaply as possible! The rafters and deck bracing is all 1.5″ x 3.5″ (modern 2×4) construction with 1/2″ decking and wallboard everywhere. The electrical systems and plumbing are as bare bones as you can get and still pass muster. The houses have little insulation unless you pay for extra and you can gain entry through a wall with a pocketknife. These houses are total junk and sold at the same price as a custom home. I’m not surprised at all that the damage was so severe. The fire department in a town near Indy tried to find out why so many of these type tract homes burned when struck by lightening by hiring experts to come in and inspect the structures for a cause. They found that any time a house of this construction was built, they flexible metal gas lines would take the energy from the lightening strike and make the tubing fail, causing the super heated line to catch the escaping gasses on fire.

Saturday it was near 70 degrees F so many people took advantage of the weather and got some exercise. Luckily my Cub Scout troop had planned a service project at the local church. The boys and I along with many other volunteers were fighting the weeds in a hedgerow wearing short sleeves. Many people opened their windows during the day and enjoyed the warmth. The occupants of the house that exploded had left it closed up and the house was warm enough that the furnace didn’t need to operate all day, until about 11:09? The home owner got a text from the occupant (Daughter) a few days before that the furnace wasn’t working properly.

At this time the cause of the fire hasn’t officially been determined, but I’d bet dollars to doughnuts that it was the furnace. (Many Internet speculators have called it a Predator UAV strike or a plane crash. One even cited Russian intelligence sources as noting a launch profile from their satellites. The American CIA had supposedly lost control of a Raptor and it fired or something along those lines. I have a hard time believing that and the evidence doesn’t support it, but hey, it’s a nearly free country.)

The response from the alphabet soup government was huge. ATF, NTSB, FBI, State police, County police, City Police and fire services were all on scene to evaluate. All residents were removed for their own safety and the houses were inspected again Sunday. The devastation was immense. People weren’t allowed back to their homes until Monday afternoon, were they had an hour to collect belongings from their homes and leave. The residents of homes that were made habitable were allowed to stay as long as no evidence was found in the immediate vicinity of their home. Many residents had no way to get around due to the damage to their cars, or the fact that the cars were trapped under collapsed garage doors. Most were unprepared and caught naked in the night. They scrambled out of their houses with little more than the clothes on their backs.

My house is almost exactly a mile from the explosion, but after a hard days work I was dead asleep when the explosion occurred. I slept right through it. This emergency was too close to ignore, too different form the one’s I have prepared for to keep me content with my level of preparedness. Things I’ve come to realize over the last few days have really shaken me up and have made me consider caches more acceptable than guarded preps at the house.

The idea that a government agency can forcefully remove me from my property for my own safety really bothered me. Not only that, they made the survivors rally at a school that is a “Gun free zone” with regard to the Indiana Code. No firearms, no time to gather preps, no vehicles due to the streets being cordoned off. Had I lived in the vicinity, I’d be homeless, hungry and unarmed in an instant with no recourse to make the situation better. There were relief agencies mobilized by Sunday but no long term accommodations had been made for those without insurance to cover it. It’s now Tuesday and there are still people relying on handouts for the basics. This would be totally unacceptable for myself and my family. I need a better plan.

I needed somewhere local I can stash a few buckets of food and provisions to keep the family happy long enough to arrange long term housing in case ours is uninhabitable. At least a couple weeks food, some cash and barter as well as copies of documents we might need. Maybe even an extra credit card and book of checks for keeping a lid on the finances during the event. Toiletries for the whole family. Cash phone with minutes in case there’s something else going on to necessitate a bailout. Insurance contact information. Personally, I have 2 locations that come to mind but only one is secure. I’ll have to enact my plan in the next few weeks to make sure it’s handled.

My biggest failure was with regard to my bailout bags. Mine is still torn apart from the last scout camping trip late last month. I was intending to replace the sleeping bag with a better rated bag for the cooler weather. My eldest son had claimed my old one so I was without until a new one showed up on my doorstep tonight. Had I needed it, I would have been unprepared and so would my eldest son. Neither had the BOB ready to go. Unacceptable behavior on my part.

Interior security on my home is pathetic. Should the inspectors stroll through my house, they would see way too much for me. OPSEC would be totally blown and I’d be on the list for having guns and reloading components stocked up. I’ve got ammo, powder and bullets strewn all over my garage and the fuel cans are easily visible. All my web gear is hanging where it can be seen without much digging. A looter with someone on the inside would clean me out in a matter of minutes. Our local code enforcement officers are paid at the poverty level so they would be my biggest concern. None of my steel storage cabinets were locked up securely. Anyone could have rifled through my weapons list and exchange books. My financials were laying on my desk for the most recent moves out of the market. Several of my guns were laying on top of the safe because I hadn’t cleaned them from a range trip the weekend before the explosion. All my Dillon equipment was out and charged up ready for use. My alarm covers the garage so I just don’t consider it a threat.

I don’t have Window and door sized plywood cut and ready to go in case I have an emergency. I have several sheets of 1/4″ sheet, but none cut for easy install. In the event of a tornado or blast, I would be unable to cover my windows and doors in a timely manner. My house would be a sitting duck without me here to protect it.

Another prime fail point would be transportation. If we were in the same position, we wouldn’t have wheels except for my bikes that I keep off site during the winter. Sounds like I need to stash an el cheapo wagon somewhere where we can get to it locally. The bailout vehicle at my bailout location isn’t moving, I need another option. I’m thinking a small minivan or station wagon that is unassuming and cheap would do the trick. Need to tint the windows and make it as soccer momesque as possible. Maybe even an Honor Roll sticker on the bumper. To add to my own ignorance, my truck (the primary BOV) is packed to the gills with work supplies that need to be brought into the garage storage system. My converted cargo trailer is also in use with a friend so I can’t even use it for temporary housing. It has my backup generator on it as well.

The primary bailout location is a few hours away in a secluded area but without my preps at home, I might not make it if the emergency is serious enough to require us to bring our own fuel. It’s all set up and ready to go but it couldn’t help me a bit if I was homeless but needed to stay here for work. It’s a unique emergency for sure.

The biggest, and most important issue we face is the proximity of our neighbors. By local code, we must not build closer than 10′ from the property line. That means our houses can be a minimum of 20′ apart. Way too close for my comfort. I’m still 100 feet or so from my closest neighbor, but not enough space if they have an explosion of this magnitude. It’s suburbia, so I’ll have to live with it. I have not been able to convince the wife to move further away yet but I’m working on it. Montana, the Dakotas, and Utah interest me, but I think she has only Montana on her mind.

In closing I’d like to point out that this tragedy was an opportunity for me to put myself into that situation and learn from it. The discipline to survive should never falter of fade. Vigilance is the key to prevailing in this climate of uncertainty. I’ve failed myself and my family and vow to enhance our security and ability to survive no matter what is thrown at me. – J.B. from Greenwood

JWR Replies: Our friend Tamara of the View From The Porch blog was about 15 miles away and heard the blast. This dramatic incident is a reminder that it is safer to live in a neighborhood where houses are more widely spaced. Keep your BOB handy. And, of course, the smell of odorized natural gas or propane should never be ignored, as the consequences can be devastating.

Economics and Investing:

Jim T. spotted this over at Zero Hedge: Q2 Total Gross Notional Derivatives Outstanding: $639 Trillion. (Don’t miss reading the comments.)

O.T. sent: Regulators Destroying Your Home Appliances

Peter Schiff: Thanks To Federal Reserve Policies Like QE3; We’re All Scr%#ed

Items from The Economatrix:

Gold And Silver Prices Set To Explode

Obama Win Means Big Inflation Is Coming, Investor Refuge In Gold And Silver

US To Become Largest Oil Producer, Energy Independent

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Tony S. spotted this: 100 Free Survival Downloads

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F.J. liked this: Hinged Canvas Hides Your Alarm Panel [or other items]

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Regular content contributor F.G. sent: Drifting Fish Farm Yields First Harvest in US Waters

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Dulce et decorum est: Chicago’s gun buyback helps group pay for youth shooting camp. (Thanks to Janet U. for the link.)

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Huelga! Transport chaos across Europe as millions take to streets in austerity protest and police fire rubber bullets at rioters

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We have reclaimed our permanent home given to us by God as our birthright. Never again shall South Sudanese be oppressed for their political beliefs. Never again shall our people be discriminated [against] on account of race or religion. Never again shall we roam the world as sojourners and refugees.” – Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of South Sudan

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 43 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 43 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

More Tips on Prepping on a Budget, by S.T.

How do you manage the extra expense of prepping when you are already cash strapped? After all, it is like buying for two households. When you are cost conscious you are able to purchase more. I am going to share my experience with you.

I am a single Mom of three and started prepping about a year ago. I would clip coupons and pick up extra cans of veggies a couple of times a month. When I started looking a sites on the internet that listed all the items to have on hand, I became concerned that my cans of veggies were not going to last all that long. Not to mention my kids are picky eaters and feeding them peas and corn every day was a recipe for disaster.

I made lists of food items that added variety, fruit snacks, raisins, cookies, cheese and cracker packs. Individual juice boxes, tuna, Spam (of course.) Soups, canned and dehydrated, beef stew, tortillas, and lots of peanut butter. Individual serving size apple sauce and fruit cups are healthy and convenient. I buy jars of nuts when they are on sale because I have found nuts can fill you up really quickly. We have cereal bars and small boxes of cereal. I have been buying cans of evaporated milk and recently discovered a boxed milk (non soy) because I know powdered milk won’t get drank, not even by me! I felt comfortable when we had about a six month supply on hand. Most stores have their own brand instead of name brand items that can be purchased less expensively and when you are prepping every dime counts.

I have always been a bargain shopper. I love to snoop in second hand shops and garage sales. I made a separate list for tents, camp stoves, canning equipment, hand tools, etc. Every weekend I planned my garage sale route with the items that were listed in the paper. I have recently noticed a number of “man sales” and even though I was the only woman there I found items to stash just in case. Lanterns, radios, flash lights. When I buy these items I try to keep all with the same battery size. Saws, even a brand new packaged solar shower. I found an old cooking device that uses newspaper. Now granted I’m not putting steak on this unit but to use it to heat a can of soup on, this just might be the ticket. I found storage tubs to keep the mice out of the sugar and snacks. I found shelf units and always came home smiling at my good luck, crossing out my items from the list. It’s like God was personally delivering to me what written on my lists.

Wal-Mart is always a place to hunt for bargains, but use a list. The store is designed to make you buy and get distracted by all the latest and greatest. This is where I buy my small bottles of propane much cheaper than I have found at other stores. Also medical supplies we might need. Triple antibiotic, hydrogen peroxide, ibuprofen. Check out the end caps and clearance areas, sometimes you get lucky.  I have gotten used to buying on the internet and found I don’t like paying tax, I also search for free shipping or combined shipping with the same seller. Ebay is one of my favorite sites. Recently I noticed some of the sellers are just getting plain greedy though. For example I had a bottle of 50 water purifying tablets on my watch list, when I put them on my list they were $ 8.99 with free shipping. Yesterday as I was going through my watch list they are now listed for $58.10! Really? That listing got deleted and I found another seller for $8.99 and bought right away, lesson learned. I purchased non GMO seeds last spring on Ebay for much less than the seed sites are selling for. They are also listed under the category of heirloom seeds. Left in the freezer, they are good for ten years. I can also collect the seeds from the veggies I grow. Last year was the first year I attempted growing vegetables by seed. I found a small but sturdy green house on closeout at my local hardware store. Our spring in Northern Minnesota was really wet so we set the green house up inside on the three season porch and used a grow light until the seeds were established enough to be put in the ground. A lot died, but this coming spring I intend to direct sow and put the green house over the garden plot. We had an okay harvest and this gave me the opportunity to use the canning equipment I found at an abandoned storage unit sale. I also found a security system on Ebay for like thirty bucks with free shipping. The cameras face the front and back of the property and we watch from a small black and white monitor.

 I know all the horror stories about Craigslist, but I have found numerous items there. I always bring someone with me (and my trustee stun gun). A month ago I bought a chest freezer for $100.00 and even found a farmer selling beef. My son and I recently took a road trip and stocked the freezer with a ½ beef. Last week I purchased a generator found on this site. Another item crossed off the list. The free listings are an excellent source of possible supplies.

 Harbor Freight has some good bargains as does Fleet Farm a favorite of mine for batteries and pet supplies. I also like to look in Cabela’s bargain cave. Then of course I compare prices on other sites just to make sure I am getting the best price. Don’t rule out Goodwill or The Salvation Army stores, they can be a treasure trove. Dollar stores are filled with items that might be helpful, like toothbrushes, razors, plastic silverware, disposable cups, etc.

I also buy the vitamins and herbs we need from a site called Swanson’s, they have a great selection and flat rate shipping is $4.99. I am a firm believer in all natural healing. Also use the email sign up on sites for extra savings.

My kids all work so I have delegated some of these items to them. My daughter is in charge of pet supplies. My son went through a catalog and bought ammo and guns, knives, swords, small shovels and solar blankets from Cheaper Than Dirt, online and catalog available. The things I would not think of because I haven’t been a boy scout.

I’ve been able to find some excellent books on living in the wild. Just in case we have to leave the safety of our property.

At some point you have to feel secure with what you’ve accumulated. When I began, I wondered how much is enough? I am finding over time that voice had quieted down and I’m not going about this with a fearful attitude. I feel more empowered. I have not found everything, I am still working down my list. I know I have to start filling gas cans for the generator, not found a decent size tent or two way radios. But I know we have enough food and water to get us through. I still fill empty milk jugs, because my kids keep drinking them!

I have also been known to check out construction sites. It is a great place to get wood scraps for fires or even plywood to cover windows and securing doors. Many of these items are tossed aside.

As you buy consider the items might be used in barter situations. Coins, ammo, seeds, water, food, tobacco, just about anything. I know that I would not turn away from others who need help. I would not actively seek them out, but if they show up cold and hungry I will help. We still have to be human and live by the Golden Rule.

Watching the news the last few days has me in awe of the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. So many people expect help in these situations and complain that it does not arrive instantly. All of us can be our own rescuer. We heard the warning. We have to make time to prepare for any emergency. Plan ahead! Being prepared not just for storms or the end of the world scenarios, but because food prices are on the verge of sky rocketing.
Lastly I would like to put in my two cents. I thought I lived on the greatest nation on Earth. I am angry that I have to plan for the end of the world scenario. That  preppers are considered dangerous people. That we are considered terrorists. How did it get to this point?  I am upset that this is my childrens’ reality. That they can not be as carefree as they should be. That America used to be the nation all others strived to be. But secretly there has been a plot against us. That the powers that be (are) want us wiped off the planet. That is the part I have a hard time with. This is just plain wrong, and I know the strong shall survive, being prepared makes you strong. So quietly go about preparing. We have an obligation to survive and take care of our loved ones, no matter what may come.

Letter Re: Armageddon Medicine Seminar AAR

Hello Jim,
I wanted to pass on an after action report (AAR) of our experience at Doc Cindy’s Armageddon Medicine “102” class, this past weekend.

This class differed from classes we had taken from other Doctors/trainers in the past as it dealt with what to do with sick people rather than a class that focused on trauma treatment. I assume that Cindy’s 101 class dealt with those issues.

The mix of the students contained a dentist, a doctor, 2 nurses, a civil engineer, a biochemist, several business people, a gal from Canada, a Federal Emergency Responder, a very bright, well-trained 17 year old and the rest were made up of citizens such as Abigail and myself. The class mix was extremely fun and interesting as we shared various and numerous stories, experiences, thought processes and ideas.

Cindy did a most excellent job on getting the critical information to us that would be needed in a grid down situation. She weeded out all the cosmetic from the practical. However it was still a fire hose of information. We learned which of the current medications could be used on a particular disease and what was perhaps more important what to use if those medicines were no longer available.

One of the areas of discussion was how warts on our feet could affect our ability to travel and keep up with our group. This lead to proper wart removal, and we were given prepared plastic feet to practice on. Before this session was done Abigail surgically removed a wart from my finger. It won’t be missed!

I will not go into detail on all that was covered in our three-day course. You can view the syllabus online if you would like a more in depth look.
The long and short of it is this class is highly recommended, for anyone that is concerned about their and their loved ones health in these troubling times.
This class is also Grandma recommended, as it will enable you to be a reliable resource to your children as they combat childhood illness when they enter the parenting field.
We are so glad we took this course and are hoping that there will be a 103 class offered. Our thanks to Doc Cindy.

Yours in Christ, – John and Abigail Adams

Economics and Investing:

Marc Faber: Market To Drop 20% Now, 50% Later, Complete Global Societal Collapse In Five Years

“NO BID” Threat Looming: When The Computers Stop Trading…Any Tradable Funds May Drop To Zero! [JWR Adds: An old Austrian School of Economics saying is: “There are buyers and sellers in every market”–but in a market where nearly all the trading is program trading, this may no longer hold true.]

Moody’s says would maintain US rating, outlook in event of fiscal cliff, await further cues

Items from The Economatrix:

What Is The Fiscal Cliff?

CBO:  “Fiscal Cliff” Could Trigger Recession

Ron Paul:  “We’re So Far Gone.  We’re Over The Cliff.”

The List Has Grown:  Switzerland, The Netherlands, and Ecuador Join Germany In Calls For Audits Of Their Gold

Odds ‘n Sods:

Rockaway, Queens: “Like a Scene From an End of the World Movie”

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Over at the Silver Vigilante web site: Looper: A Small Portrait of Silver

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USA Today recently published an article that briefly quoted me: For ‘preppers,’ every day could be doomsday

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Wal-Mart has posted their Black Friday sale ads and they included a Savage 12 gauge pump-action riotgun at only $169. Needless to say, not all stores will carry these, and some Wal-Marts in the big cities don’t carry any guns. I expect an early sellout, despite the fact that Stevens has these guns made for them in China.

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Kevin S. sent: Use Your Webcam For Home Surveillance With These Tools

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“President Obama won [re-election in November, 2012] because he promised to steal more things from the people who didn’t vote for him and give what he stole to the people who did vote for him, because that is what an election is, right? An advanced auction on the sale on stolen goods.” – Peter Schiff

Notes from JWR:

Now in hardback! The First Revised Edition of Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse will be released in hardback on December 4th, 2012. (Although that date may be moved up to the third week of November, depending on the printing schedule.) This will be the first time that the book has ever been printed with a cloth binding. I’ve updated the novel slightly to remove some lingering temporal incongruities that had built up in the course of previous editions. I’ve also added a new introduction. As with the later paperback editions, it will include a glossary and index. There is no special “Book Bomb” Day planned, so feel free to pre-order your copies.

The ISBN for the new hardback edition is 978-1612431666. The cover price will be $24, but sellers like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble should be selling it for around $14.25. I will only be autographing a few gift copies, and a few prize copies for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Case lots are also available from Ulysses Press, for you gun show table guys. (Phone 510-601-8301, for details.)

—

An anniversary note, courtesy of People History: “Nov 13th, 1940: The prototype for the Jeep featuring four-wheel drive, an open-air cab, and a rifle rack mounted under the windshield was submitted to the U.S. Army for approval by the car maker Willys-Overland. One year later, with the U.S. declaration of war, mass production of the Jeep began. By the war’s end in 1945, some 600,000 Jeeps had rolled off the assembly lines.”

—

Today we present another entry for Round 43 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, E.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 43 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Never Let Your Guard Down: Adventures in the City, by B.D.

The rustling came again from the back of the shotgun-style apartment. Was it squirrels? We had a few of the little gray buggers living in the trees around us and they made quite a racket. I assured my wife via text that a squirrel wouldn’t come through our window screens.

She got up and looked into our bedroom just to make sure and saw a head and back sticking through about half way onto our bed. Letting out a blood curdling yell, she screamed and ran towards the window as the perp backpedaled out and ran off down the alley. Slamming the window, she called me at work, had me call 911, and waited for the police who quickly arrived on the scene. Everything worked out well in this case. The guy, homeless, was arrested within half an hour and booked on an outstanding bench warrant and for burglary. He plead guilty and did time for misdemeanor trespass.

We live in St. Louis, a city known for crime, and at the time lived in an area which is well on its way to gentrification. Still, on the edges things were a bit spotty. Case in point our apartment where across the alley stood what we later found out was a house central to the local heroin trafficking market. Over in our ground-floor apartment, we didn’t know that. All we could tell is that it was pretty busy with high school age looking kids most days.

The week of the robbery, we were moving in having just gotten married and hauled my wife’s stuff in from out of state. We had boxes all over the place and they were still there the week after the honeymoon. We also didn’t fully realize that our landlord had left the master keys to our apartment building on the front porch the week I was gone to the wedding; someone had already been inside to case the joint and steal my Glock.

It was the perfect setup for a burglary or robbery. Our apartment was at the end of the road by a busy intersection and was beside the major footpath connecting our road with the alley and the road behind it. Many folks walked that path daily to cut the corner and some would stop and sit in the chairs in our back yard enjoying the shade. It was hot, above the century mark for most of the previous month, and everyone had their windows open…especially those of us trying to move. Out back, we had a pile of boxes stacked in and around the dumpster. The inside of the house was such a mess that I wasn’t even sure if my gun had gone missing. And, worst of all, our land lord, experiencing the early stages of Alzheimer’s left the keys out for the taking.

There are so many things that went wrong which set us up so well to be the target of Maurice that day. Each one is something that is small in itself, but when added up, can in the blink of the result in horrible things. Everyone survived that day and although traumatized, my wife and I have come away better for it, I believe. The important thing is that our experiences be used as a lesson for others. Being newlyweds and just starting off in a new city in a cheap apartment is no excuse to allow your safety or alertness to be compromised.

Situational awareness, or the act (or art?) of being alert to your surroundings in a way that allows you to react appropriately is not one of the sexy parts of prepping. However, it is one of the most important. It is a skill that needs to be both practiced and utilized daily. Situational awareness can be seen on numerous levels of time scales. In our case, we were moving into a new apartment and we needed to practice both short term and long term situational awareness. This article will examine both of these in detail providing some general ideas on how to better prepare yourself. Each situation is different and every second changes your individual needs. Use this as a guide and build up your own system depending on what your life requires. Remember to keep alert for any need to change your system. Don’t wait for a failure to revamp; you might not get the chance.

Long-term Situational Awareness
Long-term situational awareness deals with things that are not an immediate threat. In these days of collapsing culture and declines in neighborliness it is even more important to know your neighborhood and those who live near you. Our neighborhood had an online email list as well as regular meetings. We utilized these fairly well and we knew that there was a crime spree in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, there was not enough data before the week of our robbery for even a map-geek like myself to pinpoint the source of our problems. Interestingly, within a few weeks of our break-in, the crime spree focused around a few blocks of us and the correlation was painfully obvious, even to a casual observer. Find out, preferably before you select a place to live, where the problem areas are. Get updated on the neighborhood situation before you even move. The same applies to areas where you work or often frequent. Prior planning is a good thing.

Once you’re in place, keep an eye out on neighborhood traffic. We probably could have spotted people who didn’t belong if we had been more attentive. I should have especially noticed that people walking by our windows had an easy way to look inside and make sure to make that impossible for them and also to deny them access to the chairs in our yard. With them being moved often, I did not think anything of it when one of them was moved under our bedroom window just hours later to be used to vault up into our life.
Most importantly, don’t let your awareness get displaced by something like moving. When you are moving, you are perhaps at your most vulnerable. Trips to and from the moving van provides anyone around a perfect view of everything you are moving and a good idea about where you are putting things, even if all of your blinds are shut. With doors open and air conditioners useless, windows being open in such heat are very tempting. However, this just adds to your advertisement power!

Short-Term Situational Awareness

Short-term, or immediate, situational awareness, is what most people think of when they hear the term. This is not paranoia, it is remaining alert for any potential threats and mounting your guard accordingly. In his book Combatives for Street Survival, Kelly McCann discusses the effects of a surprise attack on the victim: loss of fine motor skills, shaking, tunnel vision, rapid heart rate, etc. These responses make dealing with any threat more difficult, which is why Kelly stresses the importance of seeing the attacker before any attack can happen. As McCann notes, many times just making it clear that you are aware is enough to deter an attack. This is where your short-term situational awareness comes into play.
There have been many systems developed to help people logically process one’s situational awareness in a systematic way. Jeff Cooper’s color code, which he introduced in his classic Principles Of Personal Defense is an easy system to use in today’s world of TSA rainbow threat levels. Cooper’s color code is in essence a categorizing of a person’s mental state (roughly alertness/preparedness) given their ability to respond to various potential threats. The code is as follows:

  • White: You are walking down the street with ear buds in, music on, looking down to text. Basically, you are blissfully unaware of anything going on around you and you are in total denial that anything bad may happen to you. Stress, tiredness, and intoxication all help push you towards this level.
  • Yellow: Often described as “relaxed alert,” this is the level where one should strive to be at even the “safest” times. There is no observed or suspected threat, but you are alert to your surroundings and are minimizing distractions.
  • Orange: At level orange, you are on alert. You have spotted a potential threat and are ensuring that the source of this potential threat has your attention. At this point, should the potential threat become a real threat you move to level Red. Should the potential threat show that it is not a threat, you will return to level yellow. For example, you are walking along and a dog starts growling at you. Were it to charge you, threat level red comes into play. Were you to notice that it is chained and behind a solid fence, threat level yellow may be your choice.
  • Red: The potential threat is now a threat. Actions must be taken to nullify that threat. “Fight of flight” is in play and it is likely that things will get ugly.

Col. Cooper’s system does not directly translate into a system for situational awareness, rather it alerts you to the most important element of surviving a threat- your mental state. No matter how good of a shot you are or how “tacticool” your carry weapon is, if you are caught by a mugger at level white awareness…well, you’ve got a big hole to dig out of at best. Evaluation of your mental state using Cooper’s system (or another that you prefer) should become second nature. It should be a process that runs quietly in the background allowing you to focus more on potential threats and how to deal with them.
Using the example of our break in, let’s walk through how this works using the clarity of hindsight to see what should have happened. Given the presence of known criminals and a drug house, my alert level should have been at a level yellow when my wife and I left the house that morning. Walking to the car, I should have been scanning the house for broken basement windows, “self-walking furniture,” moved plants, loitering strangers, etc. I would have noticed that a chair was placed under our back window and gotten suspicious and moved it, thus denying entry to our windows.

To this day, I do not know where our robber was, but I suspect that he could see us getting in the car and driving off, but couldn’t see that my wife re-entered the house a short time afterwards having walked back from a coffee shop. This means he was somewhere in back of the house (where our cars were). Could I have noticed him? Maybe. Perhaps he was inside the drug house? Regardless, lines of sight work both ways, if he could see us, we could have seen him.

Let’s say I had spotted him standing watching us behind the drug house in the alley as we drove out. He posed no direct threat to us, but he was out of place. I’d be moving my mental state to orange. Driving back around the block and calling the cops in the process giving them his description would likely have sufficed in this case, he had a bench warrant outstanding and wouldn’t have stuck around long if the police showed up. With the potential threat gone, I would return back to yellow.

While looking for potential threats is a topic that would never be completely covered no matter how much ink is spent on it, there are some key points to remember. First, your situation is unique. Much of situational awareness is intuition and gut feeling. If it feels wrong, don’t. It’s much better to be wrong and leave a non-threatening situation needlessly than it is to go against your gut and wind up dead.

Secondly, if you see someone who doesn’t seem to have a reason to be some place, be careful. McCann demonstrates this by using the example of a guy standing in the middle of the parking lot just looking around with no keys out. What’s he doing there? Most people who lose their cars have their keys out and this guy doesn’t even look too confused. This rule can be expanded in any number of ways. Another example: unless you’re a kid playing hide and seek, most people don’t have a very good reason to be hiding behind bushes. Trust your gut and use common sense.

Third, be on the look out for bottlenecks and cover. Most of us do not daily have to worry about armed ambushes. However, criminals like to take advantage of situations which make their job of jumping you easier. The old “dark alley” adage applies here. So does the “don’t be foolish, trust your gut” theory.

Lastly, be aware of how you present yourself. People at level white are obvious to spot (for a fun exercise, go out on the street and count how many people you see who are clearly at level white) and make great targets for crooks. It’s also very easy to make it clear that you are not at white. Why take a hard target when there are so many easy fish out there? That’s the crook mentality. Most of the time, they would prefer not to have to work…that’s why they’re involved in crime in the first place! Walk with purpose. Don’t have your arms full if you don’t have to. Don’t be distracted. Make it clear you’re not a tourist (even if you are). Give off an air of confidence and alertness. It is always better to avoid a confrontation than to have to win one the hard way. This one simple step almost certainly is the one thing that keeps more people safe than anything else.

Situational awareness is clearly a subject about which much has been written and all of us could improve each day of our lives. It is a skill which is improved with exercise and one on which there are many views out there. I don’t feel that any view is mutually exclusive of the others. In this article I have presented Cooper’s color-based system of mental states because it is easy to remember and makes sense to me. There are certainly others. The US Government uses a system known as TEDD (Time, Environment, Distance and Demeanor) which is discussed in an article at STRATFOR: “Threats, Situational Awareness and Perspective.” There is also Col. John Boyd’s OODA (observe, orient, decide, act) loop. For further information on this topic, I would recommend, in addition to the works already mentioned the following sources:

Home defense is about more than a shotgun or that security system and decal. It is a part of our lives that requires active participation on our part. With the lingering depressed economy, raging drug problem, and criminals with no respect for life, it is a sad fact that we must face this reality. Best of all, these key steps to home defense are free; it only takes a few seconds and alertness. So, for those readers who live in urban areas especially, take some time to reassess your security strategy. Do not let yourselves grow complacent, even if you have a security system. Let our lessons learned the hard way be an example to get you thinking so that something similar doesn’t happen to you. Oh, and if your landlord starts leaving keys out, move.

About the Author: B.D. lives with his beautiful new bride in St. Louis where they are expecting their first child in May.

Letter Re: The Core Kit: First Aid and Beyond

Dear Mr. Rawles,
As a pharmacist of more years than I like to admit, I would like to make a few comments and additions regarding Jason J.’s recent excellent post on “The Core Kit – First Aid and Beyond”. First, I must thank Jason for his time, knowledge, and insight, as well as for his service to our country. His sense of humor was well-received as well! My comments are minor, but may clarify/enhance an issue or two.

First, as Jason suggests, it is wise to follow “Universal Precautions” whenever you are dealing with the blood or bodily fluids of someone else. In the health care field, these precautions simply mean to protect yourself as if the unknown person has a blood-borne disease, whether you know it to be true or not. However, thankfully, Jason’s statement: “Realize that every person has unique blood. This includes pathogens. We all have something in our blood we should not pass around” is a bit of an overstatement. The blood of a healthy person is sterile, except for the living blood cells that are a natural component of human blood.

With regard to the analgesic (pain med) section, I fear that a few typos may result in a misunderstanding of the intended points. First, ibuprofen should not be the long term choice of analgesic if you have stomach problems (especially if you’re prone to ulcers). As a side-effect of it’s pharmacological action, it inhibits the formation of the essential mucous layer which protects the lining of the stomach from the extreme acidity of the gastric juices. Using ibuprofen regularly, and long-term, is a sure recipe for ulcers and the inevitable G.I. bleed. Perhaps acetaminophen would be a better choice in people with stomach problems. While on the subject of ibuprofen (including its longer-acting sister, naproxen), it must be noted that it does indeed possess anti-inflammatory properties which are very useful in suppression of pain involving inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis (an auto-immune, inflammatory disease). In contrast, osteoarthritis (the general “wearing out” of joints which eventually manifests in most of us old geezers) is not considered an inflammatory condition (though acute flare-ups happen!). In this case, acetaminophen may relieve the pain without the stomach and kidney side-effects of ibuprofen.

Speaking of acetaminophen, though it is excellent for reducing fevers and helping to relieve some non-inflammatory pain, I would be remiss in not reminding everyone that it is the second most common cause of liver failure in the U.S. (anyone care to guess the first most common cause?…I’ll drink to that!). To dramatically reduce the risk of this toxic phenomenon, many experts are now recommending that acetaminophen should be restricted to no more than 3 grams daily. Since a regular strength acetaminophen (i.e., Tylenol) tablet contains 325 mg, the maximum would be 9 tablets per day. Beware that “extra strength” tabs contain 500mg, and some sustained release products contain 650mg per tab. Also, be alert to other combination analgesics, often containing acetaminophen in a dose of 300-500mg per tab (e.g., Norco, Vicodin, Lortab, Lorcet, Percocet, etc.). If you’re taking any of these drugs, this acetaminophen should be figured into your total daily dose count.

Finally, many medical folks (especially dermatologists) recommend the routine use of “double antibiotic ointment” (bacitracin and polymyxin) in the place of “triple antibiotic ointment” (bacitracin, polymyxin, neomycin) because many people develop a sensitivity (allergy) to neomycin – usually resulting in a local skin reaction which may confound assessment of the severity and healing progress of the wound. I haven’t studied the data on this phenomenon, but many hospitals have changed to the double antibiotic ointment as the standard. Having said that, whichever you can get is far better than having none! Also, with regard to antibiotics and their appropriate uses, I would recommend a copy of “The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy” to keep handy with whatever antibiotics you can store. This is a small paperback “pocket reference” published annually which summarizes the clinical use of antibiotics. Much of it is more detailed than most non-medical folks would need, but the first chapter addresses common infections by affected body system, and recommends empiric (i.e., “best guess without cultures”) antibiotic choices based on the most likely involved pathogen. If you know a doctor, nurse practitioner, or hospital pharmacist, ask them if you can have their last year’s edition. We usually throw them away when we get the new one, and the bulk of the recommendations rarely changes. You may also need to get a good magnifying glass. If the information is condensed much more, we’re going to need a microscope to read it!

Thanks again, Jason, for your post, and, as always, thank you to Mr. Rawles for all that you do!

Best Regards, – S.H. in Texas