Are you packing Heat along w/ preps?

I just bought 1000 rounds, 40 caliber and 1000 rounds 9 mm.  I will end up using some of the rounds in practice.  But, for right now I am done.  I may buy more if I run low.

I haven't responded to the poll because we haven't armed yet, but plan to. So anything I'd answer (at the moment - none) would not be accurate for long.

Guess we are among those who have been convinced that it's a necessary prep item, but we just haven't done it yet.

Dan, my first instinct was to remain unarmed too because my food and preps are not more valuable to me than someone elses life - stranger or friend.

My reason for changing my mind about arming is because of the threat of thugs and violent elements of the city taking advantage of a disaster.

I would never shoot someone who didn't appear threatening, but only hungry. I just want to be prepared if the people who are always criminal and violent appear.

I respect your right to do otherwise and I still haven't followed through on getting a gun.

Dlugose wrote: As someone who would not arm, I also considered not responding to the poll.   As I suspected.   Polls anywhere on this site are not very well designed. The title someone gives to the poll can be an influence, the comments listed here are sometimes read before the poll, so a person would not feel comfortable since this is turning out to be primarily for those who would get a gun and use it.   Again I feared that the 'good if you do, fool if you don't' flavor to some of our polls and threads have been slamming the door in the faces of those who peruse but do not respond and/or agree.   I will perhaps participate in weapon use at some hospital triage facility preparing someone for surgery.   ? Would you expain?   I don't understand why your food would mean more to you than someone's life. Life is only as valuable as the values you live for.   My family's welfare means more to me than someone who would risk my family's survival. That someone thinks food means more than the lives of my family. Works both ways!   I suppose some will take this as an argument against your opinions, but I think your opinions are respectable.

2ifbyc, What I mean when I say I would participate, is that after someone is shot, I would care for that person, I have done that in the past and would in the future.  I will care for anyone regardless of their crime or lack thereof.  In Vietnam I participated not only in trauma, but experiencing the group fear, the need to lash out at any target that seems like an enemy, on both sides, and the emotional trauma that happens to all.  The only way to end violence is through nonviolence.  Not the same as pacifism.  We need armed troops to prevent widespread violence, genocide, etc.  Preventing people from killing each other is compassionate, and I think some private gun owners are compassionate, and might not only ward off an intruder, but also throw out a slice of bread.

The "haves" and the "have-nots".  Both sides armed to the teeth.  Interesting problem here, is it not?  Truth be told I could not turn away an abandoned child who is innocent in every respect imaginable.  Is that compassion?  No.  It is merely recognizing need.  What are any of us going to be worth when this thing is over if we did not help someone who through no fault of their own could not help themselves?

 

I think the old adage of "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" holds true here.  Now is the time to be helping others through your church or civic group or circle of friends.  All of us should be talking about this to everyone we know and come into contact with, personally and professionally.  The more people we talk to, the more people that will do some level of preparing that will not have to be made up for later.  Not everyone is going to prepare, but we can increase the numbers of people who will make some preparations if we're not afraid to take some action now.  If you don't want your neighbors knocking on your door because they are starving to death, you should get them together for some quiet conversation, tell them what you know, tell them where to go for information (here).   

 

We have no choice other than to take the most prudent path in every respect, and getting as many people as we can to get to some level of prepardness now beats the crap out of having to deal with these godawful scenarios in the near future.  The intelligent choice right at the moment, the most prudent action we can take today to keep the wolves from our doors and likely wind up killing other people to defend ourselves and our families chances of survival, is to get involved with your local community and make a difference with your mouth now instead of your Remington or Mossberg a few months from now. 

 

It's really not enough just to look after ourselves you know.  It isn't going to work that way.

I also do not subscribe to this way of thinking.

seesthelight -

Edited by bruss01 - May 15 2006 at 2:07pm

Wow, excellent posts Bruss...

Well said on all counts, Bruss... I had intended to respond to this at several points, but you did such a nice job of answering well, and kindly too... 

I am considering a Mini 14 ranch--stainless steel, and a few cases of .223.  Put a little scope on there, and you have a dandy plinking rifle.  And it doesn't look like the evil black assault rifle (even though it could very well be).

To those who are not even thinking about under any circumstances arming themselves .

Imagine, something a thousand times worse than Katrina, imagine the total breakdown of society as you know it. Imagine no help, no law enforcement at all. Imagine the same people that think you owe them something when you do not even know them, and are willing to kill you and your whole family to make things even.

 Imagine these same people will rape your wife and daugther and maybe sons in front of your eyes and then just kill you all anyway. Imagine these same people heading down the block.
They "visit" the retired widower next door and then the single mom raising two kids on her own, They just shot the retired police officer across the street   ...... Of course they came to your house first, You would never hurt anyone ever. You told them they could have everything,Just dont hurt my kids just leave my wife alone, that dog is my pet, take what ever you want....and they did.

Of course you could have done something.But your idea of self defense was calling 911(busy signal, leave a message on voice mail) or reasoning with people (always works) Instead you just die,

Your decision not to arm yourself when you could have may result in hundreds of people being hurt and killed and it will be your fault! It is of course is your decision to make......


Edited by Fastcard - May 16 2006 at 9:23am

Kilt wrote: side-by-side 12 gauge shotgun is my choice

I have had it tucked away for years.  Like my fishing rod, it's nothing more than a tool to help survive and supply food if need be.  If food gets in short supply, let a sick ranger chase me in the woods while I am supplying food for my family.

For my own shooting purposes, i'd say i'm pretty well set in this particular arena. Though i do need to buy up some shotgun rounds, as I've just realized i have less than one box of this. But, well, what's the sense in buying birdshot, other than for home defense, if the migratory animals like geese and ducks might have influenza?

roxy wrote:  hi to all,  maybe some one here can answer this question. my sister said you could use the paintball guns with marbles .???   Marbles?!?! Your sister must of lost hers. If you miss a vital area, you're really going to tick someone off. Just get a firearm and learn how to use it!   Would you take a chance with the water you drink? Didn't think so. Why would you take a chance with a non-lethal weapon?   maybe use them as highpower sling shots?.  hey some thing for protection last minute? roxy   You got that right!

2ifbyc,  a simple question,  i think you are over reacting  to it. roxy

 thankyou for the reply Fiction writer,i will pass on this info to my sister roxy

seesthelight wrote: bruss01 wrote: seesthelight -   What "way of thinking" are you talking about?   My personal way of thinking:   My Creator put me here for a reason.  I don't know what that reason was, but I'll be darned if I'll squander the gift of life by rolling over and baring my jugular to the first hoodlum who comes along wanting to do me & mine harm... Yes, taking someone's life should MEAN SOMETHING.  It should mean you're out of other options.  It should mean that the other person has left you with no other choice.  It should mean that, you having made your intentions clear, and they likewise, and they continue, they are essentially making their own choice and choosing to live (or die) with the consequences.    This is simple self defense, the most basic and fundamental right of every living creature.   Someone who doesn't acknowledge that simple fact, I do not have enough common ground to hold a logical conversation with.   Don't quote Jesus to me......bottom line..life is life..and my way of thinking is simple..do not take life, if threatened fine but there is a fine line between needing to protect one's life and simply packing weapons because your in fear and I do not think that it is what surviving bird flu is about , sorry that is my opinion and I am entitled to it..  .

Edited by bruss01 - May 16 2006 at 7:41pm

Okay first and foremost: Putting even steel bearings into a painball gun isn't going to do anything. Even when you crank the velocity up all the way the highest speed you're going to get out of it is right around 400FPS, and that's for paintballs. This isn't really enough to kill or even anything other than piss someone off. As you put in heavier things (like steel bearings) the weight of your projectile has a direct impact on projectile speed.

xx