Hello, my friend and welcome back! When it all falls apart, there will be a lot of people who will not want to believe it, but as they do come to grips with what is happening, there is one group that will immediately present a clear and present danger to you when it comes to survival. In today’s post we are going to look at those people and what you can expect, so grab a cup of coffee my friend and have a seat while we visit.
So here is the scenario, SHTF hit yesterday and you are standing in your home preparing to hunker down or bug out. You hear a knock on the door and go to see who it is. Looking out the window, you see the couple from next door standing on your porch smiling at you. You open the door to see what they want, because after all, they have been your neighbors for years. As the conversation gets started, you suddenly realize where it’s going and that you’re not prepared to deal with what you are about to face.
So who will pose the greatest dangers to you and your family in the beginning? Your neighbors, friends and family, that’s who. Anyone who knows that you’re a Prepper, and thought you were insane. The people who failed to see the writing on the wall and prepare as you did. Anyone who thinks they may have even the tiniest bit of sway over you will eventually show up at your door, wanting you to help them. This is why some Preppers say you should never tell anyone you are a Prepper. While I don’t completely agree with it, there is some truth to it. Be careful who you tell and what you tell them.
All of the people in this group will think you owe them something for ever having known them in the past. Family will be the worst though. In many cases, they will demand your help, simply because you are related. They are going to want your supplies and in some family situations….they will not take no for an answer.
Are you prepared to turn away a family with small children, or a relative who comes knocking on your door? This is something you need to think about now, because if you do help them, you may all die. Just how far are you willing to go once you do turn them away and they won’t leave? Are you willing to kill a man who has a wife and children who depend on him? What about a brother or sister? You need to decide now just who you would be willing to help and if you’re smart, you will store up extra preps with this in mind.
No, it will not be easy, and it many cases it will be heart breaking. These are not gang members or thugs, but are the people you sat behind at Church every Sunday or had Thanksgiving dinner with each year. It will almost without exception, be the hardest thing you have ever done, but remember, they had the same opportunity to prepare just like you, and helping them could get you affect the survival of you and your loved ones, if you run out of food or water. The idea of “I will give them a little and they will go away”, WILL NOT WORK! Once it’s gone, they will be back for more, and they will keep coming back until they are desperate enough to kill you and take what you have. Psychologically speaking, this will be one of the worst periods of the event. Not only will you have lost so much, but being forced to turn others away can be devastating.
Now I know there are a lot of Preppers out there who will say that they are ready to handle it, but until it comes right down to it, you can never be sure. Why? Because it goes against everything we learned growing up. The Bible tells us to help others and deep inside every one of us, we believe it is what we should do, no matter the situation. So what can you do now to minimize this? First off, never let anyone know just how much preps you have, or where they are. If people believe you only have enough for yourself to last a few days, then they will less likely to try to force you to give up what you have and will instead look for other sources with more food while it’s still available.
Block off all of your windows and act as though you are just as hungry as everyone else. Never think for a minute that your neighbors wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, because a parent will do anything no matter what it is to feed a starving child…even kill. The kindest and most gentle people will become cold-blooded killers when it comes to their children. You must be aware of this and make plans to deal with it.
When SHTF hits, it will bring out the worst in people, because of the hopelessness of the situation. Many will insist for months that help is coming and they just need to make it till then. The truth is, help will not be coming and you must decide if you are going to live or die, and if it is worth helping others. So yes, the worst threat to you and your family directly after SHTF hits will be your neighbors, your friends and your family. It’s not a pleasant thought, but it will be the reality of the new world.
Well, that is it for today and I hope you have gained a little insight on what to expect. Until next time, stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared. God Bless America!
-Sarge-
I dont mind helping and healing and fixing.. its my mission in life. But I would have to agree; its a BYOB(ugoutbag) type event.
TruthHurts, I guess you’ve got me there. I’ve only read it cover to cover probably twenty times and analyzing each verse from beginning to end with the aid of three commentaries one of times time (Matthew Henry’s published in the early 1700’s, not exactly New Age, was one). Guess I missed the passage where He tells us to ignore His commandments or risk suicide. Would love you pointing it out.
My faith has come from a lifelong journey that came to a point where I realized doing what He said resulted in Him doing what He promised. Taking Him at His word. I see that you take that as weakness on my part. Folks that know me would laugh at the thought of any weakness in me. Even in my remote location, folks call me before they call the police, even though I’m 67 years old.
I see that some here take my faith as weakness. I’m sorry that I intruded on the macho world of some. I spent 34 years of my life dealing with the lowest forms of life walking the streets, on a daily basis. I don’t have to fantasize with visions of confrontation, I’ve been in more fights than Mohammed Ali, only the winner didn’t get a purse, just the opportunity to fight again.
Lest you think I’m a troll, I will voluntarily leave your playpen. Good luck in all that you do.
P.S.- There is a big difference to the response I will give to someone asking for help than that that someone attempting to take by force.
As an extremely analytical person, some of you need to come out of your new age Christianity cults and really read the Bible. There are passages directly speaking to the need to prepare and not be lazy. There are plenty of passages where God commands acts that aren’t popular in today’s society. You cannot pick the “feels good” passages and ignore the “wow this is graphic” passages. Using your same logic I could argue that you would go to hell for suicide by knowingly giving up your rations. See how this works? As for my family and I, there is nothing I won’t do for their lives and well being. Much as I have done things in the Army for all Americans, over others.
Well said my friend!
Ben Leucking, you said “Pick your own numbers, but apply the same logic.” I related in my post that I’ve work hard my entire life to provide for my family, while also never turning away those in need. Many was the time that I helped people out when the “numbers” just screamed “you don’t have this to spare”. For some reason my family and I never once did without or suffered for it.
As a believer, I cannot leave God out of the equation. When I inventory my preps and come up with the numbers, I can’t leave His love and care out of equation. Nor His promises or His expectations from me. I have failed Him too many times. He has never failed me.
Ponder the feeding of 5,000 with 5 small loaves of bread and 2 fish. One young boy provided all his family had, God did the rest. I can’t explain the power of faith. It has to have been experienced.
Please take nothing I’ve said as an attack on anyone’s level of faith. The original question was “who will be biggest threat when things go bad?”. Could be me if I turn my back on my faith.
Christian preppers should determine right now whether their Christianity is genuine or fake.
Genuine Christianity feeds the hungry. Jesus said “give”. Christianity is about sacrifice, not giving only when it’s convenient.
Fake Christianity sits behind people at church, knows their names, eats with them at Thanksgiving, then hides behind blackout curtains and turns them away when times are tough.
For the sake of discussion, let’s say that you have enough food and water to support 4 people for one month with the anticipation that whatever caused the SHTF problem will be resolved within that month. Now you decide to take in four more people who have nothing to contribute to the supplies. Your stock of food and water is cut in half. Contrary to your superior planning skills, the SHTF situation lasts two months instead of 30 days. So, you are faced with the very real prospect of going without food or water for six weeks. In my book, that makes all of you (including your non-contributing friends) dead. Pick your own numbers, but apply the same logic.
And by the way, you have killed your spouse and two children who, apparently, had no vote in their prospects for survival. Good going…
For all the preppers that intend to open your door and try to help – for whatever reason – to whatever extent envisioned – using what contrived method of charity dispersing …
If its just you – so be it – you are entitled to whatever happens to you – but if there are family/group members involved – think twice and keep thinking … there is nooooo way that you are handing out gold and keeping it a secret – no way you regulate it – no way you can just end it – no way you can keep it under control – no way you and yours survive in the long run …
If you cannot think of your survival any other way and justify actions you need to take for that survival – believe that you will be bringing your morals, ethics, standards thru the storm to an afterwards where they will be needed and conditions are permissible ….
Well Said Doug!
I live on a cul-de-sac and there are only 4 other families. Each one is a Prepper. One is very mechanically inclined and is fully solar-powered, one is real good at growing veggies, one is a engineer, the other has a family of strong sons, and my family (I’m the security department/gun guy with Aquaponics and chickens).
My extended Family of two brothers are both ex-Army and will bring even more guns/security experience. Bugging-in……we’re good.
The real issue is about rebuilding not just surviving. There will always be more safety in numbers than not. If you think only of yourself you’ll die by yourself.
Rice, beans and corn meal are cheap. I have enough on hand to feed 15-20 for about two years. Beyond that I have land and seeds. I’m not worried about keeping out everyone, just the lazy. You want to eat we all work, you don’t work you don’t eat (the infirm and elderly excluded).
What separates man from the rest of the animal kingdom is his ability to feel compassion. When you lose that ability you become them. However, don’t mistake compassion for weakness. I’m also an advocate for capital punishment when the guilty prove themselves to be an imminent danger to the rest of society.
We’ve spent thousands of years developing “The Law” and shouldn’t throw it away because of a short term catastrophe.
Also, if you tell family and friends about prepping, make sure that you make it perfectly clear to them, that they will be turned away if they show up at your door when SHTF. Unless of course, you are able and willing to help.
I find this interesting. It is very easy to say you will give the shirt off your back when you do not have to.
But tell me this. You are in an already overloaded life boat that is almost ready to sink from the weight.
and there are 10 more people in the water who want and need to get in the boat. But if you let them in
the boat will sink. What do you do? Just a thought. For me it is easy. Me and mine come first. May be cruel and ” unchristian” But the way it will be.
Exactly Lane!
First you mentioned “sitting behind them at church”, then you mentioned “the Bible”. I think you need to decide why you go to church, and whether you believe the Bible or not.
Are church and the Bible only for when times are good? Or are they for your entire life? Do you trust God to provide for you or not?
I have prepped knowing that I might have unexpected mouths to feed.
I’d rather starve to death in the cold than deny food or heat to a little child.
My remarks about “Church” were to demonstrate how close you may be to people and still not really know them. As for the Bible, I was illustrating the conflict you will face when making such a decision. As for my faith? You don’t even know me and yet you set in judgment of me? Maybe you need to read your Bible a little more and practice what you preach. It’s the “Hollier than thou” people like you that cause so many others to turn away from God. As for myself and my readers, most of us are good God fearing people and as such will be forced to make some hard decisions when the time comes. How you decide to handle it is completely up to you and only you.
You better be reading the whole Bible. Did not the Lord send the flood? Did not Noah, the first Prepper labor for 100 years, and yet did not allow a few little children on board, (other than his own?) Did not the Lord, when He sent the Children of Israel into their Promised land, require the killing of complete cities and towns? Even the Lord purged those who would not be compliant to His directive; they traveled the 40 years it took to fully replace that generation who complained and demanded of Moses to go back to the way things were before (bondage in Egypt.)
Or are you a New Testament Christian who believes all should be forgiven? It is written Christ came to not put away the Laws of Moses, but to fulfill them. Those that refuse to remedy their life and prepare for the future, though the Word of the Lord is evidence all around us will be bathed in the same fate we all are going to go through. America is not some special petty child the Lord looks the other way when we have refused the Wisdom He gives.
i do not prepare so that I can be a resource for those that cant be bothered.
None of us do Lonewolf, but it’s a fact of life that they will be knocking on your door when the time comes.
who says?
Put yourself in their shoes, and ask yourself what you would do if your family was hungry and you had nothing but knew that the neighbors did? Simple human nature.
the only thing certain in this life is death and taxes, anything else is pure guess work.
I live in a country(not America) where people are not self reliant any more and will simply wait for someone else(usually the state) to come and save them.
I hear what you’re saying! Unfortunately, however, it like that in America right now. People have had so much without having to fight for it for so long that they just expect it. They’re in for a crude awakening when SHTF hits I’m afraid.
Now that is one hard cup of coffee to enjoy today, Sarge. Even though we have all run the what-ifs. Even had one person tell a friend, he would be the first to tell that person, he was right. Now isn’t that self-righteous arrogance. (meaning, I am sorry, so you have to share.)
It is still amazing, even though we live in a society where no one is responsible for their actions, how they deem themselves special. And no consequence is their own. No matter how many moments of leisure they enjoy, and how you keep your hand to the plow to get by now.
As hard as it is to think about, maybe because I have a kind heart, I would have to stand firm. I have stockpiled, prepared, grown gardens and canned… but to allow others who thought I was “the End Is Near” and a tad conspiracy theorist, I would only be doing myself harm.
As you said, once they know what you do and have, one visit will not be the end.
I agree with Ben- I help others- it’s how I was raised, but in an TEOTWAWKI situation, I look out for those in my home, who helped me prepare.
Bingo. The one person I intend to help is my son, who works out of state and basically lives in hotels. He is on the road so much that it is entirely impractical to have an apartment or house, since he would never be there. Except for what he can carry in his vehicle, all of his preps and gear are stored in my home. If the SHTF, I just pray that he can get here safely. It could take days or even weeks if he winds up on foot.
Just be sure he keeps a good “Get Home” bag with him in his car all the time!
Sounds to me like your a good Father, and there are fewer and fewer around these days. Keep up the good work and stay frosty my friend!
That he has, plus a lot of field knowledge. I raised him up in the bush. He’s also very deep into Search & Rescue, so he has the skills and crafts for staying alive.
That’s great Ben! I wish everyone were as lucky. Keep up the good work! 🙂
I raised 6 children with a stay at home wife. Worked an average 70 hour a week. Never had fewer than two part time jobs in addition to my primary 40 hour week. Never had too much money, never had too little. Never turned away someone less fortunate. Don’t reckon I’ll start when the Lord is testing me.
We are born, we live, we die. How we live that life is who we are.
How many will you take in?
None but those I have prepared for. If the boat is barely above water, it wouldn’t serve anyone well to take on extra people.
Amen.
Well said Dennis
“You need to decide now just who you would be willing to help and if you’re smart, you will store up extra preps with this in mind.” In which case they aren’t “extra” preps at all. In my view there is no such thing as extra gas, extra firearms and ammo, extra food, water or anything else that is a consumable. You start with what you have and you end up with what you have left, if anything.
I’m not disagreeing with the idea of helping another individual, but I would much rather see them prepping for themselves.
Agreed. 🙂