A Rise In Crime - Lawlessness In The Last Days

It was about 9:00 PM Sunday night.
Tracye got a post on her Facebook from a friend here in town.
A woman texted her fiancé the words "HELP ME"
The lady had been missing since Friday afternoon.  She left work at the Scooter Store in New Braunfels to pick up her son at school in San Antonio, but never made it. (1)
This morning she is found in a Laredo Hospital. That is almost 200 miles away.
What has happened is unknown at the moment, all we know is that her fiancé  got texted those words.
This really concerned Tracye and I because we live in a pretty small town.
But that is not all, here is another head line...

Man stabs woman outside New Braunfels Walmart

A woman was stabbed in an attempted purse snatching outside of a New Braunfels Walmart early Sunday.

The stabbing took place just before 11 a.m. in the parking lot of the Walmart off of I-35.

Police say the suspect tried to swipe a 64-year-old woman's purse. He also stabbed her several times before fleeing the scene.

The woman was air lifted to University Hospital and is in stable condition. (2)

Here is one more...

Man Shot in an Attempted Brutal Kidnapping

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas -- Glenn Shane Godden, 39, of Seguin, was killed by police after attempting to kidnap a woman.

According to police, it all started when a man called authorities and said his door had been kicked in and his 32-year-old daughter was missing.

When officers arrived, they saw a white van speeding away from the area, dragging a woman (outside the car window and being held by her hair from the driver's side door.

According to police, Godden drove past one cruiser, but then rammed head-on into another police cruiser, landing on top of the hood.

The woman became pinned underneath both vehicles.(3)

New Braunfels is a very small town. Our population is around 45,000 people and yet Tracye and I are astounded at the violent crime that is taking place. Especially in such a rather small quiet conservative town.
But what is worse is that this is more and more becoming the norm no matter where one lives.
In fact it is getting worse all over the nation.
The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators
In the early 1960s, the Census Bureau began publishing the Index of Leading Economic Indicators. These 11 measurements, taken together, represent the best means we now have of interpreting current business developments and predicting future economic trends.
From this idea The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, a compilation of the Heritage Foundation and Empower America, attempts to bring a similar kind of data-based analysis to cultural issues.
This report is a statistical portrait (from 1960 to the 1990s) of the moral, social and behavioral conditions of modern American society--matters that, in our time, often travel under the banner of ``values.''
It should not surprise you to learn that according to The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, America has been deteriorating socially, morally and I believe spiritually over the past 30+ years.
Since 1960, the U.S. population has increased 41%;the total social spending by all levels of government  has risen from $143.73 billion to the unimaginable $112 Trillion an increase that people can not even wrap their brains around.
Inflation-adjusted spending on welfare has increased by 630%+, spending on  education by 225%.
But here is a shocker, over this 30-year period and again this report was published in the 1990s, there was an increase in violent crime by 560%, a 419% increase in illegitimate births; a quadrupling in divorce rates; a tripling of the percentage of children living in single-parent homes; more than a 200% increase in the teenage suicide rate; and a drop of almost 80 points in SAT scores.
That was over a course of 30 years. We are now 10+ years past that and without knowing the statistics, one can just tell that it has gotten even worse.
The fact that violent crimes are on the increase here in our sleepy little town tells me that lawlessness is on the rise and getting worse by the day.
I mean should we expect it to be any other way when murder, violence, aggression and such is on TV 24/7/365?
I am going to go out on a limb here and say that based on the last 100 years, one can clearly see that violence, lawlessness and the lack of "natural love" for one another has reached epidemic proportions.
It has gotten to the point that literally no place is safe... and it is getting worse.
Public schools resemble prison yard territories, kids are basically forced to join this social group or the next. On the streets gangs are rampant. In fact children are not safe in their own homes anymore.
They are beaten, maimed, raped, held as prisoners for sexual pleasure, then murdered because they become a burden and discarded as trash.
Remember the Caylee Anthony case?
Even though she was found not guilty, I honestly believe that it was the jury being lazy and not wanting to do their job properly. They opted for the desire to no longer be sequestered by the court instead of doing their proper job and issuing true justice.
Teenagers have lost all respect for authority, they have become cold, hard hearted, self centered, selfish and violent.
"The increases in violence we're observing are among very young people and they are very dramatic," said Glenn Pierce, the director of Northeastern's Center for Applied Social Research.
This crime wave isn't confined to inner-city neighborhoods in large urban areas. Cities with populations of 25,000 saw a 40 percent increase in homicides - the same as cities 10 times their size.
Want proof, here is a short list...

# March 2009: Fifteen people were shot and killed at Albertville Technical High School in southwestern Germany by a 17-year-old boy who attended the same school.

# November 2008: 15-year-old Teah Wimberly was charged in the shooting death of Amanda Collette, 15, on the campus of Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

# October 2008: Four suspects, Kawin Brockton, 19, Kelsey Perry, 19, Mario Tony, 20, and Brandon Wade, 20 were charged in a shooting that took place on the University of Central Arkansas campus in Conway AR. Two students – Ryan Henderson, 18, and Chavares Block, 19 – were fatally shot. A third person, 19-year-old Martrevis Norman, a non-student visiting the campus, was shot in a leg and was treated at the nearby Conway Regional Medical Center.

# August 2008: Fifteen-year-old sophomore Ryan McDonald, was shot and killed by fellow sophomore student Jamar Siler, also 15 in the school cafeteria at Central High School in the Fountain City neighborhood of Knoxville, Tennessee. The two had been in previous altercations, the details of which were not released to the general public.

# February 2008: Steven Kazmierczak shot multiple people on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, United States, killing six and wounding eighteen.

# February 2008: Fourteen-year-old Brandon McInerney, a student at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, California shot and killed fellow fifteen-year-old student, Lawrence "Larry" Fobes King.

# February 2008: 17-year-old student Cornelius Cheers opened fire in the Mitchell High School cafeteria in Memphis TN, critically wounding 19-year-old student Stacey Kiser. The school was locked down for the rest of the day and the perpetrator was arrested and taken into custody.

# February 2008: 23-year-old nursing student, Latina Williams, opened fire six rounds with a .357 revolver in a second-floor classroom at the Baton Rouge campus of Louisiana Technical College before turning the gun on herself and committing suicide. The two victims were Karsheika Graves and Taneshia Butler, who were both fatally shot.

# October 2007: Two teachers and two students were shot at SuccessTech High School in Cleveland, Ohio before shooter, Asa Coon, committed suicide.

# September 2007: Delaware State University student, Loyer Braden, shoots two fellow students, killing one.

# Cho Seung-HuiApril 2007: 33 people are dead after two separate shootings at Virginia Tech, making it the worst school shooting in US history. On April 16, 2007, Cho Seung-Hui, a senior in the English department, who the South Korean Foreign Ministry said had been living in the United States since 1992, was the only suspect named in connection with the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history. (4)

Folks, this was just a small sample that I pulled.
Here is what Scripture says...

Matthew 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

2 Timothy 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

So should we be surprised at this getting even worse?
Folks, I am not one who believes that one day the rapture takes place and then the very next day all the earth goes to hell in a hand basket.
I believe that we are seeing AND WILL CONTINUE TO SEE an ever growing foreshadow of things to come.
In other words, it is going to get worse and worse as days go by.
What Do We Do?
Over the years men of God have dropped the ball. They have allowed what I believe a "feminization" of the church to take place. More and more women "wore the pants" in churches than men. It is still that way today. More women attend church, are involved in church and help direct church while basically men just hang home to watch their football, baseball and basketball games on TV.
We as men of God have neglected our proper role and because of that society has taken on a more "feminized" viewpoint over what God's Word states.
Now I know that I may be upsetting some folks out there, but this is a fact and has been the fact for the past 125+ years.
Somewhere along the way, men lost their back bone.
The whole foundation of the family structure is based upon the man of the home doing the right thing, being a loving father and husband and disciplinarian, but also the Christian warrior he is called to be to guide and protect his family as well as his community.
What does God's Word say?

Psalms 144:1 Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.

Jeremiah 48:10  Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.

Luke 22:36  Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

And one that really hits home very hard...

1 Timothy 5:8  But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Godly men's apathy has grown so bad, we are now suffering the consequences due to our neglect.
Instead of standing and doing the right thing, we have gotten used to illicit sexual relationships, adolescent promiscuity, abortion, cheating, lying, stealing, prostitution, rape, divorce, and even murder.
All of this has taken place because we as men of God have refused to stand in the gap and do what is right in light of God's Word.
We have gotten used to financial mismanagement on both civil and personal levels. We have accepted political corruption. We have rejected personal and social responsibility and learned to blame anyone or anything else for our problems and failures. We have traded in our infinitely valued divine image for a nickel-plated pagan shrine erected in honor of self-interest, immorality, and social apathy.
What we need to do as men of God is to draw the line in the sand and say "no more."
Men of God need to learn to grow their back bone again and start being the men of God they are called to be.
We are at a stage in time where the wolves are becoming a serious menace on society and the only way to combat that is to once again become the "sheepdogs" that we were once many years ago.
We need to relearn what we have lost. How to the proper leaders and not dictators. How to defend our families, and if called upon, to offer the ultimate sacrifice to protect them.
When walking in the parking lot with your family, let your body language state that you are the sheepdog and no one is going to accost those you have stewardship over.
Better yet, we need to obey Christ himself and if we do not own a weapon, do what we need to do so that we can protect our families.
This does not mean go buy a gun and then stick it in the night stand drawer. We as Christian warriors need to train and become proficient so that when that evil day comes, we are able to stand and fight.(Eph6:13)
Our nation is going down the tubes, we are called as Christians to "occupy till He returns." That is our marching orders. We need to return to our duty till that time of our appointment with Him comes or till He calls His church home.
No matter what, we have a responsibility to ourselves and to our families.
Times ARE getting bad and they will get even worse than what we have been seeing already. Scripture tells us that this will take place and God does not lie.
Therefore till that time comes, we must be ready to stand for what is right and return to our heritage, that being the Christian Warrior God called us to be and stop neglecting the duties He has placed upon us.



By Ray Gano







ENDNOTES
1 - http://m.foxsanantonio.com/news/Missing_S.A._Mother_Found_In_Laredo_Hospital
2 - http://www.kens5.com/home/Man-stabs-woman-outside-New-Braunfels-WalMart-99203059.html
3 - http://www.ksat.com/news/26004360/detail.html
4 - http://www.jeremiahproject.com/prophecy/school-violence.html

The Shotgun and My Reasons Why You Need One

The shotgun is probably the most versatile firearm that you can own and I believe that every prepper needs to have at least one in their home armory.

Now I know that there are folks out there that disagree with me, but it is more powerful than a handgun, but it does not have the range of a rifle. It also lack in its limited magazine capacity.

But what I wanted to do is give you my reasons why you should own a shotgun.

Reason 1 - Price.         

Like it or not, the first question everyone is concerned about is money. Good news is that you can go to just about any sporting goods store that offers firearms and find shotguns. They are everywhere and they are cheaper than the other alternative a AR-15 or a AK-47. 

If you have $200-$300 dollars you can walk into your local sporting goods store, gun shop or megastore and easily walk out with a shotgun under your arm.   

Knowing this, you can quickly save the money needed and within a week or two, you can upgrade your preps plan and add a shotgun in your home armory.

Now I did mention an AR-15 or AK-47, but those cost considerably more and the goal of this book is to get you ramped up with your preps as fast as possible. Once you are adequately prepped, you can then start expanding.

Reason #2 - Diffferent types of Ammunition

As I mentioned in a previous chapter there is a whole mix of different ammo that you can purchase for the shotgun and you can very your loads also.

Assuming you can carry at least 5 in the tube. You can make your first round bird shot for close range. They will not blast through walls and if it does, they lose its velocity really quickly.

Secondly you can put a couple of "00" buck shot followed by a couple of slugs.

Here is a home defense scenario.

It is late at night and you hear a noise in your home. You then hear multiple voices coming from the front of the house. Sitting next to your bed is your trusty Mossberg 500 and you have prepared just for this type of situation.

You know your home so you use the corners and concealment to your advantage. You see the first bad guy and he  has got a gun sticking out of the front of his pants. He is at a close range, and your first round in your shotgun is bird shot. At this range it will cut him to ribbons and take him out.

You fire and bad guy #1 goes down.

The second bad guy you see is coming towards you , he is to be a bit further but that is ok, your second round in the stack is buck shot  and it will take that person out before he reaches you.

You do not know if there is another bad guy, but you have another round of "00" Buck ready and waiting.

All of a sudden bullets are coming through the front window.  There is another bad guy who was driving the car. You have that Buck shot chambered already, so you fire busting out the car windows. But that is not all, you have some slugs that will go some distance in the stack and they do a lot more damage.

Bad guy #3 took up a position outside the car and is now shooting blindly through the blown out car windows. He is using the ol' spray and pray method and is not coming even close to where you are. You chamber the slug knowing these will go through walls as well as car doors. BLAM…CLICK CLACK…BLAM. Two slugs down range and both right on target. It is quiet. Taking more buckshot from you’re the rifle butt carrier you load more buckshot into your shotgun.

You have eliminated the bad guys. Your practicing this exercise over and over again has paid off, you and your family are safe and the bad guys are finished.

Yes this is kind of glorified, but this is a good example of stacking the different rounds in your shotgun anticipating the need.

There is bird shot, which is good for small game for food, or can be used for close quarter indoor defense.  There is upland game rounds where the "BB's" are bigger and pack a meaner punch. 00 buckshot, which is like sending 8 rounds of 9mm down range and then there is the slug. I big 50mm hunk of lead that is like a cannon ball hitting you. There is also many different types of rounds in between these I have named.

Shotgun even has the ability to shoot rounds that contain non lethal bean bags, rubber bullets, even small nets that deploy when the exit the shotgun bore.

So the variety of shotgun rounds are pretty extensive and for every need, there probably is a round to meet that need.

Reason #3 - Power and Performance

The power that the shotgun delivers beats a handgun hands down. Where the handgun has maneuverability and high capacity; the shotgun delivers a deadly volly of BBs, Buckshot and slugs .  They have been the weapon of choice for law enforcement. In fact the term "riding shotgun" comes from when there was a driver of the stagecoach and then the person acting as security who carried a sawed off double barrel shotgun. Shotguns were used during the bloody trench warfare  of WWI. The allies brutalized the Germans so badly with the shotgun that they protested their use and threatened to instantly execute any of the troops found in possession of them.

During Vietnam they were used by the tunnel rats who went deep into the Viet-Cong tunnels clearing out the enemy.

Fast forward to today and our military boys stationed in Iraq have used the shotgun effectively to clear out buildings in building to building searches seeking out the enemy.

Reason #4 - Easy To Maintain

Most shotguns are very easy to maintain.  In fact breaking down a pump shotgun is easy and with a little practice you can even change out to a different barrel depending on the situation that you are using your shotgun. There are plenty of different cleaning solvents and oils, that you can use and most if not all can be used on the common shotgun with no problem. In fact if things get bad, you can even use gasoline or diesel fuel with a bamboo pole with a cut up "T" shirt and get your shotgun clean. It isnt rocket science and it is made to keep it simple.

Reason #5 - Different Roles a Shotgun Can Play

The basic pump shotgun can play a vast array of different roles and gladly takes on those roles and performs. For example you can pull your long hunting barrel off and put on the  shorter home defense barrel and already your shotgun has changed from recreation tool to a "get the bad guys" defensive weapon. You can swap out the the common wooden stock and replace it with a cammo or flat black nylon stock and front forearm. You can even get dual pistol grips, one for the trigger and one for the forearm and you have a tactical weapon at the ready.

There are flashlights, lasers, 20 round bandoleer slings. You can get scopes, red dot sights, even holographic heads up sights for your shotgun. You can get a short barrel or a long barrel, even one the is between the two sizes. Folding stocks, collapsible stocks, even no stock using a single pistol grip. If you can think it up, odds are they have it for the shotgun.

The shotgun is capable of wearing many different hats and with each one, be just as effective for the role you have made for it.

Reason #6 - Protected by the Law

Even with all the different roles the shotgun can play, it is still seen as a sporting arm by legislators and because of this it will be the last type of weapon to be banned or have legislation drawn up against it. You can even own a shotgun is some of the most anti-gun havens in the US. New York they are legal to own, even in Chicago where handguns have been completely banned, a shotgun is legal to own.  This in and of itself is something that the modern day prepper needs to remember and why I say every home needs to have at least one shotgun in the home armory.

So we have discussed why "I" think ever home needs a shotgun, now lets talk about the type of gun that is good for you.

Choosing the Gauge

Ok I can hear it now, "what is the gauge?"

The gauge is the size of the diameter of the barrel measured from the rear of the weapon. It is the gauge that determines the size of round your shotgun can fire.

There are different "gauges" of shot gun, the most popular, starting with the smallest is 410, then 20 gauge, then the most popular, 12 Gauge.

There are other big bore gauges like 10 and 8, but these are not very common and ammo is at a premium, if you can find it.

The 410 Shotgun

The 410 is a small bore round, about half the diameter of a dime or a little bigger than a #2 pencil is round. This shotgun is usually a boy's first shotgun. Commonly it is a breach break and you have to feed one round per shot. These are good for small game and dove as well as taking  care of vermin like rats, snakes and mice. They have very little kick at all and I do not recommend them to be used in a home defense role. They really do not have the firepower, but can be used as a backup weapon if a fire fight ensues.

Rounds include snake shot, bird shot, upland game, buck shot (3-4 balls) and slug with some other sizes in between.

The problem is that because the round is so small in diamieter, it does not carry enough projectiles to be used as a primary home defense weapon. But I think it is a good weapon to have if you have a young teenage boy or girl learning to hunt and shoot. It is a good gun to start them out with.

Survivor Mall

http://survivormall.com

The 20 Gauge Shotgun

The choice most people get when it comes to a shotgun is usually a 12 gauge, but once they really start shooting it, their shoulders wished they would have taken a 20 gauge.

For a home defense weapon that everyone in the family can use, I recommend a 20 gauge. It has enough fire power to it to be effective but not quiet the kick that a 12 gauge has. This is a very woman and teenager friendly shotgun. Teaching everyone how to use and be effective with a 20 gauge is a very good home defense solution. One can not say that the "man of the house" will be within arms reach of the shotgun. Having one that both the wife and kids can effectively use is a very smart tactical solution. This is why I like the 20 gauge for an all around general home defense shotgun as well as a good weapon to hunt with.

The 12 Gauge Shotgun

For most preppers out there, the hands down standard for the shotgun is going to be a 12 gauge pump. As we discussed you can pick one up just about anywhere that sells firearms.

There is also the semi-auto shotguns which are great, but with more working parts calls for more chance of something going wrong. And you just cant break down a semi auto shotgun and do a quick repair on it; where with a pump you can usually pull it apart, find the problem and get back in the action.

Where pump shotguns are pretty inexpensive, the cost of a semi-auto shotgun is three to four times that of a pump. Sure you can find some that are less expensive, but they jam up, break and aways at the worse possible moment. Now are you willing to bet your life and the life of your family on a cheap semi-auto shotgun?

Then there is the issue of  parts. It takes more parts to cycle that semi-auto than there are parts in the standard pump shotgun. These parts will wear out and eventually break and again usually at the worse possible time.

There is the issue of bad feeds and finicky ammo. Where a pump shotgun will "eat" almost any round you put in the magazine. Semi-autos have been known to not like all rounds or sizes which result in the weapon jamming. If a pump jams up, it is relatively easy to clear, were if a semi-auto jams up, well you are basically out of the fight till you can clear that jam.

My Choices of Shotgun

Well when it comes right down to it, there really are only two choices. The Remington 870 and The Mossberg 500.

Mossberg 500
Personally I like the Mossberg 500 but when you butt up weapon to weapon, both are excellent and dependable shotguns. These two are probably the most famous and the most owned shotguns out there. They are both affordable, you can find them at almost any sporting goods store, mega mart and gun shop out there. Both Mossberg and Remingtion make different varieties of the individual shotgun.

For example, I own a Mossberg 500® TACTICAL TURKEY™ Series pump shotgun.

 

Here is the same model but it has been totally made into a tactical weapon

This Mossberg 500 has a  front and rear pistol grip, a modified butt that holds 6 extra rounds, the Tactical Turkey is already drilled for a scope but this person has added a weaver rail to the top so that they can use a red dot or a holographic rear site. This is a fine example of how one can modify their shotgun, specifically the Mossberg 500 Tactical Turkey series.

Remington 870

The Remington 870 Sportsman Synthetic.

As I have said, it is a toss up between the two. They are both fine weapons and the Mossberg wins by just a hair.

Actually when I was going to purchase my shotgun, I was using an older gun for a trade in. I had limited amount of cash and I had my eye on a Remington 870 Sureshot Super Turkey. I really liked the feel of this weapon with its Monte Carlo stock with built in pistol grip. But it was slightly out of my price range on what I had budgeted myself.

I would recommend it to anyone looking for a shotgun. With the Monte Carlo pistol grip set up, this was a very comfortable shotgun.

Both of these shotguns come in 12 gauge and in 20 gauge. What you need to do head on down to your local gun shop and feel both of these. Look at all their features as well as the third party add ons.

In fact, regarding third party add ons, the Mossberg 500 has a few more things out there over the Remington 870 and besides the price, it was that ability to have the opportunity to add a few more modifications that finally won me over to the Mossberg 500.

Either of these will fit the bill and will serve you for a long time to come.

Get a shotgun while you still can and while they are still affordable. A day may come when you wish you did.

Crisis Meltdown Greece - Sheep, Sheepdogs, and Wolves

Crisis Deepens; Chaos Grips Greece

Greece protests: Riots erupt in Athens, 3 bank workers killed

ATHENS—Greece's fiscal crisis took a new turn to violence Wednesday when three people died in a firebomb attack amid a paralyzing national strike, while governments from Spain to the U.S. took steps to prevent the widening financial damage from hitting their own economies.

In Spain, rival political leaders came together Wednesday with an agreement that aims to shore up shaky savings banks by the end of next month. Banks in France and Germany, which are among Greece's top creditors, pledged to support a Greek bailout by continuing to lend to the country. Investors, meanwhile, are pouring money into bonds of countries seen as less exposed to the crisis, from Russia to Egypt.

Anxiety over the euro-zone economies sent the euro down to about 1.29 to the dollar, its lowest level in more than a year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell for the second straight day, losing 58.65 points, or 0.54%, to close at 10868.12.

If you have not been paying attention to what is going on in Greece, you need to be.

Why?

Because this is a foreshadow of things to come here in the US.

Here is a new acronym you need to learn. SHTF = Shcumar (crap) Hits The Fan.

Folks, many people out there have bought into the Hollywood scenario of the apocalyptic world of Mad Max and the Thunder Dome.  

When the SHTF, we are not going to resort to being Will Smith in "I am Legend" world.

You know what is going to happen?

Life will go on as soon as the main crisis slows down.

What people do not realize, it will be a completely different world from the one you used to live in.

Those who have prepared will make the transition, those who don’t will fall by the way side and become a casualty of the crisis.

Everyone is worried about EMP, or a Nuke attack and zombies. Can these things happen? Sure, well not the zombies, but the odds are pretty high to possibly not happening at all.

But the odds of a financial crisis hitting this country is very good. In fact I am going to say that it isn't a matter of "IF", it is a matter of "WHEN."

One of the greatest teachers is history.

It is a teacher we often ignore.

Scripture says…

Ecclesiastes 1:9 (KJV)  The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

What we are seeing in Greece is a repeat of history. This is the same thing took place in Bolivia, Zimbabwe and in Argentina  just in the last decade.

Folks, a financial crisis is here, the masses just don’t know it yet.

It isn't zombies that you will be fighting, it will the crime, the high price of everything, sporadic water services, sporadic electricity, all the while everything is breaking down around you and nothing getting fixed or replaced.

Again looking at history and those countries that have come before us we see what will take place.

But out of all of it, it is the crime that will sooner or later be like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Again history and just knowing the sin nature of man will show this to be true.

When the SHTF,  you’ll feel a real, urgent need to increase your security habits and find means of self defense.  Problem is that the million or so other people that live in your general area will have the same real urgent need.

Wanna get a gun, the shelves will be empty. That or the cost will be so high that it will be basically impossible. Those who are prepared will have already taken their personal, family and home security into consideration and have already acted. This is why I highly encourage you to get a Carry & Conceal license now. On top of that, take at least some basic fundamental classes on how to handle the weapon and even some close quarter tactics. They are out there, call your local gun shop owner and they can usually hook you up.

What about any sort of home alarm system, security system, even automatic lights. You will see the prices go through the roof. But not only because the money you are using is basically worthless, but the fact that you are now competing against the million or so masses who are looking for the same things you are. Those who are prepared have already set this up as well.

When the SHTF you will not be able to make ignorant mistakes, they will cost you in money and God forbid, possibly your life if you are too foolish.

In his book "On Killing" Lt. Col David Grossman noted that people are divided into three groups. There will be the "sheepdogs" and there will be the "sheep." The third group, they are the wolves. It is the wolves who the sheep and the sheepdogs will need to contend with.

What About a Job and Food?

Like during the great depression, people will be job hunting for months, even years. Competing for a job will become an art form of its own. Monster and the classified adds in the newspapers will be a joke. Those who are prepared will already have friends of friends, networks and abilities to help secure a much coveted job.

In fact, just getting to and from work will be an exercise in logic, tactics and nerves of steel. You will have riots, roadblocks, fires, carjacking, kidnappings, shootings and looters to contend with. That's just to name a few of the obstacles.

Grocery stores will have very limited supplies and when they do, getting in and purchasing food will be like walking the gauntlet. You will be on alert getting to and from your car with pepper spray or other means to keep the wolves at bay in hand.

Once inside you will have to contend with the prices being 200%, 300%, possibly even 700% higher.

Do you know that today it costs 32 billion Zimbabwe dollars just for a dozen eggs?

But that is not all.

The banks are going to be closed and when they do open they will limit how much you can withdrawal.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, the equivalent to our own Fed Reserve has fixed the daily withdrawal limit at Z$100 billion. Folks, that is roughly US$1.25 per day for individuals. Newsflash -  that doesn't even cover the average day to day cost of living for people. Not to mention that they are living in the world's most inflationary country on the globe today.

Want a shocker, a loaf of bread costs Z$100 billion, meat sells for Z$450 billion a pound. (about US$5.60) and a half-gallon of milk costs Z$200 billion (about US$2.50). These items are all fixed priced by the government by law too. If they weren't the cost would be astronomical.

In Zimbabwe, local shops that are open associate a fee just for using Z-dollars, and although these fees differ, most charge about 15% commission for cash.

Why? Because the hyperinflation is so bad that within 24 hours, they have lost money due to prices going up higher and higher.

Those who have prepared have protected their wealth by putting it into silver, gold, jewelry, hard based assets. They may even have other hard currencies on hand like the Swiss Francs, Chinese Yuan or other currency that has not lost value in the worlds economy.

 They in turn can trade these items in and will be able to afford food to feed the family, gas to go to work, and other day to day expenses and not have to worry to much about the bank limits set upon them.

People, you have time right now to decide who you will be. Take this opportunity so that you can prepare for this situation now.

Life will go on after the SHTF, but it will be the end of the world as you know it and be an entirely different world the next morning with new rules and new attitudes.  

Those who have prepared now will have the upper hand and be able to transition. They will have already seen the writing on the wall for a while now.  These people will be the sheepdogs

Here is what they have already done…

They have purchased food and have a well stocked pantry - they see food as an investment.

They have provided means to protect themselves, their family, their home with as many means as possible.

They have chosen to be the "sheepdog" instead of being the "sheep."

They blend into the crowd, walk with a purpose and completely alert to their surroundings before they even step outside their front door.

They prepared knowing that this situation was coming not only because they have learned from history, the bible told them also told them too.

There is nothing new under the sun.

The key is will you take the time to learn and be a sheepdog or will you ignore it and become one of the sheep.

The wolves will be out there and you will have to learn how to contend with them either way you look at it.

Take the time now and learn from Greece, Zimbabwe, Argentina and the others. It is not a matter of "IF" it is only a matter of "WHEN."

Special Thanks to Lt Col Dave Grossman for his insight and his great article On sheepdogs, Wolves and Sheep. 

Q & A - Single Woman - Gun for Protection & Hunting

Hi, Ray:
I am a single woman.  I appreciate all the info on your web site.  My question is:  if I buy a gun for personal safety and hunting I'll have to register it and, when the government outlaws guns, I'll have to relinquish it.  Wouldn't it be better to buy a small bow and arrow for hunting food and a stun gun for protection?  Perhaps you can point me to a discussion of this issue on your web site. God bless you, M

Hello M,

Very good question.

There are several things that you need to consider.

First, find out if where you live are you able to get a Carry & Conceal handgun license? If you can, that is the route I would go first.

I am one that for personal and home protection you need to get a handgun.  But on top of that, go and get your C& C as well so that you can carry it always. Now the nice thing about being a woman and having your C&C, you can carry a pretty nice weapon in your purse and you don't have a "gun signature" under your clothes. For us guys, it is a different matter, that is unless you are one of those guys who carries one those "european hand bags." 

I can hear it now..."Cute purse there buddy!"

So get a handgun first,but more on that later in this article.

I want to address your confiscation / relinquish issue.

My mind set is that if they want my guns, they are going to have to pry them from my cold dead fingers.

Second, the FBI estimates that there are over 200 million privately-owned firearms in the US.

If you add those owned by the military, law enforcement agencies and museums, there is probably about 1 gun per person in the country.

Now, if you want to get a rough idea of how many guns there are out there just look at how many people you see out there then multiply by a factor of estimated ownership.

The last best guess was about 350,000,000 to more likely 500,000,000 - that is 500 million guns out there. That would easily be 1 weapon for every man woman and child living in the US alone.

Don't forget the average gun enthusiast owns several firearms which includes pistols, shotguns, and rifles of all makes and models. It is often estimated that about 1 in 4 people that own any firearms, the average number of firearms in the home are approximately 4 guns each.

SO.. that is a lot of guns to try to take from the American public. 

What I have to ask is who in their right mind would try to disarm the entire American public? 

No one could and no one in their right mind would attempt it. 

SO are we going to lose our guns? As much as the conspiracy folks want you to believe that, it isn't going to happen. Yes there are cases such as New Orleans and such, but on a nation wide scale, the do not have the resources to take all the weapons from every American out there.

NOW.. with that said, start buying ammo now. Because what they will do is put a serious curb on the purchasing of ammo.

Here is a headline from Venezuela sept -2009

Venezuela Attempts Gun Control by Limiting Bullets
By Jeremy Morgan
Latin American Herald Tribune staff

CARACAS – Legislators at the National Assembly are set to take what appears to be a rather unorthodox approach to law and order in a society notoriously renowned for gunslinging and one of the highest per capita murder rates on the planet.

The defense committee at the legislature has been looking at a proposed reform of the 70-year-old Arms and Explosive Law, which apparently has yet to be brought into line with the Bolivarian Constitution adopted by referendum at President Hugo Chávez’s behest in late 1999.

So we can see that if they are to control the guns, they will do it via the ammo. So buy lots of ammo now. Even if you do not own a weapon and are possibly thinking about it, get ammo now. Consider it a "wise investment" for down the road.

Back to What Weapon To Purchase.

I am one who believes that you first weapon should be a handgun. This is a home protection weapon and self protection.

Now, based on your question I believe you might have been thinking of some sort of rifle, shotgun or carbine.

If you are thinking long gun, the second choice would be a shotgun. It is funny, I am writing a follow-up article to the 22 article titled "why I like the shotgun."

For home and hunting, the shotgun is a great way to go. I am one who likes a "pump" shotgun.

There is just something about hearing that CLICK - CLACK of pumping a round in the chamber.

Believe me, the bad guys know that sound too and get out of Dodge quickly because they know that buck shot with there name on it is coming next.

You can also use the shotgun to hunt as well. There are a whole mix of different ammo that you can purchase for the shotgun and you can very your loads.

Assuming you can carry at least 5 in the tube. You can make your first round bird shot for close range. They will not blast through walls and if it does, they loose there velocity.

Secondly you can put a couple of "00" buck shot followed by a couple of slugs.

Here is my reasoning.

First bad guy is going to be close range, the bird shot will take him out.

The second bad guy is going to be a bit further so, buck shot will take that person out.

IF there is a third, you have another round of "00" Buck.

Then if you have the bad guy driving the car who is going to fire upon you out your front/back door, you have some slugs that will go some distance and do a lot of damage. These will go through walls and if that person is hiding behind a car door, you can possibly still get him with the slug.

Gun Recommendations

Handgun - If money is a real issue, I like the hi-point Compact 9 0 AKA - C9. This shoots a 9mm, which is a round that I love. This weapon runs around $165.00 and all the reviews I have checked into, it is a great gun. Now the gun snobs out there don't like it but it is American made and has a life time warrantee no questions asked. Something goes wrong, you send it back to the company and they fix it or give you a new weapon. Hi point also makes a .380 and 45 acp version. But I like the 9mm for being compact and good for C&C. You can use it for C&C and home protection. The grip is small and fits nicely into a woman's hand.

I am also a big fan of the Walther P22. 10 rounds of 22 hollow point in anyone and they know that they are having a bad day. This is a great weapon for C&C, small, sturdy and has a weaver rail on the front so you can mount a laser sight or flashlight. I consider this more of a personal C&C weapon verses a home protection weapon.

Now for shotguns, I like the Mossberg 835 Ultra-Mag.

This is a great all around shotgun. Here you can see is the Turkey version which comes with a nice vented barrel to prevent "barrel rise" with adjustable choke and tapped out so you can put on a scope. This is great for general hunting Then when in home protection mode, you can put on a barrel that is made for slugs.

Great thing about the 835 is that there is a lot of third party accessories that you can purchase so it can be modified with a butt cuff shell holder, folding stock, bandoleer strap that holds 20 rounds of 12 gauge, front end flash lights, etc. All kinds of cool stuff.

These run about $250 - $350

Finally something to think about regarding a shotgun is the "legislative protection."

So if you are really worried about weapons being confiscated, the shotgun is looked at as a sporting arm by legislators and usually the last type of weapon to be banned or legislated against.  This is not always the case, but even in cities like Chicago it is legal to own a shotgun where handguns and large capacity magazines are completely banned.  This may be extremely helpful for the urban survivalist.

So I hope that I have answered your question here. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions that I might be able to help with.

Ray - STCS

Saturday, May 1, 2010

How Would You Handle The "Brass Horde"

During the age of the Mongol Empire, the Mongol armies spread across Eastern Europe and Russia raping, pillaging and basically leaving whatever was left as a waste land. These invaders were come to be known as "The Golden Horde."

Fast forward today and we remember the LA Riots, New Orleans looting, I even experienced it myself during the 1989 San Francisco earthquake. During all the confusion and the aftermath instantly after the quake, masses started stealing from the shops who's windows were broken and all within an arm's reach.  It got so bad that in some areas a "shoot to kill" order was issued. The earthquake struck at approximately 5:00PM, that night turned into hell on earth in some parts of the San Francisco bay area.

The horde was released.

In the prepper community we see " the Golden Horde" as a loosely organized mass of urban refugees streaming out of the cities in search of food and shelter after a natural disaster or social / financial collapse. Like locus, this mindless mass could possibly overwhelm local defenses,  "raping and pillaging" the country suburban area and stripping it of many of its resources while destroying everything in its path.

Now this sounds bad and is a situation that would most likely take place in the movies, but in real life a situation like this does not happen… in most cases.

But to be honest I am not worried about a mindless mass of people. These people are hungry  and pretty much are acting on instinct. They are not going to be very well organized, and lack really any true leadership. Some may be armed, but not willing to really "take a bullet" when it comes down to the rubber meeting the road. 

It is the group's "mass" that gives the "horde" its power. 

Aggressively confront then divide the mass and it will quickly give up and move on to another "easier" target.

But who I am worried about are the bugged out  Rambo wanna-be's traveling in their RVs who's idea of preparedness is cases of ammo, Spam & Budweiser. 

Let me introduce to you...The Brass Horde. 

The Brass Hordes are small groups of people, probably all deer hunting buddies who go out and play paint ball on the weekends and call it survival training. Now, nothing against deer hunting and paintball, I am a hunter as well; can't say I have played paintball though. Now airsoft wars are fun, but I am digressing here.

What these folks have neglected for maintaining good health and welfare, they have made up by being obnoxiously well armed. Thing is when the Spam and Budweiser runs out,  they will turn to what they love most their guns and ammo.

These are the groups I worry about.

Here is a very interesting story, one that is real world. The author who goes by the handle "BigBear" painted a very realistic picture. 

After reading this, I want to ask you, how would you REALLY handle this situation?  

I would like for you to hear your "end to the story" comments, so please post them below. 

The Brass Horde 

The Brass Horde at least tried to prepare.  They had a plan to leave the city, some supplies and a large stockpile of weapons. Their intent was to relocate to a remote site as a group and hunt for food. The small group is made up of family and close friends occupying the trailers used to escape the city. Unfortunately their resources are limited and unwisely thought out.

At first they have good luck taking a deer and several rabbits for a stew, all looks good. But after a week or so their water rations are getting low and their expensive filter systems are useless on the frozen lake. They are able to melt some water over the fire pit and on propane stoves but this consumes critical resources. Most of their daily man hours are spent collecting and transporting ice blocks to melt for water. The meat is running low, they are exhausted.

The Horde elders decide that a couple of the women should visit a nearby cabin and ask to fill their water jugs. The established local, not wanting to seem rude, invites the ladies into the warm cabin...the aroma of fresh baked bread fills the air. Warm cinnamon rolls and hot coffee are served over light conversation next to the wood stove. The ladies fill their water jugs from the solar powered well, thanked the local and reluctantly venture back out into the cold, it was the first time they had truly been warm since leaving the city.

That evening the women huddled around the fire telling the others of their days experience. A strong north wind brought frigid temperatures and a heavy snow started around sundown...the Horde retired to their campers to weather the night.

Then the propane runs out!

The temperatures quickly plunge after the heater went out in the far north trailer of the circled compound. The father whose survival skills were honed by many hours watching the discovery channel, decided to start a small wood fire in the oven to keep him and his wife warm. The ensuing inferno consumed two of their trailers and damaged the other six as over 10,000 rounds of ammo cooked off in the conflagration.

In the blinding snow the elders huddled for warmth around the smoldering ruins of their grand scheme...they knew what had to be done. After arming themselves and securing the women folk in the remaining heated camper, the horde took off for the neighbors cabin. The howling winds of the blizzard masked their plunder as they made off with six twenty pound bottles of propane, a chainsaw and five gallons of gas. The blowing snow filled their tracks as they retreated back to the compound confident in their escape.

Unbeknown to the Brass Horde the local had witnessed the entire thing from the warmth of the bedroom after being alerted by his growling dogs. Shouldering his gun he realized that confrontation was dangerous against eight heavily armed men and there was a good change he would die if shooting started. The local also realized that this was the first of many visits by the armed bandits who, made confident by their guns, would steal what they failed to store through proper preparation.

So he….. started baking cookies.

"Good morning, I have fresh cookies and hot coffee" shouted the local from his truck as he pulled into the Horde's compound. "You all look like you could use a treat on this cold morning" he continued. The men leerily looked at each other assuming that the local man had not yet discovered the robbery and was just being a good neighbor. The local waved and yelled "God Bless You" as he drove away. Over their snacks and wicked strong coffee the Horde laughed at how easy a target this cookie baking fairy would be...

Looking through the rifle scope from his vantage point in on the hill he saw no movement...the last one fell several hours ago.

Later that evening the local man returned to the compound, collected the bodies and placed them neatly in the largest trailer. Gathering the stolen items plus the Hordes guns and abundant ammunition for barter he proceeded to pour gas in each of the remaining campers then burned everything to the ground. Cyanide in the coffee and cookies.

A heavy snow that night covered over the remains and the evident "mass suicide" was not discovered until later that springs. It was chalked up to collapse related hysteria...no further investigation.

My Own Thoughts

How would you have handled the group and the situation?

Remember there are no police that are going to come to the rescue.

What would you have done differently?

Now this one struck me hard. Why? Because I am a God fearing Christian who has submitted his life to the Lord.

Several verses in the Bible that come to my mind is...

1 Timothy 5:8(KJV)  But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Exodus 22:2 (KJV)  If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.

What Do I Believe?

In the simplest terms, a believer is absolutely justified in the use of deadly force if faced with a grave threat to him or his own family or members of his own church (his extended family). Not to do so is a violation of both Jewish and Christian's reverence for life.

Deadly force does not mean that the results necessarily ends in death. It may be simply the presentation of the weapon that provides the necessary deterrent against violence on the part of the offender.

Christianity is not pacifism. There are pacifists who are Christians, but a clear reading of Scripture doesn't imply pacifism at all. We seek peace and pursue it; we earnestly prefer to avoid violence, but we don't stick our heads in the sand. We live in a world where violence is commonplace; it's been that way since the fall.

Violent people have absolutely no restraint on their behavior; a believer needs to be at least as aggressive in defending himself and others. Whatever it takes. If you have to shoot someone and drop them to the ground, that's most unfortunate, but you didn't ask to be attacked. 

Please go to the "COMMENTS" section and tell me what you thought and how you would handle it.

Finally, do you have a pit in your stomach like I did after I read that?