Saturday, May 12, 2012

Preparedness for Dark Times

I am a deputy sheriff in Louisiana and patrol primarily on the night shift. A few nights ago my shift was alerted that the main city in our parish was under a complete "black out", meaning a total loss of ALL electricity. The reason for the blackout was unknown but the repercussions were great. The power stayed out for a mere hour and a half, but that was all it took to cause chaos all throughout the city. In this hour and a half multiple shootings occurred, multiple wrecks occurred on the highways and city streets, and multiple stores and businesses were broken into and looted due to security systems malfunctioning. All within that small hour and a half. It really shows how fragile the order in our cities hangs in the balance. People who would probably have been watching television or engaging in other peaceful activities, were gathering in the streets starting fights. All because the lights and tv turned off. Wow. Only a handful of people had nothing to worry about because they were prepared with a few necessities such as: flashlights, food, water, protection (I.e. Rifle, handgun, or shotgun).

I am writing this to remind you of the importance of being prepared for a "lights out" situation like this. This type of thing happens all the time and can happen in your area anytime. These are some minimum guidelines for what you need on hand in a two to three week blackout scenario. It doesn't matter how much food and water you have if you can't see it. It doesn't matter how many guns and and ammo you have if you can't see to shoot them. And it certainly doesn't matter how many great flashlights, lamps, and lanterns you have if you don't have food, water, and defense because looters can walk straight into your home and take anything and everything they please (including your life)!

I will be so bold as to say if the blackout had continued throughout the night it would have escalated into an all-out riot. You might say "no way! Not in America! This isn't Europe!". Yes, in America, small town America. People have become so dependent on electricity and have been brainwashed into a "welfare mentality" meaning everything is somehow " owed" to them to the point that when something breaks their cycle, I.e. a "blackout" they will do anything necessary to "get (by force)" what they want. More commonly known as "looting". You will start to see this type of thing happening more and more in the near future because history always repeats itself. Look what happened in New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. A large storm causes long term power loss and flooding. And because no one stocks more than a day or two worth of food what do they do? They take what they want; by killing, looting, and plundering. Civil neighborhoods turned into all out war zones! Very few people were prepared for what occurred. It was several days until order was semi restored and weeks until it was fully restored. This is very close to home, and it could happen to you at any moment! Don't be a pacifist. Understand me when I tell you this is the real deal.

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9 comments:

  1. While I appreciate the "heads up" to be prepared for (anything).... we must remember that in New Orleans lawful owned firearms and the "law abiding" citizens were FORCIBLY disarmed and dragged from there homes by "law enforcement (many from outside the state of Louisiana) even those prepared to "survive" the after effects of the hurricane. My observation is simply this.... you may be extremely well prepared to "weather the storm", what is to stop LEO's. seeing YOU as an impediment to "restoring law and order"??
    Just my two cents....

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  2. you may be extremely well prepared to "weather the storm", what is to stop LEO's. seeing YOU as an impediment to "restoring law and order"??

    Let's hope they have learned a lesson from last time.

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    1. Forgive me if I show little faith in that. I try not to paint LEO's with to broad a brush, as I personally know some "solid" constitutional "original intent" types who have taken their oaths with serious reverence. That said there are far to many who've never bothered to even read our founding documents, allowing for a much limited government, and a basic list of God given Natural Rights.
      I could go on and on... but I digress.
      But I agree.... hopefully a few have indeed learned a thing or two.....

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    2. The country and small towns are the key.

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  3. An hour and a half without power is insane for folks to lose it. Jesus folks take a damn nap! or read a book! I'm sorry this sounds almost to insane to beleive that folks would freak after just a couple of hours without lights. Thank God! I live in Idaho. Can't see crap hell with just a little ambient light a my solar lights I can identify folks. This is insane!

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    1. Yup! Up here in the inland northwest, (eastern Washington, North Idaho) gets dark and nobody starts a shootin' war, or looting the local businesses, or punching out the neighbors! Power goes out and we light up an oil or kerosene lamp and read a good book....
      Juz sayin'.....

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  4. This is insane!

    Absolutely. It's a good excuse here to read/play games.

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  5. I am assuming that you patrol in La.because you referenced a parish. Because of this I am surprised that the PD allowed the people to keep their guns when they needed them most.

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  6. I am a deputy sheriff in Louisiana

    Yes, he mentions this in his initial sentence.

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