Guns and Preparation

Ok, going over our preparations.
Water, check
Food, check
Bug out bag, check
Gun….what?
The question I get all the time when teaching about bugging out is you really need a weapon? My answer is always an unequivocal YES!
Many do not agree with me. Like many of the things on my bug out bag my gun is versatile. I can do many things with it. I can defend myself against human and animal predators. I can hunt with it. I could signal with it. If I absolutely needed to, I could open a cartridge and use the powder as a fire starter. There are many reasons to have a gun as a preparedness item.
The public and the mainstream media have a misconception about guns. They think they have a mind of their own and that they are unsafe. No gun kills anyone without an operator. Guns don’t go off by themselves. What there is out there is an unwarranted fear of guns.
Years ago when my Mom was alive I was visiting her. I told her my carry weapon was on top of her refrigerator while I did some work for her. She was deathly afraid of that gun. I tried to help her to see that the weapon was perfectly safe, especially sitting there on its own. I reminded her that she grew up on a farm and was around a gun her whole life. I asked her why she felt as she did. She told me that in the corner of her living room growing up was a loaded shotgun her Father kept there. Her Dad told his kids to never play with it and they didn’t. She was never curious and she obeyed her Father. I asked if she ever shot the gun as she got older. She said yes, a few times. I asked if it scared her. She said “No, I trusted my Father.” I told her she could trust me too. My gun may not have been a long gun, but it was just as safe as Grandpa’s shotgun.
Where would she get this unhealthy and false fear of guns? We all get it. The news media teaches that black guns are bad. I wonder what they would say about a pink AR-15?
The other day I heard a news story about a guy that had been suspected of doing something wrong. It was unrelated to gun violence. As they described his apartment they talked about the things that made a room-mate think there was a problem with his friend. He had rope and duct tape and a gun. The guy was never arrested and the police found no foul play. The reporter had to mention that the guy had a gun. I saw a picture of the gun. It was a blank gun. A .22 starter pistol. The guy was a track coach! “But he has a GUN!!! AHHHHH! Runnn!” This is what I mean by bad reporting. Why did they even have to mention a gun when that was not even involved with what he was accused of? There seems to be a few kind of people. Those who are afraid of any and every gun, those with a little knowledge that usually makes them unsafe with guns, and us of the “gun culture”. If you believe the hype. I’m not sure what “gun culture” is. If you like cars and work on cars and own several are you part of the “car culture”? Anyway, to me there are only two types of people when it comes to guns. Those who are ignorant of them, how they work, and what they can actually do, and those educated. You don’t have to be a “gun nut”, which I think I’ve self-proclaimed that I am many times here, but you should be educated in firearms. You should know how to treat a gun safely and how to render if safe. You should have a rudimentary idea of how to shoot a gun even if you don’t wear camo and hunt. I think that everyone who drives a car should have a basic knowledge of cars. You should know how to change a tire, check the oil, and how to gas it up. Would that make you a car nut? No! The other problem with hype and false realities of guns is Hollywood. Entertainment is not reality no matter how much they try to make it look real. Even “reality” shows are not really real. Hollywood has always given false ideas about guns. Even back in the beginning of movies the cowboy shot his “six” shooter about 40 times. Nowadays movies and TV depict more realistic looking guns. Just because the guns look realistic does not mean that what they do with them and how the guns work is real. Actors are notoriously unsafe with guns. The hero doesn’t have to follow the 4 safety rules. He doesn’t have to worry about trigger discipline. His gun will never go off accidently because if it’s not in the script, it won’t be in the show. Reality does not have that luxury.
Because of the mystique of guns, some people who prep don’t want then as part of their preparation. That is too bad. Defense is very important when it comes to preparation.
Like anything else in preparation it takes a little money, time, and getting educated to be successfully prepared. It’s no different with a firearm. Even if you know you will never be a “gun guy” (or girl) you should have a firearm, know how to be safe with it, and know the basics of caring for it and shooting it. Just as you need to learn how to use your water filter effectively, so you should know how to use your gun.
Some people think they can get away with non- lethal means for their defense. Non-lethal weapons have their place and should be learned and used. But there are times when lethal force is the only thing that will stop a threat. Do not be deceived into thinking that the 2 ounces of pepperspray on your key chain will stop a determined attacker. It will slow them down for a moment. It may give enough time to do something else or to get a head start, nothing more. I guess there is one more thing it does, it makes the attacker mad. Lethal force is necessary and that is the reality of life.
So is a gun important to preparedness? Absolutely. There are many ideas that many have concerning which is the beat defense gun or the best prep gun. You will have to research that and determine for yourself. So get a gun, learn safety, get trained, and practice on occasion at least.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn