I find it difficult to believe that all us “crazies” that spent the time and money to build up a little dab of something wouldn’t be robbed blind either by those that didn’t, the hungry mob roving, or the government in the event of [insert some national disaster here]. Growing up on a farm where we produced/foraged/butchered/hunted 90% of what we ate, I can tell you its been a battle to hold on to what we had. Even during good times, there were those that would help themselves to what we had if they saw the chance. When things got rough in 2008 and on, it wasn’t just home produced and preserved food occasionally missing out of the food storage/freezer, it was all the 3 packs of Dad’s favorite soap, TP, empty shells for the reloader, buck shot, fully reloaded and new ammo, and other goods my father squirreled away along with hen scratch, cow feed, and an entire pen of 60 quail was gone when he got home from work one day.
Now, having said that, let me tell you I’m from the backwoods of Louisiana (live in Tennessee now), home has a grand population of 321. Three hundred and twenty-one. If that is going on up until now in the country, and I am talking nearest large city is an hour away with plenty of ranches, farms, and other folks between where I’m from and where the masses who can’t do anything but consume roam. I firmly believe that it will be far worse if things go more south of what we have already experienced as a nation. I’m a sucker for a good sale, grow what I can, and I will can those things until my family demands to have the stove back for regular cooking but in the end I realize that my work and my sweat will always be in jeopardy especially when the dreaded words ‘economic collapse’ or ‘world without rule of law’ come into play. Country folks might be able to be more self reliant, but even in the country, there will be those that are entitled to take what they want from those that they know are capable of replacing it after they do so they can do it again.
On a side note, I got off work late and got back to my father’s one night (during the crisis we condensed households to survive it) and the guy stealing from my father was on the property. I heard the shed door bump closed through and open window and I was out the door with dad’s loaded .243 that is always at the back door faster than a track star barefoot and in pajamas. I tracked that $(#)*$# for about a 1/2 a mile before I lost him in the dark and tried to pick him back up the next day. He got sloppy and he almost got shot. I assure you, he stayed away for a while but it didn’t last long. Folks that don’t want to or can’t do for themselves will go to great lengths to get what they need/want regardless of the fact that a house full of gun toting folks are willing to shoot to protect what they have.