Survival Saturday is a round-up of the week’s news and resources for folks who are interested in being prepared.
This Week in the News
The Survival Saturday news this week shows just how easily terrible things can happen. All of those events that preppers plan for don’t sound nearly as outrageous in the aftermath of the Orlando shooting and subsequent gun grab, the complete failure of biosecurity at the CDC’s own lab, and the final nail in the coffin of some shops in Venezuela, making difficult-to-acquire supplies now impossible-to-acquire.
Whatever your excuses are for not yet being prepared, how will you feel when the things going down directly affect your family and you realize that you had all the warnings in the world and still didn’t get prepped? (If you’re not truly prepared, we can help you. Go here for more details.)
The Orlando Shooting Fires Up the 2nd Amendment Debate and the Cries of “False Flag!”
Last weekend, America was shocked by an attack at a nightclub in Florida. The narrative goes, an angry Muslim walked into a gay night club in Florida with a very large firearm and lots of extra magazines, where he opened fire. 50 people were murdered in cold blood and many others were wounded. This was classified as a terror attack because the shooter, Omar Mateen, called 911 and pledged himself to Islam right before the attack. As a mom, a sister, a daughter, and a human being, my heart goes out to those devastated by this tragedy.
It’s probably no surprise that some folks in alternative media are questioning the official story.
Regardless of your opinion on whether a false flag went down in Florida or if the situation was as the media is presenting it, the government is taking the Rahm Emanuel approach to the tragedy.
Before the blood was dry, the mainstream media, the President, the Democrats, Hollywood, some animated cartoon characters, and a host of angels were all pleading for gun control.
Presidential hopeful Donald Trump pointed out some interesting ties between Obama and the shooter’s family when he said of the President, ““Something is going on. He doesn’t get it, or he gets it better than anybody understands. It’s one or the other.” It’s probably no surprise that Trump got completely eviscerated by the mainstream media. But, on closer examination, there certainly are some shady connections.
The night before the shooting, I had a disturbing incident at my farm that made me incredibly glad to be armed. (Here’s a critique of my handling of the incident – and he’s right. Next time I won’t have to go get my gun, because it will be on my person, even at home.) The day after the shooting, I took my teenage daughter out for a day of firearms instruction because I want her to be empowered to protect herself. Of course, not realizing that the shooting had happened, I posted about our plans for the day on social media. I came home to a baffling barrage of “how could yous” and “are you serious right nows” and “that’s disgustings.” But, when I learned why my plans for the day had sparked such outrage, I still felt that, while perhaps uncomfortably timed for some, teaching my daughter to shoot is the best thing I can do for her.
Anyone who is against the idea of women learning to handle a firearm cannot truly call themselves pro-woman. The idea that we all need to hand over our guns and then the world would be a safer place is nothing but a silly, rose-colored daydream. If that offends you, then you need to sincerely think about the fact that under your guidelines, the smaller, weaker person will always be the victim.
We all have the natural right to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Why are some people so terrified of the idea of taking control of their own safety?
CDC Covers Up a Biosecurity Failure at Lab Handling Ebola and Smallpox
Just in case America’s brush with Ebola in 2014 wasn’t bad enough, apparently the labs handling the research on the virus is playing Biosecurity Russian Roulette. The CDC covered up reports of “catastrophic failure” at their own Level 4 labswhich experiment with the most deadly pathogens in the world.
“The incident summary reads like a screenplay for a disaster movie,” said Richard Ebright, a Rutgers University biosafety expert who reviewed the report at USA TODAY’s request and called it a major incident.
“Overall, the incident shows that failures — even cascading, compounding, catastrophic failures of BSL-4 biocontainment labs occur,” said Ebright, who has testified before Congress about CDC safety issues. “And the attempted cover-up within the CDC makes it clear that the CDC cannot be relied upon to police its own, much less other institutions.”
Isn’t this sort of like how the apocalyptic ball got rolling in Stephen King’s book,The Stand?
Totally unrelated (or is it?) was an incident that occurred in Hollywood, California on June 6. A woman who had just returned from Africa became extremely ill and was reported to be “possibly infected with the Ebola virus.”A Hazmat team accompanied by 33 firefighters, assorted cops, and even some helicopters, were deployed to transport her to the hospital where she subsequently vanished off the face of the earth. I could find no follow-up on a media site anywhere in the world about the results of diagnostic testing.
But don’t worry. A doctor who didn’t examine her said all is well. “Firefighters later described the woman’s symptoms to a physician, who concluded that it was “extremely unlikely” that the woman had contracted Ebola.” Wow, I sure feel better now.
Just in case you don’t feel better about that, a good book to have on your shelf isPrepping for a Pandemic. I have this hinky feeling it’s one you’ll be glad you purchased.
Hey, Look! Maybe Preppers Aren’t So Crazy After All
People like to scoff at “doomsday preppers” who plan ahead for a time when the doors to the shops are no longer open and we find that we are completely on our own. “That will never happen. They’re all nuts.”
Guess what just happened in one town in Venezuela?
In the city of Cumana, shopkeepers finally gave up after their stores were looted yet again. The looters didn’t stop with taking supplies – enraged by how few items the shops actually had, they destroyed furnishings, broke windows, and decimated the shops. “It ended in total ruin because the businesses had not only their stock pillaged but also their furniture. It was total destruction,” said Ruben Saud, president of the Cumana Chamber of Commerce.
Store owners have welded their shutters closed.
Also raided by hungry hordes were supply trucks, bakeries, and supermarkets. In this area, it is doubtful that the stores will be reopening anytime soon. The situation has gone from bad to worse. Storing emergency food doesn’t seem so nutty now, does it?
Meanwhile, the remaining wealthy enjoy champagne, beef, lobster, and chocolate in a Venezuelan country club. I’d be careful if I were them. I’m pretty sure Marie Antoinette was a champagne sipper too – right up until she got her head lopped off by the hungry.
The Bookshelf
Failures of Imagination (You really, really need to read this book)
Deadly Force: Understanding Your Right to Self Defense
The Stand: Book or Movie, your choice
Triple family pack of emergency food
This Week in Preparedness
25 Prepping Excuses That the SHTF Won’t Care About
If disaster was a human named SHTF, it would be that person who takes delight in dropping by unannounced and seeing you at your worst: still in your PJs, out of coffee, and taken utterly by surprise. The kind of person who takes advantage of your unpreparedness to ask to borrow the keys to your new car while you’re still in shock at his arrival. The kind of person who acts surprised that you’re surprised and makes you feel like 12 kinds of an idiot for being surprised. The kind of personyou must always plan for like an unpleasant in-law, whether you want them to come by or not.
SHTF doesn’t generally drop by at the most convenient of times, nor does SHTF care about your prepping excuses. In fact, SHTF thrives and grows exponentially under more adverse circumstances.
So, suck it up, put on your boots, and power through it. Here are 25 popular prepping excuses that the SHTF doesn’t care about at all.
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Anything to add to Survival Saturday?
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