“An armed society is a polite society.” – Robert A. Heinlein “Beyond This Horizon”
The last leg of the preparedness triangle is that of security. Security is a complex and manifold idea, at the core of which is the firearm. Here in the United States, we have, ostensibly, the easiest society in which a private citizen can legally own a firearm. Various pacifistic elements of society, along with your very own government wish to take that key of personal defense from you. Post Hurricane Katrina is a prime example of illegal gun seizures that left citizens defenseless in the face of violent criminals.
The worst of these instances was when an elderly woman was threatened, harassed and physically attacked by Police officers when she refused to give up her revolver – her only means of defense in post Katrina New Orleans. Since the widely publicized occurrences of illegal firearm seizures by military and police personnel, many states (Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, Texas, and Arizona) have enacted strict bans forbidding the Police from seizing privately owned firearms in an emergency situation. Yeah, OK. This way lies the conundrum: who watches the watchmen?
What this boils down to is you absolutely must have some way to protect your food, water, shelter, and fuel from scavenging packs of lawless scum. Don’t think it’ll get that bad? So soon you have forgotten the Rodney King riots, post Hurricane Andrew Miami, Post Hurricane Katrina New Orleans.
“This is my BOOM stick” – Ash "Army of Darkness"
Lets start with the basics, shall we? The easiest, most affordable beginner home defense platform is a shotgun. Particularly the 12-gauge pump shotgun. There are home defense shotguns for as little as around 200 Federal Reserve Notes, not including tax. Shotgun ammunition is cheap and easy to get. Ladies, I recommend #4 buckshot loads in your shotgun. The recoil is easily manageable, there is very little secondary wall penetration, and it is still lethal.
Nothing says “Don’t Tread On Me” like the sound of shotgun slide being racked in a dark room.
No matter what your preference, be sure you have a way to defend yourself, your family and your stuff!
"This is my rifle, this is my gun. This is for fighting, this is for fun." – Full Metal Jacket
While owning a firearm (or firearms) is an important first step, nothing, and I repeat nothing beats skill with that firearm. Boston T Party, in his excellent book “Boston’s Gun Bible” pounds home the lessons you should learn.
Lesson number one: use money to turn bullets into skill. It is better to have bought 1000 rounds, shot 900 of those rounds and have 100 rounds left than having bought 1000 rounds and never fired a single shot. Frankly, a person with zero skill and a ton of ammunition is just being kind to the criminals and animals in his immediate environs.
Lesson number two: Become a rifleman! Allow me to elaborate, a pistol and a shotgun has their uses…like getting you to your rifle. Nothing beats a large bore rifle in the role of a defensive weapon.
“A gun is a tool, Marion, no better or no worse than any other tool, an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.” – Shane
We need to hold the gun up and examine it as a tool. Like any good tool, it has multi purpose applications. From self-defense, to hunting, a good weapon is only as good, or bad as the person using it.
Taking one of the myriads of training and education classes out there is a must. Even an experienced shooter benefits from these classes. If you are an "experienced" shooter and you just scoffed at that statement, I pray you never have to guard my back. You will get yourself and very likely someone else very dead, very fast.
Train. Train often. Train hard. Focus on accuracy, discipline, and control. If you can afford it, take a tactical handgun course and a tactical rifle course. At the minimum, train with friends who have the same mind set as you.
"I like to keep this around for close encounters." - Corporal Dwayne Hicks - Aliens
Regardless of what weapon you choose, keep it close, keep it ready, and keep it safe. Your life and the life of others will depend on the reliable accurate and controlled use of that weapon.
It is imperative that you understand that securing yourself takes more than a deadbolt and a dog. If you are a pacifist and don’t believe in guns, can you at least have the decency to dig a grave in your yard before the economy collapses? It’ll make it easier to handle your remains after the strong arms come through and loot your place and kill you.
I will not die on my knees. Will you?
Pray for the best, prepare for the worst.