So, the elections are over.

Gum drops and lollipops from here on out, right? No, probably not. What are we preparing for? What are you preparing for? Well, it may not be possible to prepare for every potential outcome, but it is possible to cover the basics: food, water, shelter, energy, security and community. Security has been on my mind lately. Yeah, I’ve got a few preps, but I could also be doing what Bill Burr said, “just gathering supplies for the toughest guy on the block”. So, what’s the plan? I have to admit, I roll my eyes a bit when I hear people say that’s what they have a gun for. I may have a gun, and if I did, that would be what it was for. However, let’s consider this scenario:

Things have gotten pretty bad. The selection of food on the shelves is getting thin, and the price of that food is double or triple what it was a year ago. It’s 1 am and you’re awakened by the smash of your downstairs window. You run downstairs with your gun and ‘defend’ your home, killing or maiming the intruder. Well, guess what, in many states you will go to jail. And now you’re swept into that world. If you ever had a DUI or MIP, you know that once the law and judicial system has you, it doesn’t just let you go. You aren’t going to help anyone from jail. Your time and money, that were already spread too thin, are now dedicated to keeping you out of jail. The government will take your guns until the government decides you were defending your home… Or that the ‘poor intruder’ was just trying to steal food to feed his family.

Protecting your home and family is absolutely the top priority, but I think it would be better to take a more proactive approach. Fences, window and door coverings, alarm systems, outdoor lighting, a good guard dog or two, motion detectors, pepper spray. Shooting anyone, even the bad guys, will make circumstances exponentially more stressful and the path forward less clear. A good security plan is part of being prepared.