I inadvertently hijacked another thread with some of my philosophy about group identity and the strength that comes from bonding with those one shares a common commitment. Then I saw this article Kanye West on Obama's Failures: ‘Black People Don’t Have the Same Connections as Jewish People’ | NewsBusters which perfectly illustrated my point and took it as a sign I should explore it more. So, how does one select a reliable groups of go-to folks who can be counted on when everything is on the line? I know some who in the prepper community who would be challenged by this. Specifically, self-sufficient types who contently keep to themselves and do their own thing and don't bother anyone. Kids have moved away, perhaps. Maybe they have lost faith in organized religion due to liberalization of main stream protestants or zealotry of some evangelicals. Perhaps they are highly capable people who are intolerant of the BS or drama or flakiness of others. But, when mutant zombie bikers show up in a group of twenty or thirty with ARs and sniper rifles, they will eventually need someone to back them up. So, this discussion is open. How have you built strength in numbers in the sense of a group who will stand shoulder to shoulder with you and spill or shed blood as needed post-SHTF? Family? Neighbors? Church group? Gun clubs? Biker gang? VFW? Racial or ethnic identity groups?
Well..besides the obvious family (genetic, extended and "adopted") that are to relocate to our place if things pass the tipping point and friends who have been identified and will be invited to take a place at that time, we have a few advantages when it comes to neighbors. For some years now, due to a refusal on the part of the local populace to pay for sheriff's patrol activities or a large enough sheriff's department to cover the mostly rural county in general, most of my neighbors have recognized the need for "taking care of our own" and have a pretty good network for home defense. Organizing the "neighborhood" in the event of total breakdown should not be overly daunting or difficult here.
The difference here is the difference between City/Suburb mentality, and Rural/Bush mentality..... In the Rural/Bush, a trip to town is a maybe a Once a week excursion, or maybe even once a month. So these families have a well stocked Pantry, and can, as a matter of course, live on what is in the home for extended periods of time, without resupply. This could be Wx related or other Issues, but it is very Common. These Folks know their neighbors, and with long term neighbors, know who is Trustworthy and who is NOT. City/Suburb folks , tend to much more Neighbor Isolated, as a group. You may know your next door neighbors, and those just across the Street, but just how well do you know the ones, a block over, or two blocks down? In the Cities, do you even know 10% of the folks that live in the same apartment building, Well? or how about any of the folks, in the Apartment Building, across the Street. When you grew up, and the Grocery Store or Bodega is just down the block and has ALWAYS had what you needed, the Pantry went the way of DC Power. You sent the Kid down for a dozen Eggs, or a quart of Milk. No need to stock up, as it was just down the street, and the EBT Card was ALWAYS Good. In Rural/Bush, Privacy is inherent in the distance to your next neighbor. In the City/Suburb, Privacy is determined by how you deal, with the People who live local to you, and OPSec. (what you choose to reveal to them) There is nothing really in common between the Residents who are closely packed, so there is little impetus for them to form the Close Associations required to build the kind of Trust REQUIRED for SHTF self-Protection Groups. Ok, with that said, now look at Utah, and the Mormon culture and community, as different from the normal City/Suburb Mentality. I speak, here from Local Knowledge, and take my Brothers Neighborhood, (Provo, Utah... He was a Bishop for 5 years) as the classic example. The local congregation (Ward) is only two or three Blocks is area, and the local Meeting House is only, at most, four or five blocks distance. Each Ward is presided over by a local Bishop, and two Counselors, and there is an Adult Men's Group, (Elders Quorum) that consists of ALL 18+ year old Men in the Ward, as well as an Adult Women's Group (Relief Society) that consists of ALL 18+ year old Women, in the Ward. Each of these Groups meets weekly, as a Group besides the Normal Weekly Sabbath Service. Each Ward, is part of a Stake, (Diocese) usually 4-5 Wards make a Stake. Each Stake is Presided over by a Stake President and two Counselors, as well as Group of Men (High Counsel) chosen from within the Wards that make up the Stake. The Stake Relief Society also has a President and two Counselors, (women) chosen from the women of the Stake's Wards. Ok, now that you understand the Structure of the Church, you can understand, that when I say, in an SHTF, Disaster, or Community Emergency Situation, the Mormon's have an Administrative Structure, already in place, and if a Group is REQUIRED to deal with a situation, these Folks can muster a Significant Group in Hours, with what "Tools" are required, to deal with ANY Issues. The Ladies have, and can form a significant Group to deal with and logistics, that may need to be dealt with, just as fast, if NOT FASTER. Remember, at the Ward Level we are talking two or three Block Area, and at the Stake Level, maybe a couple of Square Miles of territory. Where is there another Group or Outfit, that can make such a thing happen, other than maybe the Amish, or their Mennonite Cousins? This same Administrative Structure is in place World Wide, in the Mormon Church. Wards are much bigger and correspondingly, Stakes as well, but it is in-place, and operating just the same. Take the Philippine Disaster, for an example, or the Southeast Idaho Dam Failure, a couple of decades ago. The local Stake President, assessed the Damage, and made a call to Salt Lake City, letting Church HQ know the ISSUES, and what is needed. Then HQ Started moving Supplies, money, and mobilizing other Stakes in the Region, (as well as ALL the local Missionaries in the Region) to gather what they had in their Storehouses, and People, and get it moving to the effected area. This System has been used MANY, MANY times since it was implemented in the early Church, (1845) and it is TRIED and True.
I was thinking about this after I posted earlier. I know (at least by name and face) pretty much everyone who lives within about a mile of me…and the one's whose property abuts us somewhat better. As far as who knows of my preps, there is only one in that group who knows much about us…but all are aware that I have a means of defense merely because we have our shooting range in the "yard"…and the sound pretty much lets them know that.
By nature, prepper groups have a need to be solitary in who they are. However, in a rural community we have the need to reach out to others who may have some need. Lend a hand if a roof needs to go on or just clear trees from the road. We routinly lend a hand as needed. You can get to know those that live in your area and find out who is of like mind. Two trucks stopped along the road with the ocupants talking. Could be the weather or politics. OR, it could be about what to do if shtf.. Point is , you have to talk to people to find out about them. And let them know about you without revealing everything.
Did anyone else notice that he called the Bushes Jewish? I think the thing that "the man" is most afraid of is people like you and me getting organized. If a march or protest showed up all wearing the same outfit the govt would freak out on a level that we have not seen yet. This is because it requires a level of communication and organization that they would want to know about through their spy network before it happened and break it up.
