Trying to Convince Freinds and Family

[Urban Survivalist]

I have been talking to friends and family about what we as American’s are up against and asking them to help themselves and get prepared. Although some of my family has gotten prepared most of my friends have the same response “Hay, if anything happens I will just come over to your house”. I sometimes wish I could be a closet prepper but as a Survival and Security consultant I can’t stay hidden, it’s bad for business. Anyway once I get the undesired response from a friend I politely inform them that in the event of social disorder my family will eat my food not the unprepared sheep that just want a free ride. I also tell them that I do have pamphlets on edible weeds and plants for our area that I will gladly give to them so they will not starve. In closing I agree with some of the others in this thread that it does get frustrating at times.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Hay, if anything happens I will just come over to your house

Man I hate that statement unless it's from someone like my mom.

I tell them (1) go ahead I probably won't be there, which ticks them off and (2) If you don't show up with a carload of bullets, beans and bandaids don't come you will become a zombie.

I am watching some guns for a buddy while he goes thru a divorce and working on them as well. He has no ammo for any of them.
He tells me the other days that him and the 2 girls will be coming if anything happens after we talking about preparing and some recent events. I ask him why and he says well if nothing else for my guns. I tell him all he has "is a brand new $400 club because you have no bullets" and he says "but you have bullets" and I says "yep I have bullets and the guns". I also let him know that since he decided to tell another coworker about me talking to him about preparing so they could try and make fun of me a few days before that so he might not want to show up "because folks who have empty hands during events are leaches that need to be plucked from the skin of the earth". Yep set him back a bit it did but I want no misunderstanding about anything. That statement is not always true because if someone prepares but loses everything to the hoarde, flood or fire or something along those lines I would not begrudge them and would assist them because they are not fools just unfortunate.

I am told this attitude is un Christian which I am at odds with because I don't read anywhere in there that I am supposed to endanger my family. Be charitable yes but endangerment NO. I would probably give the fool his guns and maybe a full of ammo gun but no more. This was a week ago and still the guns sit here with no ammo and he looked at buying another one on wednesday but whined about the price of ammo. Craziness, he will spend $1K on a rifle but not $40 on bullets, wonder how many more like this there are?

@Urban Survivalist that is a tough position to be in. I wish I was more quiet about what I do sometimes because of things like this but I have lost people in the green machine probably because of things I shoulda taught them so I struggle with this issue and my friends and family.

[Tofu]

Matt it absolutely burns me up when folks tell me that I'm being unChristian when I refuse to be a doormat. Jesus teaches to help those that are less fortunate or unable to help themselves. He didn't say to help those that refuse to help themselves. In fact to the story of the rich young ruler. This man had everything and wanted the enternal life that Jesus was talking about. Jesus told him to sell everything and follow him, the man left heartbroken because he had much wealth. Today a parallel can be drawn to this story. Folks want what we are talking about but not do anything about it. When we tell them they have to give up their play toys and start investing in a lifestyle of prepardness, they are walking away heartbroken. In other words, the creek is rising and you're expecting to leave one of my kids out of the canoe so I can take you? Guess you should have bought a canoe instead of that LCD flatscreen TV...

[Flagwaver]

People today have gotten so used to being BAILED OUT by someone else that they simply refuse to plan ahead. They wander around in the world as if they were infants whose mothers (or politicians)are going to feed them, clothe them, pay their bills, and protect them from harm. Even though they are perfectly capable of working and supporting themselves, they CHOOSE to ignore their responsibilities as human beings.

To those of you who are called "unChristian" for refusing to let slackers say they will come to your prepared home and take food from your family when a disaster happens, I say tell them to read
2 Thessalonians 3:10 (King James Version):

"For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat."

I have tried to enlighten my family members for at least a year now. They seem to have taken some baby steps in the right direction. However, I no longer feel responsible for their CHOICES. There is an 800 pound guerilla in the room, which some people simply ignore. Where will they take cover when the guerilla attacks?

[slingshot]

Sometimes the people you would least expect to be prepping are doing it! They're just really good about keeping their mouth shut! A dear friend that I have known for years, and I never expected to be a prepper, asked me to come help him do something at his house. There in his new house was a BIG concrete Safe Room in the basement! Ha! I have a whole new respect for him! Now we have new common ground to the friendship!

[Klayton]

@Flagwaver: You quoted the exact quote I was going to quote :)

WOW that is scary... :)

[Bull]

@Slingshot - Thats awesome. Isn't it nice?

[ViennaAustria]

Matt it absolutely burns me up when folks tell me that I'm being unChristian when I refuse to be a doormat. Jesus teaches to help those that are less fortunate or unable to help themselves. He didn't say to help those that refuse to help themselves. In fact to the story of the rich young ruler. This man had everything and wanted the enternal life that Jesus was talking about. Jesus told him to sell everything and follow him, the man left heartbroken because he had much wealth. Today a parallel can be drawn to this story. Folks want what we are talking about but not do anything about it. When we tell them they have to give up their play toys and start investing in a lifestyle of prepardness, they are walking away heartbroken. In other words, the creek is rising and you're expecting to leave one of my kids out of the canoe so I can take you? Guess you should have bought a canoe instead of that LCD flatscreen TV...

Well said indeed. Thumbs up!
Many of those have little kids though, who cannot be held responsible for having sheeple-parents. But nobody can feed 1000 kids plus their parents either. So its just really an awful situation. We'll have to see anyway who can be helped when SHTF.
I don't want to sound harsh here now, but I don't believe that when things really get serious you can trust anyone anymore, except bornagain Christians, since they have a better thing going than this life (but then again, you can't tell for sure who they are anyway). Many others might smile at you one second and cut your throat the next for a few cans of soup.
I don't say that all would do that, just that people by and large can't be trusted when law and order is out of the window and they'll justify a lot of their deeds under the guise of "necessary for survival".

[Mikeg175]

I have been told by many of my friends and family , that I lack compassion . I don't , I just believe in Darwinism . If you do something stupid and have to pay the price , don't come crying . I always use the example of a woman jogging in Central Park in the middle of the night , she doesn't deserve to be attacked , but I don't feel any pity for a person doing something so stupid . I got choked up as heck seeing the picture of the dog who was laying along side the grave of his owner from the mudslides , but I don't blink an eye when a person is doing something that is asinine and gets hurt . I have had the talk with all my friends and family and explained that you can make snide remarks and joke about my prepping , but when SHTF you will be a target and become dog food . I explained that I love them and want what is best for them , but I will NOT put my family and myself at risk , because you think nothing can happen or you have to buy your daughter a new car because she blew up the last one .

I know it sounds harsh , but I work in a harsh industry and I see death and destruction everyday and I have to wade through the rubble of peoples lives , so making sure people who can take care of themselves and are too lazy , too stupid ( can't say ignorant when I have spread it out for them ) , too cheap , too caught up in petty dramas and wont is not my concern . I live in a suburb atm and Im working on my retreat area , which should be set up by summer and when I do , I will use out of state contractors and one friend I trust with anything and no one else will know the location of it . They get all big eyed and don't stay long at my house , when I make it clear , they can share my oxygen and nothing else when SHTF and I wouldn't walk across the street to piss on them if they were on fire .

They are either in it now or not welcome and keep your jokes and snide comments to your self , because once the ride starts if your not with me , you will be left standing and kicking yourself for not taking a few chances . I ask them about life insurance and retirement options and they go " I need to prepare for the future " or something like that , then I reply " oh so as long as you have something in your 401k or pension your ok then " and they smile smugly and go yep . If they can prepare financially , but not physically , then oh well .

[Matt In Oklahoma]

@Mikeg175 good points!