Planning to Assist Community

[EX121]

So let's say there has been a large nation wide (insert doom here) and the Gov't has declared martial law.

My personal plan and inclination is to not hole-up and bug out for the hills. I do have a plan to leave town and head for a couple of friends houses in the nearby country/farming area.

My questions are have any of you thought about how you can help the local community. Here are some of my ideas.
Remind the local 'honcho' about how the need for a refugee processing system.
the need to inventory what is in all of the stranded trucks on the highway., especially food.
the need to set up and control food distribution from the grocery stores & supply warehouses.
the need to control farming and processing of beef and hunting. (Can't kill them all need to manage the herds). How do you do this while respecting private property?????
how to set up a medium of exchange (money) or work/labor chits? 1 chit for 1 hour of community work?
what sytem of laws is going to be used???? Justice system, punishment???
Just some general thoughts, what are yours??

[Spock]

So let's say there has been a large nation wide (insert doom here) and the Gov't has declared martial law.

My personal plan and inclination is to not hole-up and bug out for the hills. I do have a plan to leave town and head for a couple of friends houses in the nearby country/farming area.

My questions are have any of you thought about how you can help the local community. Here are some of my ideas.
Remind the local 'honcho' about how the need for a refugee processing system.
the need to inventory what is in all of the stranded trucks on the highway., especially food.
the need to set up and control food distribution from the grocery stores & supply warehouses.
the need to control farming and processing of beef and hunting. (Can't kill them all need to manage the herds). How do you do this while respecting private property?????
how to set up a medium of exchange (money) or work/labor chits? 1 chit for 1 hour of community work?
what sytem of laws is going to be used???? Justice system, punishment???
Just some general thoughts, what are yours??

you're not really serious are you? i mean we are talking about the same "community" that 50% of them voted for a marxist TWICE for president. the same 50% that is receiving government assistance of some kind. the same community that riots at a wal mart ON thanksgiving day to buy a $97 tv. that community?

[EX121]

Yep that community. Better to direct them & try to keep more bad stuff from happening than not. I don't see much hope in doing nothing, if I can give input/ideas to the civil gov't. I am prepared to go it alone with a small group if absolutely necessary. But I think it would be better if the local county gov't can be advised on policies. Or should we just let it go Fuedal/Warlords like in a lot of PAW fiction.

[Grinnan Barrett]

Of course most of us have feelings for the communities we live in. In our case we have set aside food stores for our church family. Most of them think we are crazy if they know what we do. My wife used to make it a topic of conversation about her crazy husband the survivalist. that was until we had to host a number of families in our home when we had a ten day ice storm that knocked out power and water to the area. (this was not in Texas).

It think your intentions are noble but I would warn you that when things go south the powers that be will not want anyone's input just their resources. If you vehicle runs and their does not they will take yours for the GOOD of the Community. Same thing applies to food, water etc. You can only do so much and then you have to move on and take care of your own. If you feel like you have to tell them do it now before the event strikes. When it comes it is too late. Best wishes to you. GB

[tarheelsman71]

EX121, I think that is a great idea for a diversion. If you are near a populated area, then it is time to get gone when the lights go out, and di di to your BOL. Perfect plan to "organize" the masses of unprepared, and get them working so you can sneak away to your hidey hole. Truth is, there isnt enough food on the shelves ANYWHERE to feed those people, and those people will start thinking with their stomach in a couple of days. Those that dont have, and I am talking about 99% of the population not just the 47% that is part of the entitlement brigade, will all be hungry within a week at most. My BIL and his wife, both make good money, but just cant fathom a time when they cant goto food lion or walmart, so they plan out their meals on sunday and monday night she buys the food they will need for the week. they live 100 yards from my house and have seen my preps and help me feed my rabbits, and still dont get it. My advice, is to have a good cry over the people that you will leave behind, because if you dont take yourself and those you have prepared for away, then you are endangering them needlessly. My plan is to bugout so I dont have to watch my friends and family starve, because I know I will feed them, taking food out of my kids mouth to do it. It is a sad reality, but people in general dont want to hear that the sky is falling, even when it already has. Good luck to you and your plan, but there is too many potential SNAFU's with that line of thinking.

[miked2345]

Ditto what ^^they^^ said... EX121, the topics you listed make sense to reasonable people, sitting down and having a rational discussion and planning things out... But I fear none of that will be likely after the SHTF, at least not in any large town or city. Now in a small farming community, it will probably work. Those people have a whole different mindset than the "Gimme-dat" mobs in most any city.

If you go to Youtube and watch some "Black Friday at Walmart" videos, I think that's probably the crowd you'll see after the SHTF... If they act like that for a sale on a smart phone or flat screen, imagine what they'll be doing when they're hungry! I don't know how you would have a rational talk with those folks.

[1Admin]

Glad a few people have answered already on this...

I figure that after about six months at a low note of a full collapse, THEN you could start trying to help the community.

I recently listened to "One Cigarratte After" aka 'One second after' (due to his constant references to jones'ing for cigarettes and constant smoking) and I realized how polly'annish most of it really was. His charming little community not taking HIS stuff, but taking other people's stuff (the car), etc. How HE was the thin red line between the community becoming the United Socialist Soviet Republic of Black Mountain. I've been to that community, it's not that rural and not that old school from just looking around. And let's not forget, NO PLACE is anymore. Why? Cause the moral destroying character robbing ideas are streamed everywhere now thanks to Dish, DirectTV, etc. You don't have to be "city" to get "city values." And yes, I'm rural and their are problems in rural areas as well, but their are LESS problems because their are LESS PEOPLE.

It's like the line in the end of the movie "Carriers." The surviving brother is telling the GF how they are going to hole up someplace while the disease runs it's course. She says something about people, his reply "people are the problem."

I know that's cynical but for over half of the population, it's the truth.

After the collapse, after people see what they have lost, after the "you owes me" types are killed in the riots, starve to death with their hands out while still not working, THEN we can begin to rebuild.

Their is a verse in Psalms that basically says "if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" This is not to say I think "I" or any of us are "righteous" but the point is still the same, with NO FOUNDATION LEFT, their is nothing to build on.

This could be a very good debate, so ya'll please continue it but keep it civil. I have some pretty strong feelings on the matter so I'm gonna try to stay out of it :) That being said, I don't want anyone to miscontrue that because someone says they aren't willing to take the big flush with the rest of the turds ("Wes says when the big flush happens we'll all be clinging to the rim" LOL) that they don't give a damn about the "community." I could tell you and show you MANY examples of some of the most giving (of time, talents and treasures) people NOW that will just quietly withdraw when the collapse happens. People that drop thousands of dollars to feed, clothe, keep warm homeless, etc. So don't confuse the act of withdrawing WHEN THE TIME COMES with a lack of conscience please :)

Please keep the discussion going. Ex121 is a good guy and obviously has a great heart, those that disagree, go easy on him :)

[EX121]

I guess maybe I have a more hopeful view of my fellow man. I have lived through several natural disasters and always ended helping out others. By the same token I'm well aware of how viscious things can get quickly.
My first goal is the protection of my family & friends. But I wonder if there is any shred of local civil control do you help or just hunker down forever?

[xdpatriot]

So let's say there has been a large nation wide (insert doom here) and the Gov't has declared martial law.

My personal plan and inclination is to not hole-up and bug out for the hills. I do have a plan to leave town and head for a couple of friends houses in the nearby country/farming area.

My questions are have any of you thought about how you can help the local community. Here are some of my ideas.
Remind the local 'honcho' about how the need for a refugee processing system.
the need to inventory what is in all of the stranded trucks on the highway., especially food.
the need to set up and control food distribution from the grocery stores & supply warehouses.
the need to control farming and processing of beef and hunting. (Can't kill them all need to manage the herds). How do you do this while respecting private property?????
how to set up a medium of exchange (money) or work/labor chits? 1 chit for 1 hour of community work?
what sytem of laws is going to be used???? Justice system, punishment???
Just some general thoughts, what are yours??

I think it's honorable of you to want to help your community. We need more of that NOW. When TSHTF, I think it's gonna be too late. After this last election, I think people are gonna get what they want. The question is are they gonna want what they get. We have put away some things to give as chartiy( food and things ). However...
I have come to the realization that we can't save everyone. You just can't. Part of what we do is live realistically. Realistically I know that 85% of the people around our community don't 'get it'. We will be living in a small community on 2000 acres. People that are getting their affairs in order as we are.
As far as using someone cattle or anything else for that matter 'for the good of the community'. Absolutely, 100% no. Not happening. If someone has better prepared than me, sucks to be me. Their private property is theirs. Stealing is stealing, no matter what title you give it, what reason you give or who is doing it. There is no grey area there. As far as wild game goes, the government already regulates that as we speak and there's still poaching that goes on. It's kinds like gun control, only the good guys are gonna follow the laws. Wow, kinda worked my way back around to stealing, which is what the powers that be do eveytime I have to buy a hunting license, but can't hunt numerous things without the proper stamp. It's common theavery.

[Bearman202]

EX121, I think a lot of the problem is exactly what you're talking about: Community. How many actually feel like they're IN a community? Most people I know don't even know their neighbors. It's a lot easier to steal from someone you don't know, and the way things are set up now, nobody knows anybody. You know your personal circle of friends and acquaintances, the people you work with on a daily basis, and maybe your church group, (although that's not guaranteed either) and the rest are people who will be looking at you for what you have, not what you are. Those are the ones you need to worry about. To them, you are a resource, not a person.

Having said that, what's the solution? How do we develop more of a community? I did a sociology class, and the prof stated that a group works until it reaches 60 people. After that, it starts falling apart. Now, looking around, there are something like 70,000 people within 10 miles of me. I live on the edge of a small city. Where are those folks going to go when the wheels fall off? Hopefully, either east or west, and not north, but then again, I live in a small complex of apartment buildings, and I have no idea who the majority of those people are. Do I worry about it? You betcha, but I'm not a real social person. That's a lot of the problem, in my case, but I don't see it changing any time soon.

[Coondog]

I live in an extremely rural area, nearest neighbor is some 20 miles, nearest town, home town, is about 30. Border is also about 30. Less than 800 people here. I run a decent sized business and employ more than 25% of the local pop. Due to my reputation, when the shtf, I assume I will have more than one person make it to my front door. All my preps are not necessarily in line just yet, the main one coming soon, but how will I be able to deny them? I am not going to try to govern the local population by any means. I know what I'm saying is a bit far from ex121 original idea, but I think what I am getting at is that someone knows about your preps, and they are sure to show up on dday and look like hell and if we are all who we think we are, how are we to deny them? Sure it is taking food out of our own planned groups mouths, but something to think about is the power that comes with numbers. Whomever it is that knows about our preps are generally a trusted population. Probably known them for a long time and trusted enough to let them know about our preps. What I am getting at here is the fact that the master prepper in each BOL will more than likely have to govern some of the community like it or not. Unless you could sit back and watch the man you have trusted for years to die and his family right behind him go the same way. I just don't think I could. Thanks ex121. Brings some thoughts to mind.

[Maid Marion]

I have to agree with 1Admin. Maybe six months into TSHTF it might be a little safer to offer to help get thing back together. I think much of this will depend on the part of the country we live in and what season of the year it is. January here In New Hampshire will be a great time to keep our heads down and just wait until spring. Its sad to say but time and weather will have removed a large portion of the people in the tiny towns near us and the ones that are left will have hopefully begun to figure out a way to live that does not involve canniblism.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Opportunities will arise that you will openly see and allow you to use your particular skills sets to help those around you. Not to many here are hermits as they have extended themselves too many times to help others on this forum and even outside of the forum to include the gurus. I dont have a plan and even if I did God would ignore it, LOL, but just as in my daily journey things come up. I dont have a plan to help anyone but I also know that my personality will thrust me headlong into something at some point!

[jimmycthemd]

Opportunities will arise that you will openly see and allow you to use your particular skills sets to help those around you. Not to many here are hermits as they have extended themselves too many times to help others on this forum and even outside of the forum to include the gurus. I dont have a plan and even if I did God would ignore it, LOL, but just as in my daily journey things come up. I dont have a plan to help anyone but I also know that my personality will thrust me headlong into something at some point!

+1000 on this!!!

Those of us that profess to be Christian cannot, in all good conscience, turn our back on every situation. Yes, we have to protect our families/fellow preppers, but to turn a blind eye to human suffering should NOT be in the heart of a good Christian. That doesn't mean that I'll put a sign on my house saying free food, but it does mean that I'll give folks what help I can safely.

[WILL]

So let's say there has been a large nation wide (insert doom here) and the Gov't has declared martial law.

My personal plan and inclination is to not hole-up and bug out for the hills. I do have a plan to leave town and head for a couple of friends houses in the nearby country/farming area.

My questions are have any of you thought about how you can help the local community. Here are some of my ideas.
Remind the local 'honcho' about how the need for a refugee processing system.
the need to inventory what is in all of the stranded trucks on the highway., especially food.
the need to set up and control food distribution from the grocery stores & supply warehouses.
the need to control farming and processing of beef and hunting. (Can't kill them all need to manage the herds). How do you do this while respecting private property?????
how to set up a medium of exchange (money) or work/labor chits? 1 chit for 1 hour of community work?
what sytem of laws is going to be used???? Justice system, punishment???
Just some general thoughts, what are yours??

Surviving is really priority one. Society re-forming would only be a priority to me in that it enhances priority one. In that respect, the only interest I have in society working properly would be to fulfill my group