Should a Firearm Be Part of Your Preparedness Plan?

By Caleb Cleek

Preparedness

Preparedness means different things to different people.  For some, it may mean having supplies on hand to make it through a winter storm with no power and impassable roads; the goal is to feed the family for a couple of days until food can once again be procured from the store.  On the other extreme are those who are preparing for the apocalypse and the end of society as we know it. Most of us are somewhere in between.  We want to have enough food and supplies on hand to get through a couple of weeks, or maybe even a couple of months, of disruption in the supply chain.

Is Stockpiling Enough? 

Assuming you have been able to stockpile enough supplies to sustain your family for a few weeks or a month or two, or perhaps even six, have you done all you need to do?  Are you ready for whatever may befall you?

When Can We count On Help?

Typically, we expect significant help to be on hand within 72 hours after a catastrophic event, as our nation is quick to send its resources to help those in need.  What if the catastrophe is of such a large scale that no help is sent?  In that case, we can no longer look at how our country has responded in the past as we have never been forced to endure such a situation.  To see how it would play out, we have to look to other nations without the economic ability to send help to those who live in regions that have been plagued by earthquakes, storms, or other tragedies.

Inevitably those who don’t have what they need, take it from those who do.  The strong prey on the weak or the weak with nothing may join together to increase their strength and then take from those who have.  In the short term, people may tend to band together for the common good, but eventually, reality sets in, and people realize they are going to starve to death.  Our society has become very good at looking out for Number One.

Who Can You Trust?

You may no longer be able to count on the neighbor who had your back in the beginning to still have your best interest in mind four weeks into the tragedy when his kids are literally starving to death in front of his eyes.  It is possible that even if you share what you have, he may decide he wants it all for himself.

Even if your immediate neighbor is still loyal after a month, how are you going to make sure that your family benefits from your sacrifice and planning and not the gang member who happened to notice a light in your window when nobody else has lights at night?

There are two ways to protect your preparations from those who would take them.  The first is to not let anybody know that you have anything to take.  The second option is to arm yourself.  In reality, you should probably do both.

What to Know Before Deciding on a Firearm

Before you decide to arm yourself, there are a couple of things you should at least make yourself aware of and consider.  First, a gun has the potential to be very dangerous if used incorrectly.  This being said, the danger shouldn’t keep you from purchasing a gun.  After all, you interact with other things that have the same potential for death and destruction on a daily basis.

When you first started driving, you didn’t jump into a car and take off.  Someone showed you what to do and you probably attended driver education classes.  The training you undertook greatly mitigated the dangers associated with driving a car.  Guns are no different.  If you are considering a firearm, get properly trained in its use and the time you spend using it will be a safe, rewarding, and enjoyable experience.  There are a plethora of training facilities around the country that will take a person who has never handled a firearm and teach him or her to use it safely and proficiently in a two or four-day course, or even evening courses.

What About Kids?

If you have kids in your home, at the very least you should get them trained in safely handling the firearms you have in your home.  For small kids, it can be as simple as teaching them not to touch a gun if you are not around.

I was raised in a house with a lot of guns.  From a very young age, my dad told me anytime I wanted to look at one of his guns or shoot one of them, let him know and we would do it together. When I was 6 years old, I told him I wanted to shoot his Colt 1911.  He reconsidered the wisdom of his philosophy but held true to his word.  The first shot nearly knocked me over.  He asked if I wanted to take another shot and I assured him I didn’t.  Knowing I could handle or shoot my dad’s guns by simply asking took the mystery out of it and took away the temptation to sneak a peek on my own.  Allowing me to use his guns under his supervision taught me to handle guns safely from a young age.

Gun Safety

I now work in a field that requires me to carry a gun at work every day.  Guns are a part of my life and as a result, they are a part of my family’s life as well.  It was important for my wife and me to teach our kids gun safety from the time they became mobile.   As a result, my eight-year-old son is better equipped to handle a gun than many of my co-workers who also carry a gun at work, and he can outshoot many of them, too.

The reason I mention this is I want to make the point that even kids can be taught to handle firearms safely at a very young age, but it is a skill they have to be taught.  Assuming they will figure it on their own, or assuming they won’t play with your gun if they find it, is courting disaster.

Consequences Come in Many Shapes and Sizes

Another thing to consider is that when you add a firearm to your preparations, ultimately it is for the purpose of protecting yourself and your family.  Should you have to use your gun in that capacity, it will likely end with you taking the life of another person.

A co-worker once told me the story about when he was forced to kill a man who was trying to murder him.  Ten years after the event, he broke down and cried while recounting the story.  My friend was not an emotional man by any means, but the event changed him in ways he could never have imagined before.  If you are forced to take the life of another person, it will change you in ways you cannot imagine today.

Humans were not meant to take the lives of other humans.  That being said, it is preferable to be forced to deal with the trauma of killing a person rather than dealing with the trauma of your family being killed or brutalized by that same person.  I don’t say this to dissuade you from adding a gun to your prepping list, but rather to bring to your attention what you are ultimately preparing to do when you add that firearm to the list of things to purchase.

If you are still interested in adding a firearm to your prepping list, check out the next Monday’s article in this series: Gun Basics and Pistols.

Together lets Love, Learn, Practice, and Overcome

There are links in this post.  Some of the links may be affiliate links.  Some of the links may not be.  My promise to you is that I will only recommend the most economical version of the best quality of items to serve you. These are the items that I have bought for my own family.  You can feel free to use my affiliate links, of which I will get a small amount in compensation, or you can choose to search out your products on your own.

The Author

Caleb Cleek is the husband of one wife, the father of four children, a ten-year law enforcement veteran in the once-great state of California, and author of the apocalyptic Infected book series, which is for sale on Amazon in paperback and Kindle ebook.  Did I mention he really likes guns?