Homestead Security

Gun control is a huge topic right now because of the awful massacre of children, teachers and school administrators at Sandy Hook Elementary. The topic has been brewing in the public domain for awhile because mass shootings are on the rise in America. General craziness is on the rise in America too. People seem to be more pessimistic, paranoid, violent & irrational. Right now we have a situation with a "doomsday prepper" who has kidnapped a 5 year old boy from a school bus in which he shot the driver and took the boy. It is day 3 of the stand off between him and law enforcement and supposedly, the boy is still alive but I am sure he is forever traumatized. We also had a school shooting today in Atlanta and details are just emerging.

Everyone wants to blame someone or something for these tragedies. It must be the NRA, assault rifles, Obama, Bush, video games, movies, TV, the media, the conspiracy theorists, ADHD, Asperger's, psychiatric meds, depleted foods & health, etc. etc. Everyone wants to do something to stop it. We must have armed guards at school, on buses, background checks on everyone, doctors questioning patients about guns, assault rifle bans, ammunition clip bans, swat teams in every town, and so on. It's a sad predicament we face as a nation, as a parent, as a teacher, as a young person trying to grow up and understand this world. How do you protect innocent lives from someone hell-bent on destroying them?

One thing I clearly want to express is that I hate violence. I loath confrontation on a physical plane. I would much rather be intellectually or artistically challenged than physically challenged by some nut. I wish we could all live in a world of peace and love. If only everyone felt the same way, if they could be tolerant of differences in others and embraced life without jealousy, anger and stupidity we might make it happen. Since that is not the world we currently face, it is imperative for peace loving people to try not to make themselves a target for violence. Living in the backwoods is very peaceful but it is also a bit scary. What if nobody could hear me scream, what if it takes the police 30-45 minutes to get here if they did find out I needed help? What if I am a target because I live in such a remote location. These are all things that one must consider when choosing to live in a place like I do.

In addition to people who want to start violent confrontations, there are those that just want to rob you so they can get their fix. We call these unfortunate souls "pillbillies" in my neck of the woods. They are so addicted to their drugs that they will risk electrocution by stealing electrical lines right off the pole. When we first bought our homestead, there was no plumbing hooked up. We thought it was because it was winter and the previous owner didn't want the pipes to freeze. After we bought it, we discovered that someone had robbed all the copper pipes right out from under it. They also took the grounding rods on the telephone polls. Days later, we discovered it was a popular drinking spot for some questionable folks so we installed a gate across the access road. The first year we owned the place, we only came on the weekends so we installed some video surveillance and alarm system after we were told a local pillbilly had been caught trying to look in our windows.

My point is, some people need more than 911 for protection. Some people are at greater risk of confrontation and can't depend on the small local police department when they live so far from it. For these reasons, you have to plan accordingly how you will protect yourself on your own. There are numerous methods and devices available. You have to go with what you are comfortable with and consider the ramifications if you actually had to use it. It is imperative that you consider your family situation, mental and physical abilities and what you are willing to do when faced with the worst situation. You also need to practice what you are going to do. There is nothing wrong with being a prepper! You should be prepared because you can't depend on others to come to your rescue, even though there still are lots of good people  in this world that do it every single day. My background in emergency response and environmental health and safety has given me the privilege of meeting those that put their life on the line every day for the safety and security of those they have never met. I have great respect for those people. I can tell you that they practice a lot and that is how they are able to handle themselves in difficult and/or tragic situation. You also need to know and practice what you would do if things did not go the way you planned. If one of your family  members or friends was stabbed or shot, do you know what to do. If you are 30 minutes away from EMS, that means the victim is an hour away from a hospital. You have to know how to control bleeding and deal with sucking chest wounds if you expect to keep them alive. At the very least, know CPR and first aid. You or someone you know are much more likely to die from a heart attack than to be shot anyway! It amazes me how many people are scared of taking my CPR, AED, First Aid class because they think it makes them liable to help anyone. Check your own state laws but here in Kentucky, we have the Good Samaritan law that will protect you from any lawsuit as long as you act in good faith. You also need to form an alliance with your neighbors if possible. You can't always be home but they watch your back while you watch theirs.

I have respect for those that say we need to do something because they are right! What I don't have are the answers to what will work in this complicated world of conflicts. The best thing we can do is protect ourselves within our ability, spread love and peace, teach our children what is right and wrong and participate in our democracy that so many brave people sacrificed their lives and families for us to have.