Do you have a group of friends and acquantences that are moral, law abiding people and good shooters? People that, if needed, you could link up with during an emergency when there is NO law and order, and securely move to a relatively safe area where you could set up a long term defensive position until the crisis is over?  Or are you depending on .gov to handle that for you?

My opinion is that people SHOULD train and organize this way as a safety net.  The "militia" was a group formed ad hoc of everyday citizens to perform military type service and defend the community against the British who were the lawful government and authority at the time.  Since today's .gov, LE, and media would never look on such a thing with favor today, and we do not want to overthrow anybody, we can define our "group" mission this way: not to defend our community in an emergency, but to ensure the rule of law, order, and safety specifically for our loved ones in those times when the government ceases to function effectively.

Anyone who complains that those at the Superdome didn't have this mindset......duh!!  They were mainly wards of the structure that failed!  

In a disaster on the scale of Katrina, the ability to work as a team could enable you to function, survive, and safely evacuate a fairly large number of loved ones despite the complete breakdown of the social and legal fabrics of society.  Katrina should be a big wake up call for people.  Keep in mind, while those like us evacuated NO before the storm arrived, not every type of catastrophe will allow advance warning!

As in almost ANYTHING, better to HAVE the ability and not need it, than to NEED it and NOT HAVE IT!

Even some people I have met from this board think I am a little strange for thinking this way.  This is not something that Katrina brought to mind, I have always felt this way.  What say you?

Poll coming.

Yes - we have a group of people, all of us can shoot, a number of us can hunt and clean+butcher our own kills, some of us can cook and have medical training, I know what is/is not safe to eat/use for medical purposes in the local environment. There are a number of people who jokingly say that they're coming to our house if the SHTF, but unless they've got skills they're going to be greeted by my AR. Resources are for those who can contribute.

Yes, it's a great idea, if you can do it.  Problem is that you'll have to maintain OPSEC because most people won't understand and will figure you're a "militia" .  It can be very, very hard to find like-minded people in your area.  I personally only know of two people myself in my area, and I don't train with them or even see them very often.  Best bet is to make friends in the HTF's if you can't find like-minded people any other way.  Even better is if you have family members who are of the same mind as you, then you can include them.  It's not a "militia" (in the bad sense of the word) as long as you don't go the route of advocating illegal activity or the overthrow of the govt or some kind of racist agenda.  Going out shooting/hunting with your buddies and practicing living off the land/camping/hiking on private property (or other areas where you can do so legally) is no crime and is actually a very good, smart thing to do.  For now, it's recreation and fun, for bad times, it's survival itself.  

Quoted: Yes, it's a great idea, if you can do it.  For now, it's recreation and fun, for bad times, it's survival itself.

You wrapped up my feelings very nicely right there!

I think this activity should be limited to your family unit and any neighbors who pass the sniff test.  

No but most who know me will probably come looking for me.  I have been labeled the "gun guy".  

Quoted: I think this activity should be limited to your family unit and any neighbors who pass the sniff test.

Agreed.  Anyone who tried to put together a "Militia" wouldn't last long.  Even if you had good intentions, somebody would come in and screw it up with racist crap, or drugs, or any number of stupid and illegal activities.  Better to just stick with family and neighbors you know and trust.  That limits the scope right there.

Yep. Only one who isn't a excellent shot is my mom , she will run the 1919.

Quoted: Quoted: I think this activity should be limited to your family unit and any neighbors who pass the sniff test.   Agreed.  Anyone who tried to put together a "Militia" wouldn't last long.  Even if you had good intentions, somebody would come in and screw it up with racist crap, or drugs, or any number of stupid and illegal activities.  Better to just stick with family and neighbors you know and trust.  That limits the scope right there.

Further complicated by the fact they will be armed or expecting you to arm them.

Quoted: Yup, I call it the NYPD!

No fair!  You already have unit cohesion and everything!  

Just family.

GD is looking more and more like the Survival Forum every day.

No. Unless my house becomes a skinny magnet and I'm forced to leave....then I might grovel before one of the Texas SF clan members...

Yes, 3 of my neighbors own ARs.

Unfortunately, most of my friends the gun nuts live away from me.  One is in MS right now and we just got in touch with him via his cell phone.  Another lives about 200 miles away South of Houston.  The bright side is one of my friends lives just around the corner from my folks and knows the area as good as I do.  He's also on the local Sherriff's Dept.  

Quoted: Quoted: Yup, I call it the NYPD! No fair!  You already have unit cohesion and everything!

Snappy uniforms too!



Oh yeah! And they've got that *doink* *doink* noise you hear on the TV!






*doink* *doink*

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I think this activity should be limited to your family unit and any neighbors who pass the sniff test.   Agreed.  Anyone who tried to put together a "Militia" wouldn't last long.  Even if you had good intentions, somebody would come in and screw it up with racist crap, or drugs, or any number of stupid and illegal activities.  Better to just stick with family and neighbors you know and trust.  That limits the scope right there. Further complicated by the fact they will be armed or expecting you to arm them.

You guys are thinking about this the wrong way.


You don't take a bunch of near-strangers off the street at the last minute and hand out SKS's and ammo.

Prior to any fecal matter striking the rotary air impeller....  you work with a group of like-minded neighbors, close friends, and family. If they are truly like-minded, then they already have their own weapons, ammo, food, water, training and other preparations.

At that point all you're doing is organizing into a group, forming contingency plans, training, and doing dry-runs.



P.S.

I've always found that a helpful planning tool is to ask yourself, "WWBGD?"





What Would Burt Gummer Do?



Watch your six and stay out of the jaws of the Graboids, Shreikers, and Assblasters.

Quoted: Just family. GD is looking more and more like the Survival Forum every day.

Yea it is..........

Quoted: I've always found that a helpful planning tool is to ask yourself, "WWBGD?" What Would Burt Gummer Do?

That's a t-shirt waiting to happen!