by Richard Bogath

It was not so long ago that I wrote an article here called; “Survive The Potential Of Terrorism”, in which I discussed basically the art of keeping your eyes open in an urban setting. Some of the points were pretty obvious—yet generally unpracticed by the average Joe and Jane Citizen—yet poignant for the modern day potential for terrorism that exists. That’s not what we are going to discuss here, so you have to keep reading.

This article is more about reality and the fact that the potential for something that may or may not happen is well and good to be prepared for, yet thanks to media, the internet and the fact that just about every human being on earth today has a smartphone and cannot resist the urge to not only capture the news on a camera app, but to also include themselves in the news by way of the ubiquitous “selfie” in the foreground.

Home-Grown Terrorism

But what’s this got to do with terrorism in my hometown, be it literally town or big city?

It’s the fact that a chat with any local police officer, government official or state employee can pretty much tell you that little plots are being uncovered all the time—everywhere. A plot to blow up this, or a plot to shoot up that. Be it from “terror cell” to “copycat mass shooter”, there exists some real dangers out there. So far, in most cases, these plots and plans have been thwarted.

My ongoing concern? If someone drops the ball and they miss one.

Being a “prepper” (I know, labeling ourselves that way can still make you wince) piles on the additional responsibility of being ready for such occurrences. Not for the “if” but for the “when”. Sooner or later everyone gets caught with their pants down and when that occurs how are we ready? These situations represent very little difference from most thing we prepare for.

Acts of home-grown terrorism are disasters. Just like natural disasters.

And we prepare for them in many of the same ways. While none of us can be expected to prevent terrorism, how we deal with the aftermath is fully within our control. Keeping ourselves and our families safe will always be the priority.

Armed

The cowardice that is expressed in most forms of terrorist activity prevents any opportunity for a direct armed confrontation. That does not mean that you should not be prepared to fight. Without reopening any sensitive issues on the debate of gun controls direct effect on mass shootings, lets just err on the side of caution and say that you probably have a better opportunity of not getting shot at if you have the same opportunity to shoot back. Remember—the police usually show up AFTER the fact. Yes, I think that about covers it.

Mobile

Just like in a natural disaster, sometimes an act of home-grown terrorism can prompt the necessity to get-up-and-go. Grab the bug-out bags and hit the road to somewhere safe or safer, just like is carefully spelled out in your plan for just such emergencies. Be it in the car, riding in the flatbed or hoofing it into the woods via the backyard, have the option to go to a safer location is always better than trying to figure it out on the fly.

Communication

Rarely can we assume that those that are close to us will always be in our immediate vicinity at all times. The first priority is finding out where everyone is and each loved ones condition. While its great that we now have so many forms of communication available to us in terms of phones and computers, its essential to understand that EVERYONE in the vicinity will be trying to do the same thing.

During the attacks on 9/11 it was just about impossible to make a call through a land line, much less a cell phone. Being prepared for these situations means that even without conventional communication like your phone, you have a backup plan in place (pre-arranged meeting places, accessing other relatives and friends within walking distance or simply the classic: “When in doubt—go home”.

Assistance

As preppers (shiver) we sometimes take the attitude of the hardworking ant watching the grasshopper play. We can get bitter when disaster strikes and those who sat idle with little time for us, now come to us in need and fear to make use of what we are ready for. it’s all too common an occurrence and will happen to the best of us. It’s our job to be above all that.

Not that we have to sacrifice our own safety in exchange for another, but it’s especially poignant to remember that there are differences between natural and man-made disasters. Acts of terrorism on US soil is a relatively new consideration for most Americans and we have to agree that we cannot hold those at fault for a lack of understanding the danger that can be present all around them. Offering assistance when we can is also an opportunity to pass on knowledge and understanding of what we do—leading inevitably to acceptance. At least we hope so.

Home-grown terrorism is a horrible consideration to have to make time for in our already busy lives. I prefer to look upon such problems as simply another potential disaster to contend with. Not every contingency can be planned for, but being ready for a terrorist attack on a local scale in even the smallest way can lessen the impact on ourselves and families, friends, neighbors and co-workers.

Let me know what you think and where you stand on the issue? Leave your comments below