I am not killing someone over food

I was teaching revolver and shotgun fundamentals to some people recently. Afterwards I asked if they were considering one or the other for home, family and community defense, one answered with my title line, “I am not killing someone over food”.

That made me think.

I believe I will not kill to take someone else’s food. It would be incredibly destructive of my spirit, soul, karma, eternal being to go for 71 years on the positive side and trash that in my last few months as an Earthly mortal. I am convinced I won’t end my life on that side of the cosmic ledger by choice.

I have read and studied a lot of fiction and non-fiction about dysfunctional societies. They are going on around the world today, as they have been for most of my life. Here in middle America we have very little exposure to it. Yet evil people, groups, gangs and cultures do awful things to peaceful, vulnerable people. It is likely coming our way soon.

Violent people are not stopped by pacifists.

Small gangs devour family after family. Large gangs swallow small gangs. Semi-violent destroy non-violent. Extremely violent take down the semis. Armed, trained, prepared large communities survive. Nothing less will. Nothing else will put limits on the ugliness.

Acquiring a firearm, ammunition and basic skills with it should be in the expectation that you bring some defense capabilities to your community. Sticks and stones, even in a large quantity will not suffice in the great tribulation headed our way. In addition to the other supplies you may bring to your group, adequate defensive capacity is the only way it will remain in good hands.

Otherwise you just fed evil.

Probably not the signature you want to leave behind as your legacy.

What firearms does your community need?

Broken societies around the world tell us all we need to know. Semi-automatic rifles are far and away the tool of choice in the hands of riflemen with competence. That means training and lots of practice, practice, practice.

If that last sentence does not describe you now or in the foreseeable future, my number one suggestion for novices is a youth-stock 20-gauge pump-action shotgun. They are not Hollywood magical, but they are a better defensive tool than any other I can think of. You still need to establish baseline competence and some experience.

For reference I give you two lists from this website.

Bitterroot Bugle articles containing the word “shotgun”.

Bitterroot Bugle articles under the category “guns’n’gear”.