Thin Veneer

No doubt that last weeks riots in Britain will have many knee jerk survivalist types pointing to those events as proof that the veneer of civilization is a thin coating over our more savage natures. It will be used as the justification for urging preppers to bigger and better weapons for protection. And on at least one blog, the hit and run killing of three men has already been touted as more ‘nanny state’ wrongheadedness, as if being armed would really have made a difference to the three men run over.

All of which is really just so much bullshit. As far as the thin veneer of civilization crap goes, there were as many acts of selflessness and honourable behavior as not. The vast majority of London’s population was NOT rioting, nor was the majority of people in other British cities affected. A small specific demographic comprised the bulk of the rioters, and the unrest was relatively quickly contained, and would not have lasted as long as it did were police not trying to be ‘sensitive’ and avoid escalating events.

As far as bigger and better weapons? How many guns can you fire at once? If you have one decent weapon per family member then short of automatic weapons, you are close to being as armed as you can be effectively. Sure, you can get the bigger clip, or the heavier caliber, but if 20 rounds hasn’t solved the problem, will 30 be enough? Better to spend less on weapons and more on getting you and your family out of densely populated areas where riots are possible.

Finally, as far as an armed populace is concerned, think about several hundred or thousands of armed looters and rioters running about the streets. What would the police casualties have been in London had the rioters been armed? How many more innocent bystanders would have died?

Of course, the gun types will tell you that an armed populace could have helped out. Sure. The truth is that armed or not, few people willingly put themselves in harms way out of altruism, regardless of Hollywood mythology to the contrary. Police and military personnel are trained to do what they do contrary to their instincts. If it was natural for all, they wouldn’t need the training.

However, if a riot does come to a neighbourhood near you, there are things you can do. One of which is be armed, whether with a baseball bat or a firearm. There are numerous reports of shopkeepers deterring looters during the los Angeles riots due to their presence. On the other hand, remember that nothing material is worth your life.

Buddy up as quickly as possibly. There are reports out of London that whole streets got together to deter rioters. If one person with a bat is a deterrent, twenty or thirty are much more so. Be aware that if you use excessive force, and the temptation to do so may be very great, you might be the one in trouble rather than the looters.

Another viable strategy is to get the hell out. Again, all things material are replaceable, the lives of you and your family are not. While it might be tempting to do the ‘manly’ thing and face up to unrest, in some situations you will serve your self and family better by getting to a place of safety.

As a long term strategy, make sure you aren’t where riots will be. Past history has shown that rioting usually begins in areas with harsh economic and social conditions. Almost anyone can find themselves in that kind of situation, and almost anyone can get out of them with the right mix of motivation and effort.

Remember that every situation is different, and thus your response needs to be geared to the particular situation in which you find yourself. Make a plan for dealing with civil disorder, with options that put the safety of you and yours as the prime objective, no matter what situation you are dealing with.

It’s just common sense.