What Not To Do As a Prepper

Headlines August 2015:

Feds charge 3 men in Raleigh, North Carolina. They are accused of prepping for martial law as reported by the Associated Press (John Moritz, AP, 2015).

If you did not read any further than the headlines, you would walk away with the wrong impression. Obviously the author wanted people to believe at first blush that the government is arresting people for prepping, and in particular for prepping for martial law and for Jade Helm.

The author also mentioned stockpiling guns, ammo, and tactical gear, and did so in such a way as to make anyone not reading the full story believe the three were arrested for gathering firearms, ammunition, and tactical gear, arrested for prepping in other words.

However, this is not the case. It is how the men were prepping that prompted an investigation, because they, according to the report, conspired to commit criminal acts of violence. The investigation ultimately lead to charges being brought by the FBI. The men also bragged about what they were doing apparently to anyone that would listen. 

They conspired among themselves to commit crimes, and they ultimately talked to someone that tipped off the authorities about their criminal conspiracies.

The article mentions a number of times that the men were stockpiling weapons, ammunition, and tactical gear. None of which is illegal except for the firearms if you cannot legally own a firearm. One of the men however, had past convictions for possession of stolen goods and cocaine, which prevented him from possessing a firearm, according to the report. One of the other men is accused of trying to buy an assault rifle and ammunition for the man who could not legally own a firearm. It is of course illegal to make straw purchases.

The article states the men had planned on making explosive devices using tennis balls, and dummy hand grenades. They are also accused of attempting to make pipe bombs.

It is unclear if the three had actually made any explosive devices, but they may have been gathering the materials with the intentions of doing so. They talked and they had planned with others, and the authorities apparently moved in before any of the three could make or test out their explosives. The three had stated they had planned on testing the devices in the area (John Moritz, AP, 2015).

Did the Men Plan On Using the Explosive Devices as Booby Traps?

It’s not clear if they were planning this or not, but if they were concerned about Jade Helm and Martial law, then they may have been planning to fortify their homes and/or encampments to avoid being carted off to some so-called FEMA camp by special operation teams.

There are numerous articles about booby traps, what the best ones are, how to make them, and where to set them and so forth on the Internet and the articles seem to be directed at Preppers. Booby Traps are designed to maim, kill, and to slow the advancement of enemy forces, and they are used as simple harassment device in some cases as well.

If you set out deadly traps around your home, what are the chances an innocent civilian or yourself or even a member of your own family will be maimed or killed before a special operations team coming to haul you off to a converted Wal-Mart store trips the traps. The chances are very high, so booby traps are not a good idea, unless you are in a combat situation against a defined enemy force. Early alarms systems however, are a good idea, but people tend to get the two confused for some reason.

Obviously None of Us Know the Full Story Yet but There Is a Lesson Here

Regardless of what your preparations are, you need to keep them to yourself. It is perplexing why people insist on telling others all of their plans. People post online all the time what their plans are, whom they want to hurt, what house they have robbed or plan to rob and so on. However, they are criminals and you really do not expect much from them.

However, Preppers that simply want to be prepared, and not break the law are getting a bad name, because of the three idiots in the report. Being a braggart means you lack self-confidence and need validation, so there is no need to brag, or to tell anyone, unless there is a well defined reason someone needs to know.

It is legal and well within your rights to gather supplies and stockpile weapons and ammunition if you can legally own a firearm. You can buy all of the canned goods, flashlights, beans bullets, and blankets you want, who is stopping you, unless you for some reason cannot own a firearm, but that does not mean, you cannot gather everything else up. Gather up as much as you want.

Idiots who build or attempt to build explosive devices are breaking the law plain and simple. They are a menace to everyone one of us. They are not Preppers. They are idiots that read too many headlines without reading the full story. They fall for every conspiracy theory put forth on the Internet. They do not do their own research, because they want to believe, and do not want to listen to anyone that may make sense and that might upset their world views. They only talk to those that believe what they believe, so it is no wonder they are now behind bars.

John Moritz, AP. (2015, August). Retrieved 2015, from https://news.yahoo.com/feds-charge-3-men-accused-prepping-martial-law-203411849.html

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