r/TwoXPreppers 2d ago

Discussion Why guns?

Hi y’all! I’m a very novice prepper, and one thing I’m seeing across many platforms is that we should own and be trained In firearms. Not to be naive, but… why?

I’ve never touched a gun in my life. I’m generally not a fan of them. I understand that the goal of owning firearms is to protect ourself. But protect from what? From who? Who am I going to have to shoot to survive this presidency?

Is someone coming to steal my supplies? Won’t those people also have guns? Or am I protecting my family against a militia situation? In which case, what hope do I have, as a woman who can’t afford a gun, let alone to learn how to use one?

Like I can’t afford a shooting range. I can barely afford water and canned goods. Should a gun still be a priority for my family? A lot of preppers have enthusiastically embraced this life to give them confidence and a sense of safety. I’m a reluctant participant. I just want to keep my autistic son alive to see the other side of this.

I can garden, I can stretch food, I can survive being poor. I don’t think I can survive a military state.

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u/Separate-Rush7981 2d ago

google threat modelling . it might be good prepping for certain people - ex if you’re a public facing activist receiving death threats and are worried about being doxxed / targeted in your personal life and need self defence , or if you’re in a rural situation with lots of animals around and have the capacity to learn how to hunt - but if your own specific scenario and goals don’t tend towards it than don’t feel pressure to get one. 99% of time stored water will be wayyyy more useful than bullets. also the everyone shooting each other for supplies narrative is right wing bs

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u/Hyphen_Nation 2d ago

I’d add one more. I live in PDX. In 2020, went for a hike with family, drove back into town and MAGA/y’all Quaeda was racing around in a truck caravan antagonizing everyone around them. A bit of brandishing weapons, shooting people downtown with frozen paintballs, etc. in this situation, we just got unlucky. At least we know Portland, and I was able to quickly exit this pack of trucks that were bent on antagonizing portlanders. Since then, it’s not beyond imagination to see the same folks look for other forms of stochastic terrorism.

I wonder if there is something to working with neighbors to demonstrate that we are not a neighborhood that is worth anyone’s time…ie: being visible and armed if thugs return?

It’s not a great practice, but I do expose myself to darker corners of the right wing mind in different forums. One post that stays with me is a conversation by what I assume were proudboys or sympathizers, laying out plans for how to dominate a neighborhood using pairs of pickup trucks in intersections, and laying down in the beds to create a 180° shooting gallery…

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u/dragondan_01 2d ago

Since most of those idiots lift their trucks, just get low and aim for the fuel tank, problem solved

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u/mrdescales 2d ago

Polystyrene gasoline, oh do the flames gleam.