Individual preparedness and family preparedness alone are not going to save us in a long-term national catastrophe. Instead of focusing, as many “lone wolf” preppers do, solely on individual and family preparedness, wouldn’t we be better off to also focus on the survival of our town or village? Wouldn’t prepping be better played as a team sport? At least a few members of the U.S. Congress think so.
In August 2012, Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (who has been instrumental in raising the nation’s awareness of EMP threats and attempting to spur the federal government into action to address the threats) along with members of Congress Yvette D. Clarke, Trent Franks and Hank Johnson introduced a resolution. The House failed to act on the resolution. The proposed resolution:
(1) encourages every community to develop its own “civil defense program” working with citizens, leaders, and institutions, ranging from local fire halls, schools, and faith-based organizations, to create sustainable local infrastructure and planning capacity, so that it might mitigate high-impact scenarios and be better prepared to survive and recover from these worst-case disaster scenarios and be better able to affordably and sustainably meet the needs of the community in times of peace and tranquility;
(2) encourages every citizen to develop an individual emergency plan to prepare for the absence of government assistance for extended periods;
(3) encourages each local community to foster the capability of providing at least 20 percent of its own critical needs, such as local power generation, food, and water, while protecting local infrastructure whenever possible from the threats that threaten centralized infrastructure; and to do so with the urgency and importance inherent in an all-of-nation civil defense program developed by citizens and their local communities; and
(4) encourages state governments and federal agencies to support the ability of local communities to become stronger, self-reliant, and better able to assist neighboring communities in times of great need.
I think this resolution speaks for itself, and it is unfortunate that it didn’t pass. However, a good idea does not need to pass Congress to be a good idea.
Click here for the full text of House Resolution 762 (112th Congress)