Maybe you guys have seen this on the once-respectable National Geographic Channel:
These people piss me off. They really do. And it pisses me off that National Geographic gives them a mouthpiece. I'll try to explain below the orange cloud of righteous indignation.
First of all, let me start by saying that being prepared for an emergency is a good thing. Every household really should have a first aid kit, flashlights, smoke detectors, a fire extinguisher, etc.
But these "prepper" guys? Give me a break. This is some paranoia gone overboard. I think that it is above all, really selfish. Instead of stockpiling food and weapons to keep yourself "safe" (I use that word in quotes, because stockpiling weapons is not a safe thing to do), why not help out your local community and do everything you can to prevent whatever it is you're preparing for from happening?
Not to belabor the point about these stockpiled weapons, but well...
Look- if you really want to prepare for a horrible disaster, here's what to do (and its easy, I promise):
Go down to your local Red Cross office and give blood. Maybe sign up for some of their classes as well, you know, the classes that are free? The ones that teach you what to do in case of an emergency? That way, you're, you know, prepared. Think of all that extra room you'd have in your house when you ditch the 30 year canned food supply and the armory!
Am I gonna eat my words here if the zombie apocalypse happens, or if the Yellowstone caldera blows or if a North Korean nuke hits L.A.? I don't think I will. Because I have faith in people. We are smart. We have the Hubble space telescope. We're capable of some pretty amazing things. But when you're locked down in your fallout bunker, shooting anyone who comes close, you're not helping anyone. You are actually part of the problem.