Things we would rather not have to deal with!

We all know things are not so prosperous or so safe anywhere anymore. So, what's today's latest news of the bursting bubbles that have brought local economies, tax bases and safety systems to the breaking point? Does it mean that the local police department may not be able to save you when you need it most? Or, do the latest unemployment numbers mean that desperate out-of-work people may turn to crime in your neighborhood? How about the personal livelihoods and investments that were destroyed in the last stock market crash? Or the next budget cuts? Well, if any of the above make you feel as if the wolf is at the door, join the club.

When we first wrote this Personal Security Guide, it was back in the just-after September 11 and Anthrax Scare days, when it seemed we were all just becoming aware of realization that we all need to be able to protect ourselves better. Then there was Hurricane Katrina, where many people reported needing to defend themselves from marauding criminals as well as the misuse of power by officials who were later ordered by the courts to give back citizens guns that had been confiscated when they needed them the most! Who hasn't wondered, "What if that happened to me?" while watching Youtube videos of citizens of New Orleans try to deal with the heavy handed as well as the criminal in the aftermath of that natural disaster.

Then came the recession and all of the associated and various busts that have occurred as a result, including gigantic cuts in most local budgets for crime fighting and services and personal insecurity due to job losses and other financial distuptions. So now, even the few formerly protected and secure government employees and teachers union members who are still hoping to hold on to their salaries, benefits and pensions, are just now starting to realize that their jobs and security will also be affected by the economic downturn.

Therefore, everybody knows they should be taking the necessary steps to take more personal control over our own home defense and self defense. We all know that each of us needs to create our own zone of safety for ourselves, our loved ones and our property. A Personal Security Zone. Most of us have already started to build our own Personal Security Zone. But, we sometimes wonder what to zone out first? What might happen that we may wish we could have prevented and may need to stop in its tracks?

If you're wondering what really happens in times of extreme economic downturn, here are two exceptionally good books by guys who have been there. These are not very expensive and worth reading...

• The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse is Ferfal Aguirre's is a Modern Survival Manual based on first hand experience of the 2001 Economic Collapse in Argentina.

• Urban Survival Guide: Learn The Secrets Of Urban Survival To Keep You Alive After Man-Made Disasters, Natural Disasters, and Breakdowns In Civil Order is David Morris' "Here's What To Do" book on practical urban survival.

So, even if we have not yet been affected by the crisis that has been unfolding, we can find out what happens when we no longer have the safety nets we have come to take for granted. And, at PersonalSecurityZone.com we know that people are thinking about it and how to protect themselves better all the time, because these are our customers and every day we talk to them! We also talk the police officers and security professionals who have the same concerns. Yes, it is a good idea to be prepared and become skilled.

Now, we don't worry much about whether someone else thinks we have alarmist fears. We just make sure that we have the right self defense tools to do the job in the event that for some reason we need to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our property.

Them Hippies Was Right?

But, it still feels kinda strange to reflect back on how a lot of people made light of those Xtreme Tactical Guys and Survivalists, who were sometimes the butt of jokes and teasing, before current times that make us all interested in what tactical guys know and how survival skills actually work. Back then, we all watched the news about remote countries with natural disasters, terrorism, gangs or just a lot of crime, but most of us never really believed that we would ever have to deal with events like these on a personal level.

For that matter, we never even wanted to think much about doing anything to protect ourselves at all. Our world today just seemed so secure and safe.

Even though we saw news stories about crime, most of us liked to believe that we would never have to protect our own selves. Many of us even developed the idea that things like firearms and personal protection devices were merely remnants of an obsolete and less-civilized past. Surely, our world was a much safer place, at least in our own Polyanna new-age view.

Even those of us who do not feel directly threatened by crime are thinking more realistically, because we have to. We now realize that our world includes unwanted realities. We no longer feel false security when we travel, or when we walk the streets, or even in our own homes. Current events and uncertainties have even made strange bedfellows out of formerly opposed political groups. However, we should also no longer feel helpless! The personal protection and self defense industry provides us with more than ever to help us be secure.

Preparing Makes Sense

Now, when you go into your local US Post Office, you can even find US government flyers that instruct you in how to prepare for 911 type attacks. One flyer published by the US Dept. of Homeland Security is titled "Preparing Makes Sense. Get Ready Now." And, it's full of step-by-step advice for making your own emergency supply kit, a family communications plan, and acting in case of attack. One heading is telling! The flyer tells you how to "Create a Plan to Get Away." The flyer also points you to a Web site for learning more about potential terrorist threats: www.ready.gov.

But, terrorists are only one personal concern. Even those of us who may not have personalized the aftermath of the hurricane or tragic attack of September 11 are impressed when we learn that, as John R. Lott Jr. has noted, there are some 2 million defensive gun uses in the United States every year. (The National Review, March 11, 2002). In fact, the biggest concern on most people's minds is not terrorism or mother nature at all, but instead most folks are concerned primarily with personal crime and gang violence.

On June 26, 2008 the US Supreme Court recognized our need to be able to be prepared for self defense when it struck down the District of Columbia's ban on handguns. The basic issue for the justices was whether the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution protects an individual's right to own guns for self defense in the home. And, the judgement recognized that yes, Americans have that right and the need for self defense. Justice Antonin Scalia said the Constitution does not permit "the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home."

We have all become more alert to risk...

Therefore, we have all become more alert to risk and what we can do about it. We are interested in ways to manage our exposure to unwanted realities or risks, such as being attacked. We want to be as prepared as possible and to know that we have done everything possible to insure the safety of our families in a worst case scenario. And if all efforts at prevention fail, we want to be able to deal with it effectively. We all want to build our own Personal Security Zone!

It is our philosophy at Personal Security Zone that preparedness makes us stronger and our fears weaker.

This Personal Security Guide presents many precautionary measures that you can follow, supplies that you can assemble and have ready, and actions that you can take to minimize your risk and increase your personal security in the event of a crime or catastrophic event.

Please note that the aim of this guide is to provide useful information and not to alarm or promote fear mongering. In fact, it is our philosophy that the development of Personal Security Skills and the collection of Personal Security Tools may be serious, but it can also be fun!

For example, serious fun includes activities like playing with walkie talkies with your children, who may need to know how to use them to communicate for more vital reasons someday. Another fun activity involves sharpening your marksmanship skills at the shooting range, which builds competency and also gives us pride of achievement, making you less vulnerable to personal attack just in case.

But, how to get started?

A college student's first personal security device may be the pepper spray sent from Dad back home. Dad and Mom may decide to have a shotgun for under the bed, now that the kids are grown and out of the house. Another customer may have the foresight to stockpile self defense products for their real goods value, in case of further economic degradation. As Howard J. Ruff says, "I doubt if there will be a better barter item in a period of currency breakdown than standard ammo, and it may be the best possible investment you could make, not just for barter purposes, but for the price appreciation in an inflating monetary system." (Howard's #1 Best Selling Book How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years in the 21st Century is a must read and you can get it cheap on Amazon!)

Writing for ChrisMartenson.com Protecting Yourself Against Crime and Violence Thc, a Police Sergeant, says people should start by looking inward. He says he sees four types of attitudes toward self defense. Which are you?

• Those who are already aware of crime and violence and have begun taking steps to prepare themselves and their loved ones
• People who haven’t yet done much thinking and preparing to face crime, but they will if effectively prompted to do so
• People who won’t prepare significantly in advance to prevent crime and violence toward themselves, but they WILL fight back if attacked sufficiently
• People who will never prepare or fight back against violence, even if that means they passively die at the hands of an aggressor.

At PersonalSecurityZone.com, we are in the business of providing the widest possible selection of self defense and shooting sports products, at the best possible prices, and it's up to you to decide to be prepared, and how you will do it. We've got many police,
military and just-plain-folks for customers who see the need to be involved in self defense and other protection efforts, in the US and
overseas, and we do our best to supply them all with best products at great prices. We also think that participation in shooting and self defense sports is the best way to develop your skills, and we hope that each and every one of our customers will only have to use their self defense and marksmanship skills Just For Fun.

So let's find out more about building a Personal Security Zone of your own.