Liberty Lost

on April 26, 2013 at 4:45 am
Posted In: Constitution

Liberty Lost

raid

 

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” The 4th Amendment

The Boston Bombing suspect was finally caught. He would have been caught without the violation of so many citizens’ 4th Amendment rights. As police went from door to door, they raided people houses and treated them like the terrorist they are supposed to be protecting them from. I understand that these are special circumstances. There will always be what seems like a good reason to violate our Bill of Rights. But, once that line has been crossed, we cannot get it back. Ever since 9/11, Americans have been willfully sacrificing their liberty for security. We have started down a slippery slope and are now loosing our footing. I suspect we won’t stop this slide until we reach rock bottom.
The rising of the police state.

Benjamin Franklin spent years in the planing of our great nation. He spent hours debating how our liberty should be preserved. He said “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” We caught the bomber, but at what cost? We have sacrificed our 4th amendment rights for 1 day of safety. The people of Boston took to the streets when the bomber was captured. They should have taken to the streets over the appalling way they were treated as their homes were ransacked.

I understand that law enforcement have an ever increasingly difficult job to do. Nonetheless, they must enforce the law within the confines of the law. If we destroy the Constitution in the enforcement of the law, what are we enforcing? Without the Constitution, there is no law, for it is the very foundation of our entire legal system. We are cutting off the very branch we are sitting on.

What happened in Boston must not happen again. Unfortunately, the systematic process of making us feel as thought the government is doing us a favor every time they violate us seems to be working. We are being conditioned. I won’t compare America with Nazi Germany, but I will draw attention to the similarity in the way the Jews were broken down little by little. 1933: At first, the Nazi’s only boycotted Jewish shops. Then Jews lost their citizenship and they were prohibited from owning land. 1934: Jews were denied national health insurance. 1935: Jews are banned from joining the military. 1938: Jews are required to register property. 1939: Nazis confiscate gold and silver from Jews. They are confined to certain sections of town and a curfew is place on them. In 1940, the first Jews are sent to Auschwitz. Executions begin the next year.

The initial infractions did not seem like anything to start a revolution over. The end result was the near termination of an entire race. Keep this in mind as you allow yourself to be bullied further and further into submission. The Constitution does not give you your rights. It only affirms them. As Thomas Jefferson stated in the Declaration of Independence, your rights come from God. Stand up and defend them. Show God you are worthy of the gift he has bestowed on you.

Happy Prepping.

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Demise of The Constitution

on April 24, 2013 at 4:27 am
Posted In: Constitution

Demise of The Constitution

constitution

Last month, an active duty US Army soldier took his son for a 10 mile hike to earn his Boy Scout merit badge for the hike. As the area is very rural, it is not uncommon to come across wild hogs, coyotes or even cougars. The soldier, C.J. Grisham, took his AR-15 rifle along for the hike to defend against such predatory beast. Someone saw them hiking and called the police. The police approached them and forcefully disarmed them. The following video is the footage of the horrendous violation of this man’s constitutional rights. After being lied to by the police, CJ is arrested in front of his son. All through the arrest, the officer assures him that they are simply going to make sure he legally owns the gun and then he can be on his way. At the end of the ordeal, however, he is arrested for resisting arrest. You will see that while C.J. did not allow himself to be bullied, he never resisted any of the officers request. The only thing he resisted was the urge to roll over and surrender his rights without question.

 The Unlawful Arrest of an American Soldier

As I watched this video, I thought to myself, “What part of New York did this happen in?”. It did not happen in New York. It did not happen in California, or Illinois. It did not happen in Cuba, Massachusetts or North Korea. This happened in Texas. Texas has long been looked up to the liberty minded individuals as being the last bastion of freedom. When we think of Texas, we think of Ron Paul and the heritage of America. If we allow Texas to go the way of the police state, all hope is lost. We must rally together around this battle. We cannot afford to give up more ground. If you live in Texas, please write every lawmaker that represents you. If not, C.J. has set up a fund to fight this charge. Please share this video and this post with all of your friends who love liberty.

Not only were C.J.’s 2nd amendment rights trampled, but he was also denied his first amendment rights as this is obviously retribution to questioning the authority of the police to harass him. His fourth amendment right are also violated on the video as you see all of personal effects rummaged through like a common criminal. After this man has dedicated his life to serve in the Army, he is treated more like a terrorist than the hero that he is. I wish this was an anomaly, but it is becoming the rule more often that the exception. I appreciate and respect the risk that police officers take when they vow to keep us safe, but they have to do their duty within the confines of the Constitution. If not, what law are they enforcing? The Constitution is the very foundation of our entire legal system. Without it, we are just making it up as we go along. That is a very slippery slope.

We hope to have C.J. on the Prepper Recon Podcast next week so keep checking back. It promises to be a great interview.

Click HERE to help C.J. Grisham

Happy Prepping!

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Balancing OPSEC and Community

on April 22, 2013 at 3:46 am
Posted In: Prepping

Balancing OPSEC and Community

wolf

One of the greatest challenges for preppers is properly maintaining the balance between OPSEC (Operational Security) and building community. Operational security is the art of keeping quiet. Most preppers agree that both concepts are vital to being able to weather a storm of adversity. There is a tendency for some preppers to swing too far to one side or the other.

The Lone Wolf

The lone wolf tends to keep everything to himself. He is reclusive and rarely socializes. The lone wolf is obsessed with OPSEC which means he keeps all of his prepping and planing to himself. Yes, OPSEC is an important tenant of prepping. If you tell everyone what you have, they will all show up on your door step when the stuff hits the fan. The problem with being the lone wolf is that you can’t do everything yourself. Everyone has to sleep. The lone wolf will be vulnerable when he sleeps. If you have a small comunity of preppers, you can take guard duty in shifts.  There will also be other tasks besides standing guard. In a drawn out teotwawki situation, there will be everyday chores like cleaning, cooking and gardening that will need to be delegated to different team members. Especially after a few weeks following a break down, the lone wolf will stand out as a target if he appears to be well fed. It will be a  sign that says “I have supplies”. At some point, the lone wolf strategy will fail.

The Social Butterfly

The social butterfly is too community minded. He risks becoming a target because he has exposed his hand. Everyone of his neighbors has a pretty good mental inventory of what supplies he has because he tells them every time he gets another load of storable food. He also just can’t wait to show off his new gun. While he actively seeks to build a prepper community, anyone who may have been a potential team member keeps him at arms length because they fear the attention he may bring to the rest of the group.

The Balanced Approach

A balanced approach to building community is to get to know people for a while before you start to incorporate them into your inner circle. A great way to see where your neighbors are at when it comes to prepping is to talk about the potential threats to your area. If you live along the coast like me, hurricane season is a great time to talk about preparedness. If you have a neighbor that is slow about getting ready for a storm, you can gently encourage them to get a minimum of one week of food and water. If you live near a fault, earthquakes are a good conversation starter. If you live near a fertilizer plant, nuclear facility or chemical plant, consider talking about bug out bags. We all need community to thrive. Having a few like minded folks around ensures that you can each do what you are gifted at doing. While you may be able to preform many tasks completely self sufficient, a Jack of all trades will master very few. There are certainly limitations to what one person can do. If you get cut and need stitches in a hand, you probably won’t be able to do that yourself. You need both hands to stitch.

A great place to start is your family. You have known your family long enough to know whether they will stab you in the back or not. You also know what skills they have and how they handle stress. Another good place to look for community is at your church. This ensures you are teaming up with like minded individuals. If you meet a new prepper friend, that is great, but get to know them for a year or so before you tell them the extent of your preparations. Keep your cards close to your chest until you can feel people out. Be smart and use your head when you are thinking of adding someone to your team or looking to join a team. Make sure they are like minded and have a good mix of practical and tactical skills.

Happy Prepping!

 

 

 

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Zion Prepper Interview

on April 19, 2013 at 3:33 am
Posted In: Podcast, Prepping

Zion Prepper Interview

zion prepper

 

On today’s Prepper Recon Podcast, I interview Zion Prepper, AKA Bryon Foster. Zion Prepper has just finished a new book entitled The Prepper’s Survival Guide, An Introduction to Prepping and a Guide to Fire. This is the first book in the Preppers Survival Guide series.  Bryon has written 2 other books including The Preppers Handbook and The Christian Preppers Handbook.

Bryon is a US Navy Veteran and he holds Masters degrees in Management and Chemistry. He is a husband and father of three. Bryon also travels around the country to speak at preparedness seminars. You might recognize him from History Channel’s Beyond 2012 series.

You can watch a short clip from that episode below.

Beyond 2012/ Hopi Blue Star

Bryon’s wake up call was 9/11. His family lived in New York at the time. like most Americans today, their pantry was stocked week to week. They had no extra food and very few emergency provisions when the towers fell. Like the rest of the country, panic hit New Yorkers hard. Bryon sent his wife to Wal-Mart to stock up for what ever may be coming next. By the time she got there, the shelves were bare. Fortunately, things quickly returned to normal, but Bryon did not allow “Normalcy Bias” to creep back into his life. He became a prepper.

As Bryon began to develop systems to deal with unforeseen disasters, he started keeping a journal. That journal has now evolved into a very comprehensive guide to prepping. I hope you can learn a few things from our interview today. It is also available to download so you can take it on the go.

Click the play button to listen to the interview.

Download Zion Prepper Interview

 

All of Bryon’s books are available through the Amazon links below. You can check out Bryon’s website at Zion Prepper.Com. He also has some very informative videos on his  YouTube channel, Zion Prepper.

Happy Prepping!

 

Click the book you would like to order from Amazon.

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Gold and Silver Market Mania

on April 17, 2013 at 2:39 am
Posted In: Economy

Gold and Silver Market Mania

gold and silver

Our hearts and prayers go out to all of those affected by yesterday’s horrific attacks in Boston.

The metals markets have been slammed since last Friday. In two trading days, Gold lost about $200. Thursday, Gold closed around $1550, by Monday night, it had touched $1350. Silver suffered similar losses. Silver was trading around $26 on Friday and dipped to $22 in overnight trading last night.

We have seen severe swings in the gold and silver markets in the past. What I do not recall seeing is what I saw last night. As silver lost 15% in two trading days, I saw several metals dealers double their premium on Silver American Eagles and Silver Maple Leaves. Apmex, who has always been a reputable silver retailer was selling Silver American Eagles at $7 over spot. Even at those levels, they were out of stock for a large portion of  the day. Gainsville Coins, another large retailer was out of stock of Silver Maple Leaves.

Silver Doctors stated in an article yesterday that many large wholesalers were completely out of silver bullion. They reported that CNT and Amark are both completely sold out of silver. These two companies are silver wholesalers who supply blank silver rounds to mints. Once the blank rounds are sold to the mint, they are minted into coins or branded rounds.

I wonder if it was this hard to buy tulip bulbs when the great tulip bulb bubble popped in Holland during the 1600’s? I suspect it wasn’t. Simple economics says that price and demand rise and fall together. We are now seeing unprecedented demand in the face of falling prices. Something isn’t quite right. The spot price of silver is tied to paper contracts traded by Wall Street while the hike in premium rates reflects the physical price. Even at premium prices that erase the discount to silver given by the dip, supply is very tight.

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, the former assistant Treasury Secretary claims that the government is working with the big banks to suppress the price of precious metals. He states that they are doing so in order to prop up confidence in the dollar. I can see why they would want to, but I don’t see the smoking gun that proves that they have. The problem with a conspiracy theory is that it is by nature, difficult to prove. If it is being done, the perpetrators will go to great links to hide their actions. Dr Roberts is not alone in his opinion. GATA, Gold Anti Trust Action commitee has been fighting for years to get access to central banks accounting records that would prove the manipulation theory. You can listen to Dr. Roberts make his case for the metals market manipulation on King World News.

Whether it is a government conspiracy or simply the divergence of the paper and the physical markets, yesterday’s dip proved that silver has hit a bottom when it comes to the price for the physical. Additionally, the low paper price could trigger extended shortages in the physical market. Does any one recall what happened to the price of a 30 round Magpul magazine when you suddenly couldn’t get one? Here’s a hint. They were selling for $12 on Midway, after the run, they were selling for $50 to $100 dollars. What about AR-15’s and ammo? Same story, the prices skyrocketed.  I am not saying that will happen with silver, I am simply stating we could see similar conditions.

While they are experiencing delays of an additional 10 to 15 days, JM Bullion is still taking orders for all of their silver products. The Silver Philharmonic is selling for only $3.36 over spot when you buy a tube of 20. That is the cheapest over spot price I have seen on any government issued coin in the past two days. They also have Golden State Mint 1 once silver bars for $1.99 over spot. We may never see another opportunity like this again. All the fundamentals are the same. The Fed is still printing, adding to the supply of dollars. More and more countries are abandoning the dollar for international trade reducing the demand for US dollars. Gold and silver have been used as money since Genesis 13 while the dollar, in its current totally fiat form has only been around since 1971. Who is to say how much longer it will last.

Happy Prepping!

 

 

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Coupon Prepper on Prepper Recon Podcast

on April 15, 2013 at 12:26 am
Posted In: Podcast, Prepping, Prepping on a Budget

Coupon Prepper on Prepper Recon Podcast

Prepper Slide 1

Today is our first ever Prepper Recon Podcast. On today’s show, I interview Coupon Prepper. She uses coupons to make prepping more affordable. We talk about how to use coupons on top of “buy one get one free” deals. The Coupon Prepper explains that you can actually use a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon on the “buy one” item as well as using one of each on the “get one free” item.

 Listen to this episode of the Prepper Recon Podcast!

Download today's Show

 

We also discuss how couponing can come in handy  if  the “SHTF” (Stuff Hits The Fan) on a personal level. TEOTWAWKI may not happen for years, but you may find yourself with a job loss or serious reduction in hours. Many companies are planning to cut workers hours to 25 hours per week to avoid Obama care. Obama care will require companies with more than 50 full time employees to provide insurance for those employees. The three options are to cut the total amount of employees to under 50, cut employees hours to under 30 hours per week or pay thousands of dollars every year for every employee. The last option is the least cost effective and many companies simply would not survivable with the added cost.

Coupon Prepper explains how to get great deals on every day essential items like soap, razors and shampoo. She uses CVS to get many of these items free. These items are also potential barter items in a grid down or economic collapse scenario. She explains how to use credit card rewards to get free ammo and outdoor gear. As a very important caveat, only use credit card rewards if you carry zero credit card debt. If you can’t pay your credit card bill in full at the end of every month, cut them up and throw them away. This is only for the disciplined person with an established household budget. For more info on getting on a good budget, read our post on budgeting. This is the foundation of all your prepping!

Check out our coupon corner for all the great tips on couponing. One of  Coupon Prepper’s favorite sites is Southern Savers she also uses iheartpublix and iheartcvs a lot.

Happy couponing and happy prepping!

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Sunday Prepper Bible Study- Ezekiel 3:17-19

on April 14, 2013 at 4:00 am
Posted In: Bible

Sunday Prepper Bible Study- Ezekiel 3:17-19

watch

“I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.”

As preppers, we feel a duty to try to encourage people to prepare for possible hardships in the future. After all,  every neighbor that you can convince to get prepared is one less neighbor that will be beating on your door when it hits the fan. If they listen or if they choose not to, you have done your part by trying to wake them up.

As Christians, God has tasked us with reminding people that this world is not all there is. Everyone will have to meet their maker one day. In our day and age as in Eziekiel’s, most people are preoccupied with the trappings of life. Sunday usually means going out on the boat, recovering from last night’s drinking binge or hanging out with the guys to watch football. Less and less people choose to set aside time to go to Church and worship God. Nevertheless, it is our job to remind them that God loves them and would like to hear from them once in a while. We also have to remind them that without the blood of Jesus, God’s wrath remains upon us. Jesus said “No man comes to the Father except through me.” No amount of good works can save us. We must turn from doing things our way and choose God’s way. We have to ask God for forgiveness and believe that Jesus paid the price for our sins when He allowed himself to be sacrificed on the cross.

If you are new to prepping or would like to learn more about how to prepare for tomorrow, please read our 7 Step Preparedness Plan. Come back every Sunday for a new Prepper Bible Study! The most important prep of all is knowing GOD. Jesus said “what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his own soul?” Prepper translation: “What good will it do you to survive the coming economic collapse, nuclear war or even a zombie apocalypse if you don’t know you will go to heaven when you die.” A recent study found that 10 out of 10 people die! On that day we will meet our Maker. It only makes sense to be prepared for that day. Click here to learn more about knowing GOD.

Have a blessed week and happy prepping!

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Ammo and Firearms Market is Still Tight

on April 12, 2013 at 3:36 am
Posted In: Constitution, Prepping

Ammo and Firearms Market is Still Tight

sales

Nearly six months after the Sandy Hook tragedy that triggered panic buying in the firearms markets, supplies are still very tight. Several law enforcement agencies have reported serious shortages. In Phoenix, officers are no longer provided with their usual 100 rounds per month for training. Central Texas has had trouble keeping officers armed due to shortages of ammo and assault rifles. Other Sheriff Offices report that high prices are eating away at the department’s budget.

All of the shortages cannot be accounted for by the purchases of concerned citizens. The recent orders by DHS has also put the market under extreme pressure. They are hoarding 1.6 billion rounds of hollow point ammunition, enough to kill every man, woman and child in America 5 times. Many people have questioned the reason that an organization tasked with looking at your naked image on the body scanner or caressing your wife’s body before she gets on the plane would need so much ammo. Nevertheless, Big Brother’s stockpiling  has exacerbated the situation for local law enforcement agencies that actually need the ammo to keep the peace.

Inventory returns but at much higher prices.

Some large online retailers are beginning to have a limited amount of inventory available. Buds Gun Shop has a few AR-15 models available for sale. The price is certainly higher than last year, but they are available. The DPMS Sportical AR-15 is available for $1,100. That is up $599 from last year. It is still probably the best deal you can find. The NRA’s Rifleman magazine awarded DPMS with rifle of the year in 2006 for their AR-15

Ammo is also creeping back on to the shelves. Lucky Gunner now has several selections of .223, 5.56, 7.62×39 and .45 ACP  ammo for under $1 a round. The days of getting ammo for $.45 a round may never come back. If you don’t have what you think you will need, now may be the time to stock up. The current limited supply could dry up very quickly if there were to be a reason to trigger another round of panic buying.

Now is the time to get ready if you are not.

Unless you live in Connecticut or New York, we have dodged a massive infringement on our Second Amendment rights. We may not fare so well next time. We can see the sentiment from the left towards lawful gun ownership. This war is not over.

We also learned a valuable lesson on stocking up. If you wait until you need an item to purchase it, it may be too late. This time it was guns and ammo. Next time may be gold, silver or food. If the dollar takes a rapid plunge, people will buy anything tangible they can get their hands on before it is completely worthless. For gold and silver, I use JM Bullion. I find them to have  the lowest over spot price. Use our coupon code PR5 on orders over $300 and get $5 off your order.

If you are not as prepared as you should be, now is the time to get ready. If you are new to prepping or would like to learn more, read our 7 Step Survival Plan.

Happy Prepping!

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North Korean Defector Talks Cyber Warfare

on April 10, 2013 at 5:07 am
Posted In: Potential Threats

North Korean Defector Talks Cyber Warfare

“I thought Rodman would have gotten me better seats.”

kim

A former member of North Korea’s Cyber Warfare Division said that North Korea has been preparing for a cyber attack against the U.S. for years. The defector, Jang Se-yul, escaped the communist regime by crossing the border into South Korea. He said the Cyber Warfare Division has over 3,000 members. He told the Observer that North Korea would try to steal information from computers in the United Sates and try to disrupt computer networks. Jang also said they would try to infect computers with viruses to demonstrate North Korean cyber warfare capabilities.

North Korea is suspected of causing the disruptions with three major television networks and two major banks in South Korea last month. Those outages lasted for only about 7 hours before services were restored, but no one knows for sure the limits of North Korea’s ability to cause chaos through cyber warfare.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano told reporters in January that America could face a cyber 9/11 “imminently”. She explained that infrastructure such as water systems, the electrical grid and gas supplies are extremely vulnerable. She told an audience at the Wilson center “We shouldn’t wait until there is a 9/11 in the cyber world. There are things we can and should be doing right now that, if not prevent, would mitigate the extent of damage,”. If this is the language we are getting from the government that tends to sugar coat everything, it is time to get prepared.

At a very minimum, you should have several weeks worth of storable food. If our electrical grid suffers an attack, the grocery stores will be closed. You should have a minimum of 3 days worth of water, 3 gallons for each member of the family and means of filtering and purifying water yourself. You should keep at least $1,000  in cash that you can access in a hurry. Keep it in a safe or well hidden. If the banks get hit, any store that is open may not be able to process your credit card. Also have a means of defending yourself and your family. Inventories are still tight, but Lucky Gunner has restocked some ammo. People will start to get desperate after three days of no stores or electricity. For a more complete guide to preparedness, read our 7 Step Survival Plan.

Happy Prepping!

 

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A Must Hear Episode of FTM Daily

on April 8, 2013 at 3:59 am
Posted In: Constitution, Economy

A Must Hear Episode of FTM Daily

drone

We have had Jerry Robinson’s “Follow the Money” radio show listed on our finance links page since we began Prepper Recon. It is a very informative show that airs every Saturday and is available for free download at FTMdaily.com. Jerry Robinson is an economist and author of the book “Bankruptcy of Our Nation”.  In this week’s show he talked about three very important issues that I felt our readers should hear.

Bank of Japan

Jerry pointed out Japan’s unprecedented move to roll out a $1.4 trillion dollar stimulus over two years. This move will nearly double their current money supply. Like America, Japan has huge national debts. A favorite strategy for central banks is to simply print the money they owe. This allows them to pay off a portion of the debt with money they simply create out of thin air while simultaneously devaluing the remaining balance.

Google Glass Potential for Government Abuse

In the second segment of the FTM Daily show, Jerry speaks with Nick Pickles of Big Brother Watch. Nick makes a very compelling case that Google  is providing the perfect infrastructure for a police state. He points out that the new computerized glasses made by Google are always recording everything and uploading that information to Google’s database. Under the Patriot Act, the most unpatriotic piece of legislation ever passed by a Republican, the government has full access to all of that information without a warrant. Prior to the Bush Jr. administration, our country followed a document that our forefathers handed down to guide us called the Constitution. Attached to it was 10 amendments that guaranteed us certain liberties. The 4th said:

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

The current administration seems very content with having this cumbersome document out of the way as well.

Unreasonable Searches and Seizures

Having eradicated the Constitution from the minds of the people, abuse of power seems to be the rule more often than the exception. In the next segment FTM Daily plays the sound recording form a police stop in Texas. Two women are pulled over for throwing cigarette butts out the window. The officer claims he smells marijuana. A female officer is called to the seen and the two women are given cavity searches. FTM Daily outlines some ways that you can respectfully refuse to consent to such outlandish violations of your rights.

It is hard to describe the amount of disgust that I felt when I heard this story. Of all the states in the union, I would have expected this behavior from Texas last. I am very disappointed. With that said, thank you very much to the officers who risk their lives to enforce the law in a manner that is consistent with the Constitution. I know it must feel like an uphill battle. And to those officers, know that you are not alone. Oath Keepers is an organization of law enforcement and military personnel who have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution in its entirety.

Please take time to listen to this very important episode of FTM Daily. Click HERE to listen or download the show.

Happy Prepping!

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