Moral Dilemma

[Jared]

Imagine this scenario:

You saw SHTF early and have implemented your survival plan. Everyone has settled into it and everything has been going well. But one day, your road guard radioes in from a mile out saying two old women with ten children are walking up the road toward your retreat. You instruct him to remain hidden and hope they wont stay in the area long. But your hope is in vain; they find your garden and signs of civilization and head straight for your door. What do you do? Shoot them all? Ignore them as they plunder your garden? Take them in and likely compromise the health and cohesion of your group? If these are typical American kids, they have been raised on a diet of television. They cant/wont work, have no discipline, and appear sickly, probably carrying at least one disease.

[bob200587]

Pillaging of the food source would warrant use of force....I think they would probably get to running after a warning shot or six.....

[madmyk]

I may be an @ss, but....

They would be shown down the road, under an armed group of escorts. They are a recon force. They have "of age" men, women and the older gents that belong with the ladies, waiting in the rear.

[wnn]

+1 MadMyk

Its not being an ass ,its protecting you/yours.in a situation such as that ,not everyone will make it,even those that did prep, its natures way of thinning the herd..

[soberups]

I would tell them that several members of my group are sick with typhus or some other dangerous, highly communicable disease. I would then give them a small amound of food and send them all away. If they are indeed scouts, they will report the ilness and hopefully this will discourage others from coming.

[gunbuilder69]

Start by letting them help themselves to the garden without seeing you....then approach them and ask them how they plan on renumerating you for the goods they've looted. Stay on the offensive so they cant try to ingratiate you and explain you require labor for spoils and anything less would be thievery and treated as such.Explain that the chrildren will grow into good field hands and laborers and that you dont have the means to keep a life support system for the elderly. If they are indeed a jack rabbit party then the main force will/should become apparent by the lamenting of the elderly women in an attempt to save themselves(god bless Phsychwarfare).If you find the women too strong willed,Trust the Ltc, children love to talk........and scream. If you've settled into Alpha phase of shtf you already have an ambush/counter scout op ord in place,be prepared to use it! If you look like food, you WILL be eaten. If you look/act like your not worth the incumbant losses associated with skirmish/movement to contact you WILL be left alone..........til maybe later!

[Alredneck]

Dead bodies make excellant fertilzer. Hell you could use the meat if your into that sorta thing!;)

[E`omer]

Important detail ; make sure that none of your gate keepers is fat . Do not look properous to possible scouts for looters .

[mr slow]

First of all they would not be allow to get that close to my garden.I tell them that the garden isn't ready for picking just yet. Most likely I would shoot all of them since they are trepassing and stealing on top of it.You better know how to read and obey my signs.

[commoguy]

id give them a days rations and escort them out

[chicom]

id give them a days rations and escort them out



+1......................

[Gunfixr]

I might give them the rations, I might not. Either way, they get escorted out, with a clear explanation of what happens if anybody returns, including their main strength that stayed hidden.

The only problem with giving them rations is that it shows that you have food to spare. I wouldn't even let them get to the garden.

This isn't really a moral dilemma, it's your survival or theirs. Are you willing to give up your health in trade for theirs?

[MOlivo]

I think Id give them the days worth of rations while making a point to note how its going to make me have to ration smaller portions to my own based on my kind gesture. And escort them out :D

[Jared]

It's about time that I, the thread starter, gave my take on this. I would put up as many measures as possible to ensure that "moral dilemmas" like these never make it to my place.

1) Blow up nearby bridges.
2) Fell a large tree across the one dirt road that would lead to my place.
3) Put a dead pig, deer, etc further up the road from the tree.

Here are more ideas I would like opinions on:
*Put stuff out there to make them think there are devil worshippers/satanic rituals in the area. (Please note that I am NOT a devil worshipper, I am Christian and this would just be for show.)

[soberups]

While I understand the reality that only the strong will survive, I can also say this; under NO circumstances could I ever commit murder upon unarmed women and children.

I want to survive...but I also know that I am gonna die someday and when I do I will be answering to God for my actions.

I would rather die as a human being with my intergrity intact than to live as a murdering animal.

[Prepper]

+1 Soberups

[WhenRedDawnHappens]

What say you all to including a Polaroid camera and plenty of film in your preps for this very situation? I to have to agree on the escort angle, but GIVING them rations would be on a case by case basis (it would really depend on their cooperation and/or obstinance). In any case, having a snapshot of the "suspects" ;) would ensure the ability to recognize any repeat offenders.

r/,
Red

[Ltlabner]

This thread is a fine example of the "I'd just kill them" rambo crap that pervades the prepper community.

That's only one option out of a range of many options.

Radio the guard to hold them instead of telling them to remain hidden. If they are truely old women and children they will obey the guards orders and remain away from the house. That prevents them from seeing your preps, compromising your compound, etc. Then go out and make a judgement call on whether you send them packing or give them a small portion and send them on. In talking to them you may gleen important intel about the outside world.

If this is a recon/decoy force, they will likely become nervous, or the main force will attack your guard. Then you obviously procede as needed to defend yourself.

If you blast anybody that walks down the road near your land you'll have all sorts of issues to deal with (dealing with bodies, health issues, disease, people attacking you since you are a "threat", using up hunting ammo on killing women/children).

Engage your best weapon first, your brain.

[WhenRedDawnHappens]

This thread is a fine example of the "I'd just kill them" rambo crap that pervades the prepper community.

LT, while I can appreciate your frustration with this ^ kind of discussion, I believe only two folks inferred the shoot first option and one of them was joking! I feel this is one of our more constructive threads, and I hope that we can keep the mood constructive. I really enjoyed the scenarios that you posted previously, and read the thread where you said you'd decided to stop. I would love to see some more of your scenarios, and I'd be dissapointed if a few bad apples ruined it for the rest of us!! Hope to here more from you in the future!!

V/r,
Red

[gunbuilder69]

lil' abner, I dont really believe anybody who states a "kill them all" attitude is a real danger,cept' maybe to themselves. I also dont believe its time to scream the "sky is falling" and throw my arms up in frustration either! there is always info in every statement read here, whether or not its useful,entertaining or foul is up to the reader.
We should be thankful its titled scenario,at least we have an idea of what to expect!

[Stainless]

If I am at my current local (semi-rural), then I would inform them that I have nothing to spare (which I don't) and tell them to move on. I would physically (by hand, no weapon) remove them from my property and ask them not to return. I would be wearing my .45 on my hip, so they would no I am serious without actually threatening them.

If I am at our BOL (very rural), then they would be way off course if they made it there and they really need to move on. Same reaction as above but more foreceful since this is my final retreat.

I would not shoot anyone just wanting food unless I had no other choice, but...




...my Christian beliefs say to love thy neighbor, but my Christian teachings instruct me as a Father to provide for my child and not allow him to go wanting.


God, Family, Country (others)... ... in that order

[knox45]

In your scenario, they never saw you- you never warned them. They are scavenging. You said 2 old women and some kids. I would give them a little food and send them packing