What Would You Do?

"Ol' Remus" at the Woodpile Report asks some hard questions about our psychological and moral preparations. He writes:

Assume the worst doomsday scenario: grid down, distribution systems down, lawlessness and predation, mass privation, disease and death. Assume it's many months into an on-going calamity. You're skilled enough in useful crafts and were well situated at the start.

But the growing season was as bad as it was short. Now your supplies are low. Scary low. You're laboring long hours but you and your family are hard pressed. You'll probably make it, but there's no cushion. A family with small children approaches your door; exhausted, ragged and so famished it's all they can do to walk. You know legitimate charity is provided from surplus, that giving away needed sustenance is an unwarranted sacrifice. The weather's turned nasty and it's getting dark. There's a soft knock at the door.

Or, the local Committee of Emergency declares all stockpiled food to be common property. 'Hoarders' were given three days to turn in their 'excess' provisions. With so many improvident people—the ones who chose to live high on easy credit and harass preppers as a sort of hobby—it's obvious this won't make a real difference. You don't comply. The Community Action Committee is at your door, they're your neighbors, they know what you have, they're armed and they're not backing down.

He offers some other scenarios to consider as well.

I would hope that even in dire conditions we would keep our moral compass and charity. For the first scenario, I know what my wife and I would do because we've discussed it--we would share what we could. But we are not alone, being part of a larger ward/congregation in our Church who also have food stored away.

The second scenario is more problematic. From the wording, I'm assuming that the mob is at my door, but has not forced its way in; and I'm outnumbered and out-gunned. If an armed mob has learned of my food storage and are parked at my door to confiscate it, I've already made mistakes. It's easy to say that they aren't getting the food except by stepping over my dead body. But my goal is to ensure the survival of my family, not prove I'm the braver warrior. If faced with a choice between handing over the food or having my family killed (and the food taken anyway), I'll turn over the food and see what opportunities present themselves afterward.

Anyway, read all the scenarios and see what you think.