This survival group has been around since its inception in the late 1960s, and has done much to promote a common-sense understanding as to how and why Americans need to be prepared. I think they have come up with the best definition of the term "survivalist." I'll post the first few paragraphs below the contact information, and should you desire to read the full text - click the link to the entire thing. They refer to it as their philosophy. Be sure to check out their website. Under the heading of "Training" on the left menu bar, you'll find lots of useful information with topics such as: Basic Home Safety, Basic School Safety, Outdoor Safety, Safety at Work, Urban Safety, Winter Safety. Live Free, USA
Long before the media twisted the term “survivalist” into a negative concept and associated it with a variety of negative organizations and philosophies we called ourselves “survivalists”. The name of the mind-set is not really important. Call it preparedness advocacy, survival studies, or self-reliance hobbyists if you wish. It’s about the positive values of responsible citizenship and positive ideas. The events of the 911, hurricane Katrina, etc. have moved these philosophies toward the acceptable “main stream”. Our most popular and most reprinted paper “We Are Survivalists” (insert your own term) was published by Live Free in the early 1980s:
WE ARE “SURVIVALISTS”
By James C. Jones
“He who fails to prepare for the night, fails to prepare for the dawn”
I am a survivalist and by nature a survivalist is an optimist. I do not have a pessimistic bone in my body. If what I just said sounds odd to you then you are not yet a survivalist and you do not understand the modern survivalist at all. It has been very difficult to communicate to the public and the mass communications media, the concept of an optimistic, hopeful survivalist.
A fireman is a fireman, not because he believes everything will burn but because he believes much can be saved. Doctors don’t believe in death, they believe in life, and a survivalist is not a survivalist because he believes that everything will be destroyed and everyone will die, he believes that life and freedom can be saved if people of god will are prepared. A fireman does not start fires, a doctor does not make diseases and a survivalist does not make disaster. Crime, disease, war, revolution, tyranny, fire, flood, famine and economic upheavals are the results of nature and the nature of man and unfortunately are not always within the power of anyone on this earth to prevent.
We all know that the sun will set each day, leaving us in the darkness and we all know that warm summers give way to cold winters and though we know we can not stop the sun from setting or the cold winds from coming, does this make us pessimistic? I think not! So then, why is the survivalist called a pessimist when he makes ready to face events that are just as much part of history and nature as the sunset or the changing of the seasons?
Read the whole thing -- We Are Survivalists
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