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The Survivalist Pledge:

To help all that can be helped,
To defend all that can be defended,
To save all that can be saved,
To free all that seek freedom,
To stay alive as long as I can and stay free as long as I live.

LIVE FREE's TOP TEN DANGERS TO LIFE AND FREEDOM IN 1989: Those attending our National Leadership Conference last September were given an opportunity to rank the most immediate threats to human life and individual freedom in 1989. The results of the pole were put out as a news release on January 1, 1989.

THOUGHTS ABOUT DOWN UNDER: A Commentary on the views expressed by Carl Turney in the Nov. 1988 issue of DIRECTIONS entitled "Non-Lethal Defense of a Family Shelter During Sustained Anarchy." BY "CROCODILE" SMYTHE

THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER: THE SURVIVAL INITIATIVE - By James C. Jones: The fact that this report is being written six months after the conference (Sept., 1988) should give some indication of how overloaded and behind schedule we are. Our first National Leadership Conference in five years was conducted at Tippicanoe River State Park in Indiana on the weekend of Sept. 24th and 25th. The park was a fitting location since it was the site of Live Free's founding conferences twenty-seven years ago and has been the location of over fifty Live Free weekend seminars since then.

FROM BACK ISSUES: BIKING - BY AL FRY: While there are many motorcycles on today's market place that are labeled "dirt bikes", many are not really that suitable for a person who wants reliable wheels in the back country. Let's look at some of the options and problems in this situation...

RESPONSES: John Dierking's article on shock prompted several readers of DIRECTIONS to write. We decided to reprint their letters along with John's reply since all are quite informative. --DL

DOSIMETERS: [unknown author] Dosimeters are designed to measure accumulated exposure doses of gamma radiation. They can be read by holding the glass-capped end toward your eye and pointing the opposite end toward any light source sufficient to see the scale and hairline. There is no operational check for dosimeters; however, when they are first received, they should be recharged, both to re-zero them and to check their electrical leakage characteristics...

OH, MY BLEEDING GUMS, By JULIE SUMMERS: Bleeding gums every time I brushed my teeth was really getting me down. I couldn't understand why it was happening to me since I though I had a good diet--including plenty of raw fruits and vegetables...

THOUGHTS ABOUT STOCKPILING, By Duncan Long: Whether you're planning on weathering out a nuclear war or a severe storm, you're going to have to have quite a few things stockpiled to survive "in style" on your own...

THE ECONOMIC DOMINO EFFECT, BY G. MILLER: The economies of the world are intertwined. Countries do business with other nations; companies do business with other businesses. When one goes bankrupt, it effects the others. This is what I call the "economic domino effect..."

HOME SWEET HOME, BY DUNCAN LONG: Home is where the heart is, is how an old sage put it. Today, home is where your survival stores are. It also is where your family sleeps unprotected by anyone but those in the family. Today's home is where your fortress is. Your survival may someday depend on how good of a fortress you've made your of your home...

Live Free Firearms Freedom Committee: There is a lot being said about the pending gun legislation and the increasing trend toward restriction and prohibition of gun ownership. I am not going to take up pages here going over the many, many reasons why the private ownership of arms is essential to life with freedom. What I do want to do here is report to our members that Live Free has made a commitment to fight and we have been actively involved in this battle for many months!

Developments in SDI, By Duncan Long: US scientists working on the SDI program have recently created a "brilliant pebble" rocket. Designed to kill ballistic missiles, these rockets are each shorter than a man and have no warheads. Each does have a small on-board computer and a lens system capable of "seeing" a ballistic missile as it is launched...

AMMUNITION STOCKPILING & STORAGE, By MICHAEL IRONWOLF: In every survival situation where the routine use of firearms directly affects a person's survival probability (i.e., a soldier at war, a policeman on the street, etc.), eventually a time comes when the ammunition supply may be exhausted. In times of war--during a fire fight--a soldier's life span can be measured by the amount of ammunition he is carrying...

FOOLISH ACTS, By David Lobdell: I was able to attend the annual combined conference of the American Civil Defense Association, Doctors for Disaster Preparedness and High Frontier, held in Arlington, VA, September 29-October 2. Its theme was "Preparedness: Path to Peace." General Douglas McArthur was fond of saying "Wars are created by undefended wealth!" Alas, despite Russia's economic difficulties of late, they still have four missile assembly lines going, producing ICBMs; they are still working full-speed on their anti-missile system, the keystones of which are the radars at Kraysnorsk, Siberia. It is not prudent for us to be a tempting target...

PREPARING FOR A "BIG ONE," By Duncan Long: Following the recent San Francisco earthquake, many people living outside California were surprised to discover that THEY lived in an earthquake-prone area as well. The series of faults that could cause such quakes weave across most the US. Washington state and northern Oregon are blanketed by areas periodically hit by quakes; a severe fault lies at the north central area of Washington and extends upward into Alaska. Other major faults lie under the western side of California and in western Nevada.

President's Corner, BY J. C. JONES: The public in general and the mass communications media in particular have a great deal of difficulty understanding the survivalist philosophy. Even many survivalists have some difficulty explaining their actions and positions. Survivalists who support gun ownership and the use of weapons for self-defense are branded as being "pro violence." Survivalists who advocate nuclear war preparedness are often accused of being "pro war." We survivalists often find ourselves in direct conflict with groups that advocate wonderful-sounding popular ideas such as world peace, public safety, etc., etc...

Your Home -- The Safest Place; THE ULTIMATE HOBBY, By Kenley L. Snyder, Ph.D.: This is the case for building a bomb shelter, as a hobby, right under your existing house. I am not referring to some dugout for fallout protection that, after completed, sits there collecting moss and cobwebs, but an aesthetically appealing permanent extension of the house. Again, not out in the yard or off somewhere in the hills, but directly under the present house structure... [Includes short article: "Upgrading a Fallout Shelter, By Phil Hunter"

OF BULBS AND BATTERIES, BY JERRY REIMER: A crash awakens you from sleep, you reach for the bedside flashlight, snap the switch on, and command a brilliant beam adequate to illuminate and identify any potential adversary. Blinded by the light, the intruder freezes in his tracks--the cat, again. Third time this week...

STOCKPILING FOOD--SOME IDEAS, BY DUNCAN LONG: The US has enough food stored away to feed its people for some time. But these stores of food are quickly becoming depleted as the government buys less surplus food from farmers and gives greater amounts of food to the poor. Coupled with the poor yields of the last few years of various crops worldwide, things are getting a little shaky when it comes to food worldwide. Even if our country continues to have plenty of food, distribution of food reserves during a time of extensive emergency would take a great deal of time and might be next to impossible in areas where roads and railroad lines were torn up.

PLANT A TREE, STOCK A POND, BY K. SARABOK: You are sitting on the porch of your secluded retreat, snug with the thought you have made adequate food stockpiling preparations. The shelves in the basement sag with canned goods and cartons of "Mountain Home" dehydrated food. Garden seeds are stored in moisture-proof containers. Breeding stock of chickens and rabbits are in their cages. Ah, yes. What could possibly go wrong?

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE EVENTS IN EASTERN EUROPE, By DAVID LOBDELL: [While nearly everyone in the West has been joyfully watching the new freedoms being given those in Eastern Europe, many also wonder what the final outcome of the turmoil in the region will be. This article takes a look at some of the possibilities and sorts out what we as a civilization might do to maximize our survival chances of various eventualities.--DL]

EMERGENCY COOKING--IDEAS, BY PHIL HUNTER: Since most disasters knock out the utilities, microwaves, gas ranges, and electric stoves are probably not going to be available for your use. If you camp, you may wish to simply using your camp stove or building a camp fire.

WHO'S BUGGING YOU? By Duncan Long: In this day and age, if someone wants to listen to your conversations badly enough and has the money to buy equipment, he's going to be able to "bug" you. But there's a lot you can do to keep your privacy and thwart the efforts of over-zealous government snoops and criminals who have no business knowing what you're doing and saying in private.

THE RISE OF "DUMBOCRACY" By James C. Jones: I find myself wondering why it is that in a state that is supposed to be run "by the people, of the people, and for the people" the people let the state consistently act directly against their best interests. For the majority of middle-class Americans, the government seems to be in business to take more and more of their money and chip away at their individual liberties. We survivalists are particularly concerned with the lack of any effective civil defense program and the obsession with disarming the people. The whole idea of representative government is that the state will do what is good for the people...

SPROUTING SEEDS, BY ARTEMUS: If you garden, then you're going to enjoy growing sprouts. You don't need soil, a rake, shovel, planting board, rototiller, or a plot. There are no weeds to pull, no fertilizer to spread, no baking in the hot sun, and no aching back! If you don't garden--don't worry. Anyone can sprout seeds. And don't leave out the kids; most like watching sprouts grow. A few minutes rinsing daily, and that is basically all the work that's required.

SURVIVALIST BACKUP RIFLE: THE M-1 CARBINE, By Michael Ironwolf: It's 1990 and THE PLAN for the destruction of the United States as a free and independent nation is progressing rapidly...

AR-15 EMERGENCY REPAIR KIT, By Michael Ironwolf: We have observed throughout history that in every disaster situation, whether natural or manmade, the need for personnel protection becomes immediately apparent. The availability of the modern battle rifle contributes greatly toward meeting this need. As with all mechanical devices, routine maintenance and repair is necessary. It is the responsibility of each individual to become familiar with the weapon of his\her choice as well as acquiring a cache of replacement parts...

SELECTING A SURVIVAL VEHICLE, By Ed Pederson: [The following article is excerpted from material that will be used in a comprehensive book on survival vehicles that the author is preparing.--Editor.] If you're looking for a survival vehicle, you've probably narrowed the field down considerably to a few general types. Now how do you narrow the field down to THE vehicle you will buy? Choosing the individual vehicle model, especially if its a used vehicle, desires much thought and consideration. Researching the individual models of your chosen type will help in making the final choice. More than one information source should be used...

THE DISEASE OF THE '90S, BY HENRY HOWARD: The late 1980s and now the 1990s have seen an increase in predictions of doom, gloom, and disaster (a phenomenon PSYCHOLOGY TODAY magazine has tagged "Millennium Fever"). There are some "treatments" for Millennium Fever that should prevent survivalists from succumbing to this disease...

THE $135 SEMI-AUTOMATIC .30-30, BY DOUGLAS P. BELL: Yes, there is such a thing--in fact I saw one at a gun show for that price in early 1990. It was new in the box, and came with 40 rounds of ammunition, an ammo pouch, sling, cleaning kit, ten-round fixed magazine, and folding spike bayonet. Now wait a minute! Everyone knows that .30-30's don't come with bayonets. Well, OK...

A LETTER TO A LIBERAL, by DAVID LOBDELL: Recently, we rid the world of Theodore Bundy, who murdered many women without the aid of an "assault rifle" or a hand gun. Had his victims had a hand gun when they needed one, any of those women might have saved herself and the lives of those who came after her. Every adult male in Switzerland who wishes to vote or hold public office, must keep the weapons of war in his home, ready for instant use; yet Switzerland has a very LOW murder rate...

PROGRESSIVE LEVELS OF SURVIVAL PREPAREDNESS, By Carl Turney of Western Australian Survival Skills Association,

[Complete Excerpt] SURVIVAL GEAR: FROM DOWN UNDER - RECOMMENDED SUPPLIES FOR INCREASED SELF-SUFFICIENCY, BY CARL TURNEY: [While every survivalist will want to create a personal survival list, we're including this one in this issue since it's a bit different and may spark a few ideas for our US readers--DL]

Tools that can make tools (but MUST be manually powered): lathe, drill press, grinder, file, drill bit, hot forge.

Tools that can make things (but MUST be manually powered): table saw, plane, hammer, screwdriver.

Seeds that can grow food and medicine: grains, vegetables, fruits, yeast (alcohol), mold (penicillin).

Animals (that can reproduce) for food and service: cattle, horse, dog, cat, rabbit-like (small, "create" protein, breed).

Rural hobby farm (or larger) for living, retreating, cultivating: appropriate size, good location, fertility, privacy, defensibility.
Water (both in storage and perpetual supply): jugs, drums, tanks, wells, springs, dams (after low radiation).

Food in storage: full nutritional balance, long-term storage, palatability, compactness.

Books on survivalist preparations and self-sufficiency: nuclear war, food preservation, security, medicine, farming.

Books on basic human needs: entertainment, children's educational, math, philosophy, law, history.

Emergency instruments/supplies: first aid kit, radiation monitor, u.v. proof eyeglasses.

Defensive instruments: alarm systems, solid buildings, small arms, fire extinguishers.

Chemicals: fertilizers, insecticides, medicines, preservatives, soaps.
Fuels: batteries, generator, petrol, kerosene, candle wax, firewood.
Communication: various radio, intercom, lights, pigeon (don't laugh).

Neighbors (neither dependent nor independent, but interdependent): committed, prepared, complementary skills, not too high concentration.

Shelter: cellar, home, shed, garage, barn, look out tower.
Transport: BMX bicycle, horse, small muffled trail cycle, extra boots.
Friends, relatives, comrades: for support, "centering", commitment.
Yourself: fit, able, learned, committed, prepared, practiced, calm, rational.

Luck: Lots of it, stored, growing as you improve your preparations.

[Complete Excerpt] SURVIVAL ON A BUDGET: SURVIVING A RECESSION AND PROFITING FROM IT: Most experts are agreeing that there will be a recession in 1989. After eight years of boom, some people will bust. A lot of yuppies are up to their ears with debt and will lose it all. The moral: Don't be a yuppie. Don't use charge cards; save them only for emergencies. Paying off your debts now can only help you, even if the recession doesn't come. Don't buy a new car or house or expensive "grown up toys" like a boat or an airplane. If you really want them, wait. They'll be cheaper during the recession since during a recession, prices come down. That is the time to buy. Remember: cash will be king. Save it now; spend it when it will be worth a lot more. March, 1989 issue. Sounds as much like 2006 as 1989 - doesn't it?

[Complete Excerpt] THE WOMAN SURVIVALIST, BY CAROL ARMSTRONG: Hello ladies: I'm back again with another article on survival. This time, I'll be writing about items, other than food and clothing, to keep in your shelter. (There will be an article on food and clothing storage in future issues.) If you are going to be confined for a period of time, it is important to keep your spirits up. Keep make-up, perfume, nail polish and toiletries in your shelter. You do not have to go out on the town to put on make-up. When you want to feel good, get yourself prettied up for your husband. Believe me, he will greatly appreciate the idea and it will make you feel better, too.

Ladies, don't let your husband pack your shelter without consulting you. There are some things that only you as a woman would think about needing (for example, deodorant, hand soap, tampons or pads, shampoo, and even toilet paper.) Put in some items that you as a woman would want, but remember your space will be limited. Other items you would probably need are bed linens and blankets, wash cloths and towels, silverware and plates (these could be plastic or paper), and pots and pans. With these items, you'll need dish washing liquids and detergents, but to cut down on expense and space, use detergent to clean your dishes. (It works, I've used it myself.)

Well, I hope this article got you thinking about other items to keep in your shelter. If you have any ideas or suggestions on what I should write about or research, drop me a line at: LFI-OHIO, P. O. Box 553, Lakeview, OH 43331.

[Complete Excerpt] Best Knife? By Jake Stone: How important is a combat knife for survival purposes and which is best? Obviously, this is a matter of personal preference. But historically, the Bowie design seems to have been the best for knife-to-knife combat. (Even the oriental-style "Tantos" and such are similar in concept to the Bowie design.) When picking a knife, remember that you'll likely not be using it ONLY for combat. Therefore, it's wise to purchase a knife that can do a variety of other chores. Many of the "commando" knives that are dagger-like are less ideal for anything BUT stabbing. If you find a need to cut wood or some such task, these's knives are about as good as nothing. If you opt for a commando dagger, then be sure to augment it with a second locking folder or some such thing for "everyday" use. When possible, do your fighting with a gun. A knife fight is not a good way to survive. If gun battles have no second-place winners, knife battles can be said to never have any first-place winners: both combatants are usually pretty chopped up unless one has an element of surprise acting in his favor. Buy a good knife and then keep it sharp, don't use it for a pry bar, and protect it from rust. Do these things and it will serve you well.

[Complete Excerpt] LETTERS: The article on trapping rats in one of the past issues reminds me of a live trap I used as a teenager. It was simple to build and quite effective. Cut 1x12-inch wood to form a box roughly square, but with one open side. On one piece, cut an opening about 2-inches square in the center of the bottom. Using 1/2-inch square of hardware wire, form a square tube about 2-1/2 inches square and about 6 inches long. Cut a piece of hardware wire to form a hinged door inside the tube slanted toward the middle to the box and fasten it around the 2-inch hole previously cut. (The objective of the slanted door is to allow the rats to push their way while being prevented from exiting.) Now assemble the box with 2-inch opening and tube in the bottom of it and place hardware cloth with a door on the open side. To bait this live trap, roll up some bacon in hardware cloth with enough space to where the rats cannot reach the bait. Set the trap in an area where you know rats to frequent. I have caught as many as 10 rats at one time using this setup as the rats already caught seem to attract still more rats. To kill the rats, you can put the entire trap in a container of water and then shake them out after they've drowned.--K. Sarabok.

Here's a little item which you might want to pass on to your readers regarding storing garden seeds. I have been a long-time believer in buying my garden seeds a year in advance. It's a sure sign of insecurity, I know. But I figure that when the crunch comes, we won't have time to buy things. I was saving some seeds eight years ago when I had to move and lost a garden spot. I had on hand my early purchased garden seeds. I packed them in an air-tight can (ammo box) with a generous supply of silica gel. This winter I decided to see if my folly had any merit. I tried a germination test on a large sample of these old seeds. Much to my delight, the seeds germinated almost 100 percent. A few specific varieties did not fare so well (okra, for example). But most did as well as new seeds. Others might want to use this idea.--J.E.

[Complete Excerpt] PRESIDENT'S CORNER BY JAMES C. JONES: LESSON FROM LITHUANIA - Events in Lithuania should be all the argument anyone needs for survivalism: Here, when faced with a people demanding their freedom, the Soviet first step was to go after the guns. Once the gun control operation was completed, the next step was to cut off the sources of fuel, electricity, water, and food. How can anyone miss the point that a people can't be free when someone--anyone--controls a monopoly on deadly force and the sources of necessity and survival. It must be kept in mind that a government (any government) needs the people a lot more than the people need a government. A population of armed and self-reliant citizens that can hold out even for a short time without government support will always be free. For the unprepared, freedom is an illusion, a bubble that can burst at any moment.--J.C. Jones

WE ARE LIVE FREE: A FORCE FOR LIFE AND FREEDOM

THE LIFE AND FREEDOM DECLARATION

WE BELIEVE that life is not worth living without freedom and that true freedom belongs only to those who are ready and able to protect and control their own lives.
WE CARE about people and we want them to be able to survive and live in freedom no matter what dangers the future may hold.
WE WORK to promote programs that help people achieve greater safety, security, and self-reliance for themselves and their families.
WE SUPPORT all individuals, organizations and programs that work in any way to save human life and defend individual freedom.
WE OPPOSE all acts of violence against innocent human beings and all forms of tyranny over the body and mind of man.
WE ARE DETERMINED to prevent unnecessary deaths, suffering and loss of freedom that may be caused by future natural and man made catastrophes.
WE ARE DEDICATED to the preservation and extension of individual freedom and self-reliance for people of all nations, races and religions.
WE ARE COMMITTED to building a future in which advanced technology and exploration will be used only to expand freedom, opportunity and self-reliance of the individual and never to extend the power to control and enslave.

WE WILL NOT FAIL

WHAT DOES LIVE FREE MEAN?
To live free means knowing that the laws of nature are universal for all living things. Man can define or interpret them, but he cannot violate them. To live free is to know that there are no free lunches in society or nature, and being prepared to put in as much as you take out. To live free is to be able to provide for yourself and your family without selling your freedom or your pride. To live free is to help others through true charity, through individual help, and through showing them how to live free. The man or woman that lives free is self-sufficient and self confident but at the same time humble and considerate. Living free is not doing as you please, but knowing that you do not have to do as someone else pleases.

Living free is hard work, thinking, deciding, facing problems, helping others, being on your own, working with others, and improving yourself.

WE ARE SURVIVALISTS
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 one 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 everything must be destroyed and everyone must die, he believes that life and freedom can be saved, if people of good will are prepared. A fireman does not start fires, a doctor does not make disease and a survivalist does not make disaster.

Crime, disease, war, revolution, fire, flood, periodic financial collapse and famine are the results of nature and the nature of man and unfortunately are not within the power of anyone on this earth to prevent. We all know that the sun will set each day, leaving us in darkness and we all know that warm summers give way to cold winters and that we can do nothing to keep 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 and changing of the seasons.

Another misconception is that survivalists are predicting world disaster. On the contrary, we seem to be the OPTIMISTIC MINORITY that is predicting world survival. We are hard pressed to find any well recommended historians, economists, political scientists, sociologists or military strategists that can come up with a scenario that gives even a fifty-fifty chance of avoiding a large scale catastrophe, yet we survivalist dare to be OPTIMISTIC about the future. We survivalists do not need to predict the probability of disaster anymore than we need to predict the sun setting. Those who criticize survivalists, are like men who refuse to look at a calendar, in the hope that through self-imposed ignorance they can keep from aging another year.

"You survivalists will be disappointed if we don't have a world cataclysm", here is another accusation that is pure B.S. and I could not think of a milder phrase to describe it. We survivalists have loved ones we don't want to see hurt or killed, we have homes we don't want to see destroyed, we are not fools to think that just because we are survivalists a world cataclysm would be fun for us or the we would not experience danger, loss, hunger, injury, cold or even despair and death. We have spent time and money to improve our chances for survival and recovery from disaster, but we would have a great celebration if some day we could be assured that we had wasted our time. No, we will not be disappointed if there is no disaster to survive, anymore than the Red Cross is disappointed when there are no floods and storms or the man who buys an insurance policy is disappointed when his house fails to burn down. It may be said that the survivalist would much prefer the pleasant (but unlikely) surprise of being wrong to the (probable) deadly rude awakening that the non-survivalist will face if he is wrong.

So, you see the survivalist can not lose because his survival preparations will be of value regardless of what the future has in store. In time of crisis, those who have not prepared to turn to each other, will turn on each other. It is most regrettable indeed, that many people consider survivalists as a threat and regard them with suspicion and even hostility. This attitude is logically indefensible and is rooted in the non-survivalists own sense of fear and guilt. Subconsciously, the non-survivalist may hate the survivalist for reminding him of how fragile his lifestyle is. Now, let's get the facts turned around right. THE MOST DANGEROUS PEOPLE IN AMERICA TODAY ARE THE NON-SURVIVALists. Every person who has not made provisions for surviving without food, water, fuel and other essential needs from the outside, is a mortal danger to his neighbors. What will a man do when he and his family are freezing, hungry, thirsty, sick and starving? He may ask or beg his neighbors for help, but when they have no extra fuel, food, water or medicine to give, will he just go back home to die with his wife and kids? What do you think? We survivalists who stock up on food and other supplies, now do a favor to society because what we now buy is replaced on the shelves so there will be that much more available in an emergency. We survivalists won't be looting and killing for food. We won't be a burden on the medical facilities or a danger to the police. Since we will be able to turn to each other, we will not need to turn on anyone and we may be able to help at least some.

Survival preparation should be regarded as a social obligation, one that every individual owes to his family and community and his nation. The non-survivalist is simply a poor and irresponsible citizen. So the reality is, that survivalists are optimistic, self-reliant individuals, who cannot help but see the imperative of preparing for the worst possible events, while hoping sincerely, that they won't happen. Today's survivalist is an asset to his community and to the world and should be proud to be called SURVIVALIST.

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