NATIONAL EMERGENCY

Has our government unwittingly laid the foundation for a national emergency - a situation that will destroy the United States as we now know it? If so, when will it occur and what form will it take? Who really causes higher taxes, deficit spending, inflation, energy shortages, and the other difficulties that could collectively cause the collapse of our social, economic, or political structure? Several United States presidents have said that, when faced with higher taxes, we all want to sacrifice as long as others sacrifice first. Our Congressmen generally contend that they only give us what we want even though special interest groups have a louder voice. Government officials tell us that inflation is caused by excessive profits, labor demands, trade deficits, the high cost of energy, a weakened dollar, and so on. The energy shortage is blamed on foreign oil interests and the oil companies. Americans in general have given up in frustration because of the confusion. But is government itself mostly responsible for ever increasing budget deficits, excessive printing of paper money, costly federal regulations and other related problems? The individuals and groups who are directly responsible for these failures are difficult to identify. Problem causes are seldom really understood, but governmental program after program is then patched together in an attempt to find solutions. The result is often more problems created by the attempted solutions. A national emergency (of one form or another) could soon be upon us as a result of our own folly.

In reality, each of us must take some responsibility for the sad situations in which we find ourselves. We have become addicted to an ever expanding array of government security blankets. Government is now expected to solve all our problems with little or no sacrifice on the part of the individual. Under these circumstances, few people have been able to sustain any form of individual initiative.  Along with the decay in initiative and productivity, we have also suffered decay of our moral fiber. We can continue to decline, or we can pull up our socks and begin to help solve our own problems. Hopefully, we can regain some of the can-do pioneering spirit that made this nation great.  The focus of such a self-improvement program is community action designed to help meet basic needs at the local level. Therein lies a means to resolve present and future difficulties in overcoming social, economic, moral, political, or security related problems.
To implement effective community action, individual communities should identify areas of specific need and organize to help meet these needs. Such organizational effort could start with fact finding, and problem identification and analysis. Leader selection, goal setting, funding, development of communications systems, and other essential actions would provide the foundation for a self-help group. In preparation for a national emergency, such community groups should prepare to implement the actions suggested below as itemized under seven major areas of interest.

Basics: encourage home procurement and storage of water, food, cooking and heating fuels, light sources, medical supplies, and other essentials. House raising and home improvement teams might be organized by the group. Low-cost housing programs should be developed where needed. Development of alternative energy sources and energy conservation programs could be accomplished by individuals and groups. Backyard gardens should be encouraged. Local cottage industries can be used to help lower the cost of clothing and other items.

Environment: identify and study local environmental problems. Determine and implement the local solutions where possible. If not possible, push for solutions through the political action process. Cultivate the pressure of public opinion against those causing the pollution. Develop general environmental awareness.

Health: initiate group programs that focus on physical fitness, disease prevention, first aid and medical emergency procedures, health care advice, and home nursing for the aged and infirm. Local doctors and hospitals should be given guidance and assistance to help hold down the cost of their services.

Jobs: create local placement services to help unemployed and underemployed group members find jobs providing in- come security. Stimulate jobs for the needy via service oriented activities, local cottage industries, and the development of local economic opportunities. Encourage an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay for the benefit of all.

Knowledge: local groups should organize and conduct educational and skills training programs. Media committees should be employed to encourage and influence all media sources to fairly cover all sides of issues. Investigative research teams might be employed as fact finders. Legislative councils would be organized to help make necessary improvements in the law, and to help keep the group informed about pending legislation. Various action committees could be formed to express the group’s legislative interests to the media, public officials and appropriate legislators. All possible action should be taken to establish and/or preserve quality education for youth . . .  our future leaders.

Responsibility: each group should establish and adopt certain social, economic, and moral standards to guide the conduct of group members. Any individual who consistantly breaks these standards could be deprived of the support of the group. Established standards, and the reason for same, must constantly be endorsed, upheld, and explain areas of interest.

Safety: organize all homes and apartments in three-family safety nets. Each net member would help to observe the homes and properties of other net members during their absence. Net homes or apartments could also employ interconnected home intruder alarms and mobile warning devices which would facilitate aid to any net member.Various group nets would coordinate their warning systems with local police and fire departments to provide a quick reaction deterrent to crime, fire, and other hazards.