Well said!

I believe firmly that the more resilient and tolerant and indepent each individual becomes within the parameters of a given society the more resilient that society becomes. For just one example, If we all know how to live off the grid for a few days / weeks and are prepared to do so then the terror threat to our infrastructure becomes less potent.

With this type of thinking, preparing to supplement / replace infrastructure dependancies is the best form of homeland defense. It won't necessarily reduce the likelyhood of events nor even the damage done to the immediate area of the event but it will mitigate the effect on our society and our way of life for those not in the epicenter of the event. This sort of effect is much more than a bandaid or battle dressing. This effect is the sole of survival for the society! IMHO!

Get a gun, ammo, water, candles, dinty-moore soup in cans -great for you! Go further and become trained as an EMT and an ARES HAM and then provide comms and trauma response to keep the village stable while things are bad. Go even further and join with a church or other community organization and help them put on a pancake breakfast or ham & bean supper. That will teach you how to be an organizer / server / survivor when the masses show up at the shelter. That not only guarantees you one of the best spots at the shelter but puts you first in line at dinner time.

What use is home defense or even homeland defense if it is provided by the constant thud of the tread of Jack-booted Nat'l Guardsmen patroling the street demanding "Papers! let me see your Papers!"? Get involved and help things remain workable and stable and the riots won't have to be as bad (perhaps) I'd keep the SUV packed and parked near the back door tho just in case.