The other day I was lurking at a local forum and read some comments about someone from an "opposite" group carrying a folding knife , and that was a "warning" that makes it necessary to take extra measures

Hate groups interpret everything as a conspiracy and a grand plan of some sort. I have been carrying a knife all my life and never ever used it even to kill an animal or bird. It is part of my "tool" collection that goes with me everywhere. Since some hateful people upgraded their theorories to cover pocket knives, I have changed to Swiss army knives and multitools, although I don't like the extra weight, and do not need the bottle or can openers, but these tools help cover the knife in between.

Preppers always try to have a low profile and not stick out. But with hate groups putting a magnifying lense on your race/faith/culture ..etc. you can't help it anymore.

You are who you are. And you try to live and let live, but some others see you as a walking problem.

So, politics aside, how does a prepper deal with such a problem ????

Some of the ideas I can think of in such a scenario:

- Try to have as many freinds as possible from all different ethnic/religious/geographical groups.
- Upgrade and beef up your BOBs and GHBs ( and plans )...

Any more ideas ???

So far I have largely been able to avoid such people; i guess that is my strategy. No experience with this intruding much into my reality, so I pass on suggesting advice. Sorry you have to deal with it.

Having a Melting Pot of friends will probably,keep your mind off of all that Crapola!Hate exists the world over for one reason or another though Fear is probably the most prevalent of reasons.I understand some places on this Planet make it Very difficult to even contemplate having a Melting Pot of friends,Just remember,Where there is a will,there is a way!I bid you Good Luck in your Endeavours!

Those people have always existed and will always exist. Like water, they always seek their own (low) level.

Just try to avoid them, and try not to let them drag you down to their level. It's easier online than in person. Some boards will allow you to ignore them, so they don't raise your blood pressure.

And some are just trolls, baiting people. Just give them all the attention they deserve: NONE. It frustrates them... pity, eh?

Sue

I wish it was on-line, and I wish it was only me

The stress doubles when it is your loved ones with too few years to have enough experience. My boy is just starting college next year. He is not a trouble maker by any means, but he can be bullied very easy, and he can explode in moments of anger and that is how some smarter boys can put him in trouble.

It is me and the family as a whole I am worried about. My wife has already seen enough when she was working and she quit afew years back. It was safer ( and saner ) for her to stay home, but the kids have to go out and explore life.

These waves of hate seem to behave like tidal waves; going up and down every few years.

Back to planning.

I was wondering if "scaling down" gear was a better choice in such situation.

A few years back I would use a pocket knife no problem, but these days, I prefer to use one arm of the scissors to cut a box open, just to "blend in" and look as unprepared and as "undangerous" as the rest.

I guess I don't understand the problem w/ having a multi tool or knife. Even for your sons age of 18-20 years old. It's not illegal in almost any situation, there are laws of course, to carry one.

Tell him to keep it in his pocket or bag until someone asks for assistance w/ something or requires him to employ it as an expediency.

As for my life, If someone doesn't like the fact that I carry (multiple) knives that's their problem and to a point they are welcome to keep it to themselves. We can agree to disagree.

Doug has many threads on here for knife rights and responsibilities. Maybe have your son read some of these to cover any conversation he may have in the future.

For prepper related haters: Ignore them. Like the saying goes "You know you're doing something right when people hate you". If they persist on asking you if you're preparing for the acopolypse, just tell them it's for the the next earthquake (power outake, water outage/boil order, flood, broken car, etc.) Qualify that with "the last time you went through one it sucked, and there's no reason to think it won't hapen again" and "you were the only one with a knife (water, motor oil, flashlight, etc.) when it was needed" logic.

For ethnic/religious/socioecomonic/general us-vs-them haters: Ignore them unless you're outnumbered. Then run. They're going to hate you no matter what you do.

I work hard of maintaining the ability to walk up and talk to anyone. If I feel put off by someone, or some group, I often make a point of walking up to them and talking. A smile and open hand go a long way toward humanizing yourself to people who judge you, and you them. Demonstrating that your not afraid of them, even if you are, and they have no reason to be afraid of you, even if they do, is the basis of all diplomacy.

Diplomacy is all about respect and admitting that both sides have a right to be there, a right to be who they are, and everyone has legitimate interests and concerns. Once you establish that you establish that neither side is going anywhere so everyone has to deal. Then it is just cutting a deal.

A big step is to realize that aggression and anger mostly come from fear. That the burning desire to stock up on weapons and ammunition is a not an expression of strength so much as an expression of weakness and fear. You don't want to start off declaring that but it goes a long way toward understanding people.

I just laugh and thinking to myself "geez, another f-ing retard", and pass on. Haven't met anyone in real life yet.

As far as knife goes I carry as usual, if anyone doesn't like they can go pound sand. But I'm pretty low profile about it, I don't even offer it to anyone I'm not familiar with unless it's life or death.

I have an Idea,Turn those people on to the Free World,possibly in a way that won't make you look like a subversive insurgent type.I know you have a Kinda' Unique situation as far as,Where this is happening,There has to be others over there,like yourself,seek them out!I have friends here from those parts,they went through alot of crap as of recent/present times go,they do alot of educating people as I've witnessed,& It has always turned out Very Well.It may not be the road you like to travel,so to speak,But I have seen it work here to Good Effect!You have a friend here! Salama Lokum!:)

LOL.
Thanks everyone

I frequently tell my kids to play deaf and dumb. I worry more about the kids, not because of the typical teenage type of bullying or harrasement at school. Actually, I think a little bit will be "good" for my weak son. That "typical" bullying is usually limited to a broken ego, or worst, a broken pen or calculator. Hateful groups go much further than that. And my son will be no match for a wicked hateful teenager, let alone a gang.

The problem is more visible in the career world. Two engineers I know have lost their jobs for things they didn't do !! And if they went to court and fought back they were sure to pay a higher price than losing a job. So they turned into private business and never looked back.

It is a combination of hate, ignorance, and selfishness. I guess

I have to be armed with more wisdom and gather as many friends as possible. Meanwhile, more GHBs scattered in every corner.

I brought up your question while talking with a friend who is a manager in human resources.

She said that many of the bullies and members of hate groups are manipulative types. It isn't that they want the victim to be one of them, it's the control that they live for.

She said some of the leaders, esp, can be psychopaths. And she also assured me that there are more psychopaths around than have been analyzed by professionals, because they tend to be intelligent and charming when they want to be. She said it's a real problem in business, where some of the characteristics, while objectionable in real life, are admired in business.

Characteristics of a psychopath:
* Manipulative
* Cunning
* Exploitive
* Arrogant
* Poor judgment, reckless, repeat mistakes
* Callous
* Irresponsible
* Chronic and glib liars
* Lack of self-control
* Lack of empathy, remorse, guilt
* No moral standards
* Impulsive antisocial behavior
* Totally self-centered
* Criminal tendencies
* Promiscuous
* Incapable of real love, lack of deep emotion

Sue

These are traits for pyschopaths? A a guy that trained and mentored sales people for 15 years, you just described every problem I've ever dealt with, with a salesperson.

I think the idea is that if you find most of these traits, then you may have found someone to keep far away from you and yours. If you find one or even a couple of these traits, then it may just be a temporary situational or maturity problem that some experience and education may improve.

Sociopathology is so common that you really can't avoid either sociopathic or authoritarian personalities.

There may even be sound reasons to keep them around. Most successful leaders, politicians, businessmen are at least borderline sociopaths. Most humans can summon up those traits when needed but are, in normal life, restrained by empathy and conscience.

Outright rejection gets you deeper into the weeds with layers of persiflage and hypocrisy instead of dealing with the issue. The key here is management and monitoring.

You have to understand that the sociopath is always looking out for number one and that conscience and convention are not restraints for them. That everything they do and say will be setup to arrange the situation to their own benefit. Once you understand that their behavior is predictable and it can be harnessed to benefit the larger society.

The internet has come to prove that for every belief or interest that one may have, there will be 1000's (and it should be noted that you will probably never meet any of them in person) who hate your beliefs and interests.

I find that the most easiest thing to do is not go lurking on those websites and forums...Saves frustration and allows you to spend time with your family and real friends who support your beliefs and interests.

Yeah... and it's probably why the world is in such bad shape right now! IOW, we could do with REAL people instead of the psychos who are now in charge.

Sue

Sometimes a group needs to coordinate on a single victim, and that coordination is easier if the victim is marked out as different somehow. The details often aren't important. Being the only person known to carry a knife could do it, as could unusual hair or skin colour, or dress sense, or accent or virtually anything.

Sometimes it's worth changing so you don't stand out as different any more, and sometimes it isn't. I wouldn't flaunt my (lack of) religion, and I wouldn't change it either.

In some cases, changing doesn't help. Switching from a knife to a multi-tool may not help because it's not really about knives. For that reason there should be limits to have far you are willing to compromise.

Of course! That technique has served the American government very well. It didn't take too much effort to make the Native Americans an enemy, because they didn't look like 'us'.

The Spanish American war, they didn't look like us.

During WWII, they put legal, non-enemy Japanese in internment camps and confiscated their property for no reason, just because they didn't look like us; but they didn't do that to people of German descent because they looked like us.

The Korean War and the Vietnam Wars, they didn't look like us.

In the Middle East, they don't look like us, dress like us, or have our religion, an easy sell.

As long as our government and the media work together, they can sell the American people practically anything. And if it works on that scale, it works just fine at a business.

Sue