Hi friends,

Below is an email I got a few minutes ago, and it made me think for a minute, about whether to respond to it or not.

I was going to blow it off....then I stopped in mid stride. Why? Some one might be asking a REAL question, and I almost did NOT answer it. In answering the email, it also gives me a chance to bring real world perspective to a stranger who may really want to know WHY anyone prepares.

I thought you might get something out of it, which is why I personally share this email with you, my real and true friends. I've known most of you now for more than a couple of years, and YOUR feedback and perspective would be greatly appreciated as well on the thoughts included in the message below.

Please respond on the SurvivalRing mailing list if you would, so that everyone can learn more about how "we" prepare, and "why". "How" is not neccessary for the time being.

If not a member of the email list, simply send a BLANK email to

SurvivalRing-subscribe@topica.com

and verify your followup email message to join the list.

This is great time, in history, to reach a VERY wide audience. How do I know? Just ONE of my pages on SurvivalRing ( and not the home page ) has received 26,000 hits in 11 days. Which page? The nuclear targets page. Why? I don't know, other than that the anniversary of 9/11 came and went. Thankfully without ANY surprises or events.

People around the world still have great concern, with great reason. We don't need to stop our lives and all go and hide. We need to know what the threats MIGHT be, and know what to do IF SOMETHING HAPPENS.

Until then, soccer moms can load the minivan, bass fishermen can still hit the backwaters of all the good spots, and the kids can still have fun in their treehouse...and be real people. We can ALL live our lives as normal.

I just want them to at least THINK for a moment...and then continue on with their lives.

Please, respond....pro and con, near and far, but not to the person who sent the email...just me or the email list.

Thanks,

Richard
Founder - SurvivalRing.org
---------------------------------------------Message below-----------------------------------------


In a message dated 9/12/2003 9:50:40 PM Mountain Daylight Time, rowley4@adelphia.net writes:



Why in this day and age would you even sell stuff like this?
--------------------
Question from: shack_o_shirts
Title of item: Nuke Target Maps FEMA book &CivDef CDROM
Seller: nuclear*nexus



Hi there, Mr./Ms. Rowley,

YOU have aroused MY curiosity now. I undeniably sense some negative vibes going on here, but I really would like to know why, because of your statement, you actually took the time to email me the question in the first place?

I have some honest and real answers for you, if you care to hear them, or you can even read them on my website by visiting it below....

I don't intend to poke fun at you, browbeat you, degrade you or anything negative, since YOU did take the time to ask a real question about a real concern.

I really would like to have a dialog with you, however short or long, to see what you think about preparedness in general at any government level, family level, or personal level. You very obviously have some strong opinions, which shows in your urgent need to question this particular auction, and I would really like to hear about them.

I did not write the book in question in this auction...our Federal US government did...only 14 years ago....even as the Soviet Union was crumbling. I have many copies of it. It is a COLLECTIBLE. The CDs in question offer tens of thousands of pages of historical reading material regarding our Cold War years, natural AND manmade disasters, and tons of shelter information. I PERSONALLY created one of them with my own hands and years of work.

I would be glad to quote from ANY newspaper printed in the past year, about the real and true threat of terrorist use of a radiological dirty bomb, on US soil, in the near future. Old John Ashcroft himself warned us it IS inevitable. I offer educational info completely free on my website, without any cost, signup, or user tracking..simply click and download. I do it because the terrorist threats THESE days are more real than they have EVER been in all of our nation's history.

I will quote you a number....three thousand and sixteen.

You may ask, what the heck does that have to do with anything?

It was in the paper today. USAToday, of all things.

So, what's the number for?

It's the exact number of people who died on 9/11 because of the terrorist attacks on the WTC, the Pentagon, and Flight 93.

My blood runs cold, thinking there are still citizens of this nation who STILL don't think bad things can happen, even "in this day and age", to quote your words from above.

3,016.

That's why.

Please, I am serious about hearing your thoughts on why you would even care about what some one who lives in the middle of NO WHERE, selling one used book, and two pieces of plastic, has to sell on a popular service such as ebay.

I have spent thousands of dollars collecting REAL government documents the past few years to be able to share it ALL freely. A few bucks made on extra copies shouldn't be any skin off your nose, now should it?

Still, I wonder. I've been around the net long enough to know what a "troll" is...and I don't think this is one. I simply want to know what someone as yourself thinks, about personal preparedness.

You wrote me. I replied in rational and respective manner, hoping for an interchange of information, to better MY understanding of the majority thought of my fellow Americans.

If you don't reply, I'll understand.

If you do, and do so honestly, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks for taking the time to ask.

By the way, my personal and website motto is below...and yes, I really believe in it.

Richard

Nuclear*nexus on Ebay


Richard Fleetwood
Founder/Author/Webmaster - SurvivalRing.org, The Blast Shelter, Civil Defense Now, and MyFalloutShelter.com

http://www.survivalring.org

"Study Yesterday...Prepare Today...Live Tomorrow."