When Mt St. Helens was starting to erupt, they closed the area to everyone ; but there was a man (Harry Truman) who lived up there along side of Spirit Lake, and he refused to leave, even though they told him that he would likely be killed when the volcano erupted, and he subsequently was killed in the eruption. I have mixed feelings about the evacuations that are forced on people during hurricanes, and similar storms. Some of the people refuse to evacuate, even when it is mandatory; but then they call for help, and expect emergency workers to come and save them when they are trapped on the roof, or something similar. This is needless, because if they had evacuated when told to do so, no one would have to risk their own life to rescue these people. On the other hand, I can also relate to the elderly people who have no transportation or way to evacuate, and when they come to take them away to safety, they have to leave their pets behind to drown. Most of us who have pets feel like they are an important part of our family, and if forced to leave them behind to drown or starve to death, might choose to stay with our pet, even knowing that none of us might survive the storm. Another aspect of this, which is worrisome (at least to me) , is whether this is part of the Agenda 21 that @Ken Anderson referred to in another thread. It is certainly educating the people to expect to be rescued and cared for by the government, and to go where they tell you, whenever they tell you to go somewhere. When you add in the possibility of weather modification, that influences where the storms strike, it puts all of this in a different perspective. But, since this is not the Conspiracy area of the forum....... just forget that I added this last little bit to my post.
Just to set what I said straight, the guy (Lt Commander) was in the Navy, not Coast Guard. Boaters do what they see other boaters do. Who wants to get weird looks from adults in boats, who aren’t wearing life vests? We don’t. BTW, it’s not a macho thing. It’s just that boaters, with experience boating, have life vests onboard, but don have them on. When was the last time you were boating with other boaters on a lake? You’d then see what I’m talking about. For using certain crafts and water toys (being pulled by a boat) it’s a mandatory law, but not for adult boaters.
I have enough good sense to avoid dangerous situations. If I was on the outer banks of NC and there was a strong hurricane coming, I would leave. However, if I knew it was a weak one, I would stay. I bristle at the thought of the gov'ment telling me I had to leave. Whenever the boat was moving, we always wore our life jackets. It would be stupid not to. The gov'ment didn't have to tell me that. When we were anchored, we took it off. We were once going at full speed and hit an underwater log. It wasn't visible before we hit it. Many objects aren't. I never start my car before donning my seatbelt. Not because the gov'ment made it a law but because I know it's the smart thing to do.
Depending on the nature of the emergency, I might evacuate if I were able to control my own evacuation and take my cats with me. Otherwise, I would never leave them at home to fend for themselves. There is also the possibility that someone might be able to save their home by not evacuating. A lot of the damage that is done in some evacuations are by looters or even emergency personnel who break doors down in order to be sure they are empty. There again, people should be able to decide for themselves the amount of risk they are willing to take. I don't think that would bother me. If fitting in were so important to me, one of the best ways to fit in here in Millinocket would be to hunt, but I have never wanted to hunt. I did join the local Fin & Feather Club, which is a hunting and fishing club, but because I support the things that are important to them, including their right to hunt. I don't participate myself but I think that the country is worse off for the fact that fewer of its young people have picked up these traditions. For that matter, while I know full well how a tortilla is supposed to be used when eating Mexican food, having lived in the Rio Grande Valley for twenty years, I continued to use them to make burritos out of everything, this despite the fact that it irritated the hell out of some people. Then I doubled down on that theme by commenting, when they put the first Taco Bell in the Rio Grande Valley, that it's about time we got some decent Mexican food.
For those that keep talking about boating and life vests, I will ask ALL of you the same question: When was the last time you were on a boat around other boaters OR watched boaters leave a boat ramp-dock? We have a boat and see plenty of boaters at our dry storage take their boat out wearing NO life vests. Don’t know how many times I have to say it! These are young adults, adults and Seniors. Every time we go to dry storage, have our boat put on a Wash Rack by forklift to do something to it, we see them. Seen the same thing in Colorado at boat ramps-docks. Boaters take off with no life vest on. Out on the lake, no life vests on. We’ve even seen some older kids at a lake we frequent ed, in the No Wake area, jump off of the back of their boats not wearing a life vest. If you don’t own a boat or go to a boat ramp, how can anyone say “they wear them”. Perhaps years ago, people did, but in the last 15 years we’ve been boating, we’ve only seen little kids wear them in a boat.
I owned a 47' "boat" on Watts Bar. I also owned a 34' retired coast guard diesel on Lake Mead. At one time I went from the Gulf of Mexico and traveled the Mississippi River upstream to Davenport, Ia. The only time in my adult life that I have NOT owned a boat is when I was in the Army and for the last 15 years. That's 19 years out of 50. Now, does that classify me as a "boater" in your vast experienced opinion? After all of the boating I have done and the types of boats I have owned, there was never once that I considered what other people thought about what I wore aboard my own vessel. Caring about such things is pure paranoia and I for one, am not paranoid nor am I trying to make a fashion statement by being unsafe. I have been on the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, The Mississippi River and several lakes and not once did anyone offer any critique regarding my use of a vest.
Having misunderstood the OP title, I should say "self-protection" for me means a good, reliable handgun! Frank
One thing about evacuations is that you are putting others lives in danger when you are too stubborn to go to safety. Police, firemen, and others put their lives in danger trying to rescue people who shouldn't be there except for their own stubbornness. Just a few years ago our county sheriff and a fireman both drowned trying to save two women from a flood. The women drowned too so their efforts were futile.
Absolutely correct..my ex was a firefighter so I know all about those type of people who by diregarding their own safety put others at risk of losing their own lives. However I think The OP was putting the argument forward for people who are only risking their own lives..and no-one else's , and whether they should be permitted to do that without Big brother stepping in...
Funny but Yvonne was just saying essentially the same thing to me. We sometimes forget that it isn't just an individual's life who is at risk but those who have to rescue them should things go south and that doesn't even take into account the amount of taxpayer dollars that have to go into a rescue. So, the quandary still exists; should people be forcibly removed from harms way or made to do whatever it takes in order to prevent harm?