Hoo boy! Things are getting tough for peace-loving, freedom-minded people. How much more will we take before some of the stuff in Unintended Consequences begins to kick in? We don't know about you all, but we're starting to think tactically about shooting the bastards. We're not saying that that's what we should be doing now ... that's something each person needs to decide for himself. Once you identify the line past which you begin to engage the enemy, you need to think about how you want to engage, what your best tools are, and when and under what circumstances to do it. The thoughts that follow are some of the things we've been thinking about. We hope by sharing them they get you thinking about these issues, so that the forces for freedom can be as effective as possible against the coming darkness. Need we say that if you're going to step up and take aim, it should be a cell of one activity? No one should have enough information to link you to anything you did, might have done, or are likely to do in the future. We wouldn't rule torture out of the realm of possibility, so the less said -- even to your most trusted friends and loved ones -- the better, for everyone. While his or her motives are questionable at best, let's take lessons from the DC sniper. Either the LEO drones are playing convincingly at Keystone Cops, or they're fairly clueless still. If we need to, we can do this just as well, and with much more deserving targets. Avoid patterns of activity. Strike, and move fast. Don't brag. Once the shooting starts, expect to become a target yourself if you've done anything that places you under suspicion. That means anything from reading certain materials, to hanging out with dangerous people, to browsing politically incorrect web sites -- certainly this one is on that list. (<proud smile> - ed.) Unless you've covered your tracks damn well, They know more about you than you want. Be prepared with bugout packs and travel plans. Travel plans committed to anything but memory should be encrypted. Careful of maps with routes traced out with highlighters. Of course, if you want to leave maps lying around with routes you aren't taking for misdirection, that's another matter. If you're on the move, restocking supplies can become a challenge -- especially if you're using ammunition that has suddenly become the target of LEO drone attention. Cache stuff with trusted friends in advance. Hermetically sealed ammo battle packs can be cached anywhere, too, without incriminating your associates. Think forests, public parks, interstate rest stops, and other easily accessible locations. To make the above easier, we suggest we all pick a caliber and make that "freedom's round." .308 seems a good choice, and we see we're in good company. It may come to the point where we'll need to rely on each other; that will be a lot easier if there's one basic round that's used most often. If you agree, help spread the idea. A common caliber also has the advantage that friends can effectively "cache" ammo for one another, and save money, by pooling resources and having one person make a bulk purchase for the group. .308 is the preferred round, but if .22 is what you can manage, it shouldn't be ignored. It does have tactical applications. And .22 ammunition is cheap, readily available, and small enough to allow bulk quantities to be stashed easily. Come to think of it, next month offers a great opportunity to stock up. Think ahead. Have a bugout plan, secure comm channels, emergency codes, and similar things worked out in advance with your allies. Consider a "dead man switch" duress code. Use an anonymizing service like ID Zap to mask your steps to open an anonymous email account with a webmail service such as Yahoo. Then pre-set your vacation auto-responder message to begin sending duress replies to friends trying to reach that account after a pre-determined time interval, unless you periodically reset the timer. If you should be detained by thugs, you don't need to do a thing. You being unable to reset the auto-responder (which is untraceable to you, so the thugs won't know to reset it), it will begin alerting your associates automatically. But so long as you are free, just remember to keep moving up the date that the auto-response begins. Once the duress notice gets out, the goons won't be able to use you -- or fake your on-line electronic identity -- to entrap your associates. If someone comes to you unexpectedly asking for help, make things easier on him by not asking a lot of questions. That will help protect both of you. Likewise, if you need help, offer no more information than is required. If neither of you are comfortable with this lack of data, you're in the wrong place. Develop trust, but place that trust carefully. Plan for the worst. If you want personal property to be given to specific individuals in the event you go missing or are killed, draw up papers and distribute them to trusted individuals. These people should know to check your duress auto-responder mail account, too. Disguises can be your friend, or even a lifesaver. Halloween is the perfect time to stock up on wigs, makeup, fake scars & tattoos, etc. Don't forget hair dyes, or the bald look. Go to secondhand clothing stores for clothes that are not your usual style (or size). Practice various looks well in advance of your need for them. You may need to adjust your technique slightly depending on your disguise, but it shouldn't interfere with the mission. Be careful of overdoing it with makeup; unless you have a lot of experience, you can end up making yourself even more obviousl via the Tammy Fay effect. Drastically changing your appearance is tough. You may have better luck with masking a blatant identifying feature (scar, mole, etc), or adding some distracting feature that draws attention away from your natural features. If you must use Halloween makeup, pick the components carefully; most of it isn't terribly realistic. Stage makeup offers a great selection, but stage makeup techniques are meant for the harsh lights of the stage, not ordinary sunlight. If you are concerned about cameras feeding facial recognition systems, consider the airport tests in Florida: Test subjects were able to successfully generate false positive identifications of other people simply by holding photographs of those others in front of their own faces. Osama bin Laden made regular appearances at the airport during the testing period. Do your homework now. Decide how you want to be active, learn all you need to, and be as prepared as possible for any contingency. Once committed to the path, never, never, ever forget for a moment that what you are doing is as honorable as what the many uncompromising freedom activists who've gone before you have done. Never forget that many are behind you, applauding you, and supporting you, even if you feel more alone than you ever have. ________________________________ Comment on this article View all comments on this article ________________________________ Did you like this article? Please consider rewarding the author's hard work with a donation. Don't have PayPal yet? ________________________________ Please rate this article! Knowing what you like will help us provide the content you want. Bad Poor Average Good Excellent If there's anything specific you'd like to say about this article, please do so here. Comments may be used in an upcoming Letters to the Editor.