Reasons to be prepared for...

Well, Anything.
I know many of you probably seen the many reports and videos from the craziness on Black Friday. Now just imagine if they same idiots were waiting for everyday staples and not just $2.00 waffle makers and other crap.

We had pepper spraying, fist fights, shootings, thief, strong-arm robberies for video games and TV's. I wonder what it would have been like if they were waiting to grab the last loafs of bread and eggs?

No, I don't "wonder". I think I have a pretty good idea.

WalMart Wars: Black Friday Bomb Threats, Shootings, Stunnings, and Sprayings

Reports from across the country show that a disproportionate number of arrests, fights, shootings, and other acts of Black Friday violence occurred at WalMarts. The following is a list of most -- but probably not all -- of the incidents that occurred at stores belonging to the world's largest retailer.

Black Friday 2011 sales events were marred nationwide at WalMart stores by reported acts of violence, threats of violence, police interventions and arrests. Although WalMart does not have a monopoly on the occurrences, they do seem to have more than their fair share. The giant retailer operates over 3800 stores nationwide, not to mention 600 Sam's Club locations, and its annual Black Friday sales events have become traditional. Unfortunately, so has the violence. On the brighter side, however, although there were a number of bomb threats, shootings, stunnings, and sprayings, nobody was killed.

This year. With increased security and remaining open, WalMart escaped repeating the conditions that resulted in the trampling death of a temp security guard in Long Island, N. Y., in 2008.

To alleviate the press of crowds, WalMart was one of the nation's retailers that not only spaced out their doorbuster sales, they also started their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving night.

And the manic rush to get sales items at discounted prices still led to this:

Bomb Threats Hit Home:

Three WalMarts in three states -- Colorado, Missouri, and Arkansas (in the chain's home town of Bentonville) -- received bomb threats, according to USA Today.

Black Friday Shootings On Both Coasts:

In a WalMart parking lot in San Leandro, Calif., a man was taken to the hospital after being critically wounded in a shooting incident when he and his family were confronted by four individuals demanding they turn over their new purchases. The Los Angeles Times reported that a scuffle ensued when the demand was not met. One of the accosters drew a gun and the man was shot. One suspect, not the gunman, was wrestled to the ground by the man's family members and detained for arrest. The man was later treated and reportedly in stable (but critical) condition.

Across the country in Myrtle Beach, S. C., a woman was shot in the leg as she and her male companion exited a WalMart. The man was slugged in the head before the woman was shot. The attackers ran off after another Black Friday shopper brandished a firearm.

Stunned and Tasered, Subdued and Arrested:

In Milford, Conn., police were forced to stun a male customer and arrest him after an assault took place at the store's electronics department. The man was in line to buy video games.

Also in Connecticut (Southington), a 32-year-old man was tased when he cut line ahead of about 20 people at a checkout stand and subsequently refused to return to his former position in line. He then resisted police efforts to detain him for breaking the peace. He was subsequently tased and arrested.

An unruly man was tasered and arrested by police in Florence, Ala., for public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. The man reportedly had to be tased twice to get him under control.

Pepper Sprayed -- From Customers And Security Alike:

In Porter Ranch, Calif., a woman trying to reach a stack of XBoxes ahead of her fellow customers resorted to pepper spraying them to gain an advantage. She was arrested after she turned herself in. She had pepper sprayed as many as 20 people; 15 reportedly were treated by local fire department personnel.

An off-duty police officer working Black Friday security in Kinston, N. C., pepper sprayed a crowd of people scuffling while trying to secure discounted smartphones. According to CNN, the incident resulted in one person was arrested.

More Black Friday Violence: Fighting, Rough-Ups, More Arrests, and The Obligatory Annual Trampling:

After a brawl in an electronics department in a Rome, N. Y., WalMart, two women were hospitalized and a man arrested.

Another man was arrested in Kissimmee, Fla., after a fight broke out at the jewelry counter.

In a Phoenix store, a 54-year-old grandfather was roughed up by police when they mistakenly subdued him for stealing. The man later explained that he had placed an item in his waistband so as to free his hands and get at more sales merchandise.

In what has become a WalMart tradition, a teen was trampled in Muskegon, Mich. His injuries were reportedly minor.

Of course all one has to do is look at what happened after Katrina and take heed.

A guy died here in a store in WV, and people passed right by and over him as he lay there. So sad.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/20...file_multiline

Family and friends were stunned by the loss of a West Virginia man who died while shopping on Black Friday as fellow bargain hunters reportedly walked around — and even over — the man’s body.

Family members told WSAZ-TV that 61-year-old Walter Vance of Logan County, W. Va., had become ill and collapsed while shopping for Christmas decorations inside Target in South Charleston. He later died after being taken to the hospital, family said.

Witnesses told the NBC News affiliate in Charleston, W. Wa., that shoppers walked around and even over Vance’s body.

"Where is the good Samaritan side of people?” Vance’s co-worker and friend Sue Compton told WSAZ. “How could you not notice someone was in trouble? I just don't understand if people didn't help what their reason was, other than greed because of a sale."

Vance had joined in the crowded frenzy of deal seekers at Target shortly after midnight on Friday. He had been searching for holiday odds and ends to complete his display at his newly remodeled workplace at Aracoma Drug Company store in Chapman, co-worker Annette Fortune told msnbc.com on Saturday.

“He was so excited about Christmas this year, he wanted everyone to enjoy the holiday he loved so much,” Fortune said.

Vance had been working at the Aracoma Drug Company store since he was 16 and later became its co-owner in the 1970s.

Friends say Vance had been suffering from heart problems for years and had open heart surgery in 2000, but his death came as a shock.

An E.R. nurse who also happened to be shopping at the store tried to administer CPR. She and an off-duty paramedic tried to help Vance while he was on the floor.

“The world lost a wonderful angel,” co-worker Beth Wright told msnbc.com, adding: “We lost our best friend and our best boss.”

Efforts by WSAZ and msnbc.com to reach Target for a statement was unsuccessful.

It's definitely a good idea to be prepared. And not just for end of the world, or SHTF scenarios, but even just for the regular life events that could befall any one of us. The loss of a job, etc. Self sufficiency is something we should all strive for, because the less we're dependant on the system, the less it's going to effect us when that system goes south. And at this point it's not a matter of IF it will, but WHEN.

Yep, that story was all over the news.....terrible.

First law of survival is to avoid places where there may be trouble involving your getting injured. And people will violate this basic common sense rule merely to save a few bucks on something they don't absolutely NEED? At Walmart, no less, for a bunch of crap made in China?

Makes NO sense to me at all.