For generations, survivalists have stressed the importance of preparing for catastrophes: natural disasters; nuclear war; civil war; government persecution.
Considering human history, this is a smart move. It is realistic to prepare for emergencies ranging from food shortages to anarchy in the streets. I personally do not take a “doomsday” outlook, and am not obsessed with the world ending. But I do know this: bad things happen. If you are not prepared for them, then you could suffer greatly. If you are prepared, you could persevere and even triumph.
Preventing yourself from getting violently attacked is a good example.
People like to delude themselves into thinking that something violent could never happen to them. That their world couldn’t fall apart. That those things happened back in history, or in some other country. That only people who live in “bad neighborhoods” get mugged or raped.
Or that the government wouldn’t turn against them.
The fact of the matter is that your “good neighborhood” could turn pretty bad, pretty quickly. Very often, it’s the politicians and party officials that turn things sour. When they do things like create gun-free zones; maintain open borders; turn criminals back onto the streets; etc., they are creating an environment in which dangerous people thrive, and innocent people are endangered. You could be the most spiritual, God-fearing, and do-Gooding person on the planet, but that is no guarantee the mass shooter at the mall won’t nail you when you are simply buying new shoes.
You could also own five guns, or be a supreme martial arts master, and none of this will do you any good if laws are passed to confiscate guns, and to prohibit “dangerous” practices.
So, it’s a good idea to get our bunkers ready, and form our support team. On top of that, we have to fight the cultural and political forces that oppress us.
Rule number one in self defense is situational awareness. The fact of the matter is that your “situation” is heavily influenced by your political and legal environment. A bad law may not be life-threatening like a bad guy with a knife, but it very well could lead that bad guy to your doorstep.