Should progressives be buying guns and gas masks?

Discussion Prompt:
The last decade has made many of us feel insecure in the stability of our society and government. The COVID pandemic exposed the fragility of supply chains, and instead of bolstering public health systems, we have a conspiratorial nutcase at the top of our public health systems. Political violence has become more common, and our wannabe dictator pardoned the January 6th rioters, making it clear that he will use all the power of the federal government to protect those who do violence in his name. Democratic norms have weakened in many countries, including the United States, and the regime is doing everything it can to shred our constitution. And we are going backward on climate change, while natural disasters are becoming more frequent and severe. And now we have to worry about AI bringing about chaos and calamity.

We don’t know what the future holds. After all, every generation faces challenges that seem unprecedented. Maybe this too shall pass, but these developments would seem to justify serious concern.

“Preppers" are often portrayed as conspiracy theorists, survivalists, or extremists stockpiling food, weapons, and underground bunkers while waiting for society to collapse. Today, however, some preparedness has become mainstream. Many people keep emergency food and water, maintain disaster kits, or have backup power for hurricanes. Others are going much further: taking firearms training, buying gas masks or body armor, learning emergency medicine, strengthening digital security, or making plans to relocate if political conditions deteriorate.

This raises difficult questions for secular humanists and progressives. We generally value evidence-based decision making and resist fear-driven thinking. But we also believe in confronting reality as it is rather than as we wish it to be. If the risks are real, prudence may require preparation. If the risks are exaggerated, preparation can become expensive, isolating, or even self-reinforcing.

So let's discuss:

• How much preparation is rational in uncertain times?
• Should progressives be buying guns and gas masks?
• Where is the line between reasonable preparedness and paranoia?
• What kinds of emergencies are realistic enough that everyone should prepare for them?
• Is building personal resilience more important than building resilient communities—or are both necessary?
• Does preparing for worst-case scenarios make us more responsible citizens, or does it encourage fear and pessimism?
• How should evidence—not ideology or emotion—shape our decisions about preparedness?
• If you believed there was a genuine risk of democratic collapse or widespread political violence, what preparations, if any, would be ethically justified?

Preparing for uncertain futures has always required balancing probability against consequence. Some risks are unlikely but catastrophic. Others are common but manageable. As secular humanists committed to reason and evidence, how should we decide what level of preparation is rational—and when does preparing for the worst become an obstacle to living well in the present?

Let's explore these questions together.

***All participants are asked to familiarize themselves with and agree to follow our code of conduct.

When & Where:
The forum is on Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 6:30 pm in Community Room A at the Keith Summey Library, located at 3503 Rivers Ave in North Charleston.

You can bring dinner! We are allowed to have food and drink inside the community room at the library (we just can’t have heat sources). Since we are meeting around dinner time, we invite people to bring take-out dinner or snacks. We also have the space from 6 pm, so welcome people to come early to socialize before we begin the discussion.

About the group:
The Freethinkers' Forum is a monthly gathering facilitated by the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry to discuss topics of interest to freethinkers, atheists, agnostics and other non-religious people. The purpose of these gatherings is to foster respectful dialogue of interesting and intellectually stimulating topics. The focus is discussion and so we will not have speakers.