Looking For Handouts

I don't get it................
If you were to come into my house during hurricane season you could look around and find the pretty close to the following items.
5 flashlights
10 candles that will burn for 7-10 hours each
2 lighters
6 gallons of water
6 pitchers that will hold a gallon of water
1 full ice bin with an ice chest ready to hold 12 gallons worth of ice.
3 non electric can openers
1 full tank of propane for the grill
1 mini canister of propane for a portable grill
28 cans of soup, pasta, chilli, and meats
10 cans of fruit
5 bottles of soda
2 weeks worth of cat food ( for the cats and ferrets of course)

Now I figure if a hurricane hits and I don't need to evacuate....this should get me, my son, and the critters through at least 2 weeks. By then, hopefully, there will be access to food and water elsewhere, or I have the opportunity to get out of Dodge. Its not that hard to plan, and its not that hard to keep those supplies around. If a hurricane hits, I have to be prepared to take care of myself and my family. It is my responsibility. I figure if the electricity goes out, then we start on the food in the fridge first......cook it on the grill and eat away. Next is the freezer since that will actually keep for a few days, then the canned food. Some things will actually require some prepping........ like making ice, filling the water pitchers etc, but its not like you don't get enough warning these days. The forecasts are reasonably accurate, sometimes to my amazement. Now if I am told to evacuate.......I am boarding up my windows (plywood is stored) packing up the afore mentioned supplies, irreplaceable mementos, important papers, the kid and the critters and heading out........way out......... Possibly to my brothers in SC or to my fathers in VA.

So why is it that so many people don't prepare and figure they will wait for government handouts, such as food, water and ice? 2 days after the hurricane and people are whining because they have to wait hours and hours in line for the basics..... did they not prepare? Did they not read the paper, see the television, or listen to the radio? All which were saying a hurricane was coming and for how many days did Florida painstakingly wait for it to turn from Mexico and come this way? Hellooooooooo??? Why did all these people in South Florida have less than a 2 day supply of provisions? What if the storm had been as bad as Katrina and made the roads impassable. What if the relief trucks couldn't get through for a week or more? What would these people have done? Most importantly, when did it become the governments responsibility to bail us out.? I always though it was help and relief that the government provided..... not support. Can you imagine these people living in Guatemala? Americans are becoming soft and losing their self sufficiency. Whatever happened to taking care of yourself. I guess that went out with the days of being responsible for your own actions.

I guess that those of us that find strength in ourselves, think for ourselves and take care of ourselves are a rare breed.