My mother, who survived a brutal civil war as a teen, has been extremely spooked lately.
Hey everyone, I’m 22F and new to this sub, but I wanted to share something that’s been weighing on me.
My mom survived a brutal civil war when she was a teenager/young adult in the East Africa /Middle East. She watched her once, liberal, secular country collapse over a decade, slowly at first, then all at once. She saw her older brother and uncles killed in front of her. My father, who was in the northern part of our country, survived an ethnic genocide where ~200k men, women, and children were slaughtered over eight years.
Growing up, my mom always made sure we had our passports renewed, licenses updated, and some emergency gold on hand. But lately, she’s been doubling down, reminding my siblings and me that things didn’t fall apart overnight where she grew up. It started with small shifts, then escalated into something unimaginable.
Now, both my parents are spooked. Their immigrant friends, people who’ve lived through war, authoritarianism, and collapse, are all on edge. My older sister already moved her family out of the U.S.
If you’re a prepper, just know that the people who’ve been through it before are seeing the writing on the wall. Maybe it won’t happen tomorrow or even in the next few years, but when books start getting banned it’s time to pay attention.
Simple things I’ve been doing/done:
• My entire family has renewed our passports and IDs and made copies of all our important documents.
• Got an IUD (just in case).
• Keeping my mouth shut about politics—my mom’s biggest rule. Example: Keeping your mouth shut most of the time ≠ not standing up for what’s right. Like, don’t talk about politics at work when you no longer have DEI protections or the ability to file civil rights cases. 1+1, people.
• Buying gold whenever possible.
• Stocking up on essentials—beans, flour, and rice.
• Learning and preparing water purification methods.
- Not keeping all my money in the bank, I’ve been pulling out cash slowly