These are things that we would rather not have to deal with! First we thought September 11 woke everybody up to the realization that they needed to be able to protect themselves in an emergency, and then there was Hurricane Katrina, where many people reported needing to defend themselves. But, in addition to these major disasters, every day across the country there are people who need to protect themselves with something, whether it's a person who needs their concealed carry firearm or a runner who has to use doggie mace.

Yes, it is a good idea to be prepared. We don't worry much about whether someone else thinks we have alarmist fears, we just make sure that we have the right self defense tools to do the job in the event that for some reason we need to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our property.

Before we go on about self defense, risk and self protection, we want to make sure you know that here at PersonalSecurityZone.com, we are not trying to capitalize on anybody's fears. We are just in the business of providing the widest possible selection of self defense and shooting sports products, at the best possible prices, and it's up to you to decide to be prepared, and how you will do it. We also think that participation in shooting and self defense sports is the best way to develop your skills, and we hope that each and every one of our customers will only have to use their self defense and marksmanship skills Just For Fun.

But we know better. We've got many police, military and just-plain-folks for customers who see the need to be involved in self defense and other protection efforts, in the US and overseas, and we do our best to supply them all with best products at great prices.

It feels kinda strange to reflect on how some made light of those Xtreme Tactical Guys and Survivalists, who were sometimes the butt of jokes and teasing, before Katrina or other latest news stories! Before these disasters and attacks, we all watched the news about remote countries with natural disasters, terrorism or just a lot of crime, but most of us never really believed that we would ever have to deal with events like these on a personal level. For that matter, we never even wanted to think much about doing anything to protect ourselves at all. Our world today just seemed so secure and safe.

Even though we saw news stories about crime, most of us liked to believe that we would ever have to protect our own selves. Many of us even developed the idea that things like firearms and personal protection devices were merely remnants of an obsolete and less-civilized past. Surely, our world was a much safer place, at least in our own Polyanna new-age view.

But, the tragic events of Katrina and September 11 changed all of that forever. Even those of us who do not feel directly threatened by terrorism are thinking more realistically. We now realize that our world includes unwanted realities. We no longer feel false security when we travel, or when we walk the streets, or even in our own homes.

Even those of us who may not have personalized the aftermath of the hurricane or tragic attack of September 11 are impressed when we learn that, as John R. Lott Jr. has noted, there are some 2 million defensive gun uses in the United States every year. (The National Review, March 11, 2002)

Therefore, we have all become more alert to risk.

And, we are interested in ways to manage our exposure to unwanted realities or risks, such as being attacked. We want to be as prepared as possible and to know that we have done everything possible to insure the safety of our families in a worst case scenario. We would like to build our own Personal Security Zone!

It is our philosophy at Personal Security Zone that preparedness makes us stronger and our fears weaker.

This Personal Security Guide presents many precautionary measures that you can follow, supplies that you can assemble and have ready, and actions that you can take to minimize your risk and increase your personal security in the event of a crime or catastrophic event.

Please note that the aim of this guide is to provide useful information and not to alarm or promote fear mongering. In fact, it is our philosophy that the development of Personal Security Skills and the collection of Personal Security Tools may be serious, but it can also be fun!

For example, serious fun includes activities like playing with walkie talkies with your children, who may need to know how to use them to communicate for more vital reasons someday. Another fun activity involves sharpening your marksmanship skills at the shooting range, which gives a feeling of competency and pride of achievement, and also makes you less vulnerable to personal attack.

So let's get started on building a Personal Security Zone of your own.

Important Legal Disclaimer: This guide is intended as a reference volume only, not as a medical manual. While the information is based on material provided by research and testing, the guide does not presume to give medical advice. Be sure to consult your physician before you begin using any medication or course of medical treatment.