Off Target - United Neighborhood Houses Of New York: Fill & Download for Free

These are the accounts of the Second American Civil War, also known as the Wars of Reunification and the American Warring States Period.After the breakup many wondered which states would come out in control of the power void created by the dissolution of the United States. There were many with little chance against several of the larger more powerful states. The states in possession of a large population, predisposition for military bases and a population open to the idea of warfare fared the best. In the long term, we would look to states with self-sufficiency and long term military capabilities.Here are the states that held the greatest strategic value from day one. They have the ability to be self-sufficient, economic strength, military strength, the will to fight and the population to support a powerful war machine.CaliforniaTexasNew YorkOthers that have many of the qualities that gave them an advantage are also listed.WashingtonColoradoIllinoisVirginiaFloridaGeorgiaFor all intents and purposes, Alaska and Hawaii ended well enough since they were so far removed from the center of the country that they never really suffer greatly nor benefit from the shattering.Day 12: "It's getting scary. My mom said we are going back to Oklahoma to stay with Grandma. The other day my dad was yelling at some men at the door. They seemed really upset. I held Jamie. She is still little. She's scared and doesn't understand what is going on. I am scared too. There are also some boys at school who keep picking on her and calling her an "Okie". We were both raised here, but I don't really think that matters. All the other families on my street have huge one-star flags hanging from their homes. I don't want to leave my house, but Mom says we have to go. The highways are packed with people. I wish things would just go back to how it was."The Diary of Sarah BrennanFirst came a period of massive migration back to the homelands. Facing the newly invented discrimination that will be created, many felt the need to go back to their own people. While the individual states retained all military assets, they couldn't control the individuals who fight. A Texas Marine stationed in California, would not fight for California. A soldier in New York would not fight against their home in Virginia, and a sailor in Houston would not fight against their home state of Florida. The warriors returned to their home states and the states had to reconsider that when they measured troop strength of their new nations. Ultimately, they measured troop strength by how much of the population would return home.After the migrations rough approximations left the states even, additionally, the balance of foreign nationals changed. At some point there was a migration of people back to their non-United States homeland. Over the next several months many from the North migrated to Canada and in the South to Mexico and South America. Millions of Latinos fled back South to the safety of their families and away from the looming danger of the war.Day 42: "Citizens of California are advised to stay away from the Mexican Border. In response to the recent surge of immigrants back to Mexico, authorities out of Mexico City have closed entry into the country. Agents from Tijuana are now manning armed sentries posted along the border. There have been scattered reports of refugees attempting to storm the gates being shot by soldiers on the Mexican side. It has also been communicated that the No Man's Land will be mined within the week and that Mexico will not be allowing any non-Mexican immigrants to enter the country from this point forward. Once again, we strongly advise all those wishing to leave the country to stay in their homes."Jennifer Aranda - Channel 14 NewsThe war was little more than a very tenuous peace for several months. The new nations were mostly focused on the reconsolidating of their forces and trying for quick grabs at resources that were easy to hold. Alliances were beginning to form as some of the smaller states sought to ally with known powers in the region.The first of what we would call real battles was mostly when some of the regional powers overtook mainly unmanned installations or took over now abandoned Federal assets.Day 63: "We are gathered here today as the inheritors of a lost legacy. Our nation has been lost to shattering and disarray. For that reason it is our duty to bring back our house to a structure undivided. When we arrived in the District we found it empty and abandoned. The monuments to our civilization watched silently over the broken halls of our once proud Capitol. We came to the District to bring back order. We have done this deed and now it is our charge to bring back the greatness of America and return her to her proud place of honor... We will do these things and we will do the others because we are a great people. We are Americans. We are VIRGINIANS!"Inauguration speech of President Anthony StokesThe first real occupation attempts happened when attempts were made to secure more assets.The Republic of Texas sought to gain strategic advantages in the Central United States. To do this they sought to gain two strategic assets. The first was control of Whiteman AFB, the home of the B-2 bomber program. The base was easily secured and the most coveted military bomber in the world was now in the hands of the Republic of Texas. The next was control of Colorado and her military installations of great value. Then finally was access to the Mississippi River. Two main offenses took place to do just that. The First Battle of New Orleans involved a massive force occupying the city to claim it as a port and artery for future engagements. In Colorado they met stiff resistance as many of the Texas military were unfamiliar with Mountain warfare. Colorado's major bases fell quickly since Colorado enjoys the smallest force to fight back the Texans, but they adapted an unconventional warfare stance that kept the Texans on edge for months. Still, at this point the mission behind taking Colorado was achieved--control over its military bases and strategic assets. The insurgency does however slow down the growth of Texas.New York pushed Northward. They pushed to claim all of New England and the food wealth they will need to supply their people now that resources from the Midwest are no longer available. The takeover is mostly peaceful as many of the states have large, but mostly non-military, populations. They encountered problems when large groups of refugees tried to flee to Canada and rioting ensued.Illinois was calm. The Midwest Alliance grew steadily by seeking to secure the Great Lakes. They were able to take Ohio through a few fierce, but brief encounters. They also took on Minnesota and the headwaters of the Mississippi River.The West coast was now controlled by the two main powers--California with its seat of power in San Francisco and The North West Union centered in Seattle. California gained support and took control of all the states West of the Continental Divide and South of the Union. The North West Union pushed as far as Wyoming.In the South, Georgia gained strength as Alabama and South Carolina joined. The leadership of Georgia advocated a return to confederalism as fanatics gain headway among the people. The Neo-Confederacy movement takes root and spreads throughout the Old South and rekindles a sense of unity among the states who engaged on the side of the Confederacy during the First United States Civil War. Peacefully they are able to convince Mississippi and Tennessee to also join. The growth of Confederate States puts an ever-growing pressure on Florida as it slips into isolation.Virginia took on the mantle of the Restored United States. They assumed the moral responsibility for reunification, and by taking Washington, they were able to secure much of the federal assets and infrastructure available to the country before the collapse. They then commandeered many ships and weapons housed overseas that weren't lost during the first two months of disarray. They began to gather support among the neighboring states and press their advantages-- intelligence, military strength and the symbolic leadership they held by holding D.C. One strategic advantage they wished to push was their economy. While the rest of the former United States was in complete economic disarray, Virginians' consistent use of the dollar provided a stability that others didn't have. They wished to solidify this with control of the nation's gold supply housed in a crossroads what was now a very desperate strategic region. After they peacefully brokered a treaty with Kentucky they received an attack on Fort Knox from forces located in Indiana.Day 112: "When we arrived at Knox we received heavy resistance from the defenders. Their fire was, for the most part, inaccurate and they lacked unit cohesion, so we found ourselves at an advantage. Not that we are much better off. We received intel that their units were something of a haphazard array of whatever Marines, Sailors, Soldiers or Airmen came out of the woodwork and they just threw them together and called it a unit, much like our own. Still they were professional warfighters. We were lucky they hadn't yet made it to secure the fort. Back to Knox. We were able to take the base. The fact was that the Kentucky defenders were mostly woodsmen and good-ol-boys from the South. More a militia reliving stories of the Old South than an army, but they fought like wild dogs. After a few hours their main line broke and they retreated back towards the center of the state. About halfway through the day we were able to break into the main buildings where the gold was supposed to be stored. Easily, it would be safe to say we were surprised at what we found. We arrived to find bloodstains in the main hallways and leading into the vault room. The trail faded and we see that the vaults are all completely empty. Every last bar, every last ounce is gone. All that is left are red stains all over the room and bullet holes riddling the walls that look like they could have happened months ago. Those hicks didn't even know they were guarding a giant empty building. Now the big question is...'So where is the gold?'"Log of Lt Col. Thomas Scott 2nd Raider Battalion Midwestern Alliance.At that time, the nations were coming together in larger groups. They had access to larger populations to support military strength, economic power to reach out and fund the state, food sources, and leadership.In the West, states along the coast received the most fighting. Washington began bombing San Francisco from the air to try and decapitate what became the center of California's leadership. Retaliation strikes from combined naval and air forces severally weakened Portland, Tacoma, and Seattle. California launched a two-pronged attack by sending in land forces up Interstate Highway 5 and Marines to attack from the North. Their mission was to enter Washington through the Salish Sea and secure Mt. Vernon, preventing escape of enemy forces. The Marines were by and large undetected and completed their mission successfully. The Californian army received shelling on their movement near the town of Cresswell, Oregon. They retreated back to the nearby town of Cottage Grove and secured the Airport there. A temporary air base was established and sorties began taking place, allowing for the immediate deployment of troops to the defense of Eugene. Casualties were high, but once California secured Eugene, the way was open to take Portland.Day 234: "I don't know what the Army is doing. We have been here holding the Canadian border for days and the Army still hasn't made it past Eugene. Just get it out. Burn the city to the ground. Mow them down. Just do your damn job. It's us or them. Make it happen for God's sake."Private First Class Anthony Sullivan - 1st Californian Marine RegimentIn the East, the Restored United States was crumbling. After the loss of their gold stores in Ft. Knox, the “RestoDollar” collapsed, taking with it the rest of their economy. Smugglers and bandits had moved in to provide whatever goods the people wanted, whether or not those goods were already banned within the nation. They needed to even the playing field by breaking the back of their most dangerous threat, the trade partnership between the New York City State, and the Midwest Alliance.Such a solution came through the plan brought about by one General David Meznick. The Meznick Doctrine called for the destruction of strategic economic assets in the North to weaken their ability to make war. Marches north cut railways, bombed bridges, and the greatest of these attacked on the infrastructure of the Great Lakes' shipping system. With the locks destroyed and the Erie Canal in ruins, shipping between Chicago and the outside world ceased. New York was cut from its most valuable resource, which was the hope of once again shipping America's goods to the rest of the world after the war.Deprived of many of their shipping lanes, the Midwest Alliance began to break as food and other supplies were unable to reach its people. Riots in Chicago began to erupt as the people accused the government of corruption, a fact all the more dangerous due to the overwhelming evidence to support the claim. With its end in sight, much of the Chicago legislature slipped out in the night and booked passage to places unknown on private planes. Left without leadership and provisions, the Alliance crumbled. The Texas Republic benefited most, filling the vacuum of the everything East of the Mississippi, with the Restored United States temporarily occupying the now ruined areas around the Great Lakes, before abandoning the mission to focus on policing actions within the ratified states.In the South, tensions between Florida and the Neo-Confederates reached their zenith. Troops took Tallahassee and were dug in along the Jacksonville-Gainesville Line. Florida was desperate. In a deal made in Houston, Florida agreed to join Texas if it was free to maintain its sovereignty in exchange for military support. With this, Florida and the forces staged in New Orleans attacked. The Jacksonville-Gainesville line was pushed back. Floridian forces moved with speed to besiege Atlanta as Texas occupied the city of Montgomery, Alabama. Texas and Florida forces converged on Atlanta and the siege went on for another month.No one really knows how, but a fire broke out in the city. Reports blame Texas shelling or Floridian sabotage, but most official accounts believe that it originated in an apartment complex where a family pried up floorboards to burn for heat during an remarkable cold winter. The fire spread to the rest of the neighborhood and, lacking their emergency infrastructure, parts of the city were overcome as the rest began to go into disarray. Texas forces secured the major areas of the city while Florida troops took charge of the relief effort for escaping refugees.The next hundred days were among the most peaceful of the war.The lines between the Republic of Texas and the Californian Union of Democratic States were now amassing troops and solidifying their positions. The Northwestern cities were in the processes of being rebuilt after California gained control as were the cities of Montgomery and Atlanta. Old forces of the losing states' armies were redistributed to victor nations. Texas held a tenuous peace with the Restored United States as they erected fortifications along the 36th parallel and western side of the Mississippi. California and Texas began building in unison a mass of fortifications on either side of the Continental Divide. Texas also enjoyed use of the river as shipping lanes now connected everything from the Midwest to the Carolinas. This eased the growing concerns of food shortage and redeployment of men.Most of the fighting was centered between the Restored United States (RUS) and New England Union (NEU). Control of Ohio and Pennsylvania changed hands a few times as the region sought stability. The war reached a turning point when a New York based flotilla made a decisive push to take Washington D.C. In response, a nuclear device was used on the fleet and all the ships, sailors and Marines on that mission were lost. The first active use of a nuclear weapon in more than half a century sent waves through the warring nation states. Other nations of the world grew terrified as they waited for the NEU's strategy. The worst fears came to pass when a weapon was exploded in Washington D.C. bringing down the powerbase of the Restored United States. Alarms across the world rang out as the RUS gathered itself and prepared to launch retaliatory strikes along the Eastern Seaboard. Before this came to pass a message from New York City came initiating their surrender. The device was set by a rogue general from New York. Fearing its own impending annihilation, New York City seceded from the Northeast to become its own independent city-state. The rest of New England issued their surrender and joined the Restored United States without incident. The Capitol was moved to Philadelphia.Day 647: "I can't believe Washington's gone. I mean, what are we even fighting for? There is nothing left that was the same. I swear I am starting to feel like all we are animals trying to survive, fighting over the scraps of our fathers. We all knew it was over when D.C. got smoked, but at least that didn't happen. Many of the men are still sure that NYC planned this out. Leave the rest to fight over the charred out ashes while they run from it all. I just don't know what to think. Now we are inheriting the Northeast and all its problems. They better be ready. Now Texas has us to the West and South along Carolina. Two years this has been going on and for what? I don't know how long we can keep this going."Log of Col. Thomas Scott 1st Marine Regiment Restored United States.During the next year the war reached a standstill. Maneuvers and deployments mounted the full force of all three nations. Tensions mounted as the borders grew more and more defended.Texas forces were spread thin. The Republic oversaw the largest territory and with it, the longest borders. Conflating their woes, Texas drew from the least population to support their military. The what the Republic lacked in numbers, it made up for with excellence. Elite Texas troops, composed of Texas citizens, led auxiliary forces of the highly militant neo-confederates, and thousands of independent militias and partisans. In the territories, one could also expect to encounter millions of armed individuals, ready to fight their own private backwoods battles to push back against enemy invasion.The Restored United States was a broken nation. The remains of ruined nation states, broken by the shattered disunity of Washington following the collapse were as much a liability as an asset. The economy was in shambles as Ft. Knox proved to be a well that ran dry. The former great state of New York was now missing its greatest source of wealth, income from the the Midwest and international access from New York City. A once idealistic and proud people became disheartened and disillusioned. The nation they had cobbled together was nowhere near worth what it cost them, nor what it had been before the collapse. Yet they still had to survive. There, a new national identity formed, one of sadness, regret, but just holding on to the last strands of hope for a return to when they were great.California was doing well, relatively speaking. Major cities showed the scars of war, but they enjoyed the time to rebuild and prepare. Their troops were many, but always a last priority to the generosity of their social policies, led by politicians who rarely took notice of the war beyond the Rockies when there was a greater one to be won at the ballot box. Poorly equipped troops manned defensive stations along the divide, slowly building up to match the fresh deployments of Texas regulars.Border tensions began to build until a small town skirmish in Wyoming escalated the war to its peak.Wyoming was split on both sides of the divide. A small portion of the Western edge of the state was cut off from the rest of Wyoming, mostly fending for themselves under the governorship of the distant San Francisco government. Near the division line were two towns, Green River and Rock Springs. Green River lay on the Western side. They also held the only viable water resource between the two. Since the war began, they were able to share, but after rationing was instituted by the Republic, Rock Springs began to need more of the water. Though neither truly identified as Texan or Californian, they were now forced to abide by laws of these two feuding powers. Rock Springs needed water. Green River was forced, however, not to abide. Officers from California were sent to enforce the policy to not aid the “enemy” in any form. After frequently being denied, leadership of Rock Springs went to the town and make a formal request with the officers at Green River. The officers took over the mayoral office of the town, where they officially denied Rock Springs' request for aid.One young man, Jeffery Irving, protested violently. A scuffle began in the office before the officers drew their sidearms. Two of the men of the Rock Springs’ delegation were shot, and Jeffery was killed in the office of the Green River courthouse. The next day citizens from Rock Springs came to the city and stormed the mayor's office. The two officers were barricaded in the office and requested for support from a nearby base. An hour later, troops arrived in the town. They discovered the office broken into and the officers murdered. The order was given to track down the perpetrators. California troops made their way to Rock Springs.In town, troops barricaded the main road where they began searching passing vehicles and taking people in for questioning. A crowd formed. Taunts and screams let out from the crowd as they grew more violent. A rock flew at one of the soldiers. A rifleman knocked a man to the ground with the butt of his weapon. Someone screamed as then a roar escalated among the crowd, until..."Crack."A gunshot echoed through the streets. The crowd scattered as people screamed. A soldier fell down beside the man on the ground. A lone gunman from one of the windows on Main Street. Another soldier began firing on the window; others fired at the remainder of the crowd. In a moment the entire crowd was under fire. They ran for the nearest building and anywhere for cover. As the firing stopped the lives of dozens of men, women and children lay frozen on the street. The detachment gathered themselves and left the town before a battle began between themselves and the townspeople. This was the Massacre of Rock Springs.Day 812: "When we arrived most the bodies were carried away. Some were lined along the street covered in sheets of white stained crimson. The town was in shock as our troops began filling the streets. Mothers were screaming with anguish as old men roared for action. There was talk of many of the men leaving an hour before we arrived to handle things themselves. I don't think they know what they're getting themselves into. We won't be able to assist them. I feel for these people. I am shocked with them. They are Texas citizens now and we let this happen. It won't go unavenged for long though. I haven't seen this many troops gathered like this since we took Atlanta. This is definitely going to be the big push we have all been waiting for to take California. All Hell is about to break loose. God protect us as we march on California."Journal of Sgt. Alexander McAnally 33rd Texas Infantry RegimentA massive invasion force gathered at Rock Springs. Six divisions of the Texas Army and the 1st and 3rd Marines were mobilized for the battle. In the morning B-2s from Whiteman AFB in Missouri began strategic bombing sorties against a number of Californian Union air bases. Conventional bombing missions were also launched. Suffering the greatest were bases near Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Air defense was launched from bases in San Diego, LA and Sacramento with relief forces in the North. Next came what was known as the battle over Nevada. Fighter squadrons met over the desert in many numerous engagements to gain air superiority. Texas was equipped with superior aircraft since they were the only power still investing heavily in improving their local manufacturing capabilities and advancing military technology. They also held the advantage of more experienced warfighters from the wars in the East. California was heavily invested in passive defense systems scattered throughout the desert. Their missile defenses tore heavily into the Texas planes. The air battle was by far the largest air battle in history with thousands of planes involved and hundreds lost to the skies. The fighters from Texas were able to protect bombers in raising the remaining defenses in Salt Lake and Las Vegas while severely damaging others in Los Angeles, San Diego and China Lake.The Battle of Salt Lake began the Land War. With the region softened, Texas mobilized forces invaded Northern Utah by way of the Forward Operating Base Rock Springs and following Interstate 80. They met fierce resistance in Salt Lake city. Sniper and rifle teams were thoroughly entrenched along with machine-gun nests. Five battalions of thoroughly entrenched Californian infantry were able to hold the city for three days against the overwhelming Texas forces while the air war continued over the sands of the Great American Desert. On the fourth day of courageous fighting the Californians retreated as relief troops arrived. The Texans were now dug into the hollowed-out shell of the former capital of Utah. From this point the Siege of Salt Lake lasted another three weeks.The battle continued. Texas reinforcements joined on day six. The battle intensified. Texas was the first to escalate. M.O.A.B. bombs were dropped and cleared away a great deal of California defenders. Texas movements quickly divided and overwhelmed the Californians. 6000 were lost and the Californians retreated back to Sacramento. Once Salt Lake was secured Republic forces moved on to Las Vegas. Vegas was easily secured after the battle of Salt Lake. Republic forces gathered in the desert city preparing for the push to Los Angeles. As the army moved out they destroyed the Hoover dam to prevent Las Vegas from becoming a strategic point again. This caused a surge in the Colorado river that destroyed the Davis, Parker and Imperial Dam systems as well. The region would become by modern standards a completely uninhabitable desert again.It was then that something unexpected happened. The Restored United States attacked in an unsuspected maneuver designed to strike when the Republic and Californian Union were entangled and spread thin. General Meznick again planned out a massive attack to take out the knees from under the Republic forces. His plan was to take out the port at New Orleans and land a decisive series of blows against Texas. As Republic troops moved out to Southern Nevada, covert agents blew the dikes holding back the flood waters from the Gulf. The city, its troops, its ships and resources were all flooded and in disarray. Air strikes and land forces were also made on the stations and bases along the Mississippi River, including Whiteman and the B-2's stationed there. Transport boats carried thousand to secure the bases along the river down to Baton Rouge. From there bombers cleared a path through to Beaumont, Texas, and on to Houston. Texas Defense forces scrambled to meet the invasion. With eyes to the West, few were prepared for an attack in the heart of Texas. Reserves from Dallas and Austin raced to Houston. The battle intensified. After the destruction of New Orleans, naval forces stationed in the Atlantic maneuvered to support the Texas invasion. Without the support of the New Orleans ships at port, the Republic Navy was overcome. Naval bombardment was laid down on the defenders in Houston, paving the way for the surgical team of RUS soldiers and the wave of troops following the river. The defenses were hindered by the sea of terrified citizens fleeing Houston. As shells rained down from the sea, chaos ensued. The city was going to be lost.With the loss of Houston imminent, Republic soldiers spread thin on two fronts, and the country severed down the spine of the Mississippi, Texas made a last desperate strike.It is believed the first city to fall was Chicago. Boston and Philadelphia came shortly after. At the same time, San Francisco and Seattle were lost. Retaliatory strikes claimed Austin, Houston, Atlanta and Oklahoma City. It is believed that many other cities were targeted for destruction, if not for the intervention of some unknown power.Four high-altitude nuclear devices were detonated over the former United States. These weapons showered the region with energized electrons that shorted the circuits of electrical devices in their target radius. Below is a graphic representation of what this blast did to the United States.Most of the country fell into regions of 50 to 80% damage, however considering overlap, historians assume that the damage was at least 90% to all of the continent and all its coveted luxuries were reduced to plastic and glass. This of course didn't stop at the devices themselves, but everything networked into the infrastructure was brought down as well.The four devices together were seen from various parts of the country. Their effects brought down all major computer systems, information networks, communication relays, and nearly all circuit-based technology on the continent. There is no official record of who fired the weapons. Any logs created were probably lost in the very blast they created. Many believe that it was a last ditch effort to limit the destruction of the United States in the event of Atomic Holocaust. Some believe it was due to international intervention. The world's final discipline upon them for what they were doing. Many of the religious groups who would come from this era believe it was the work of God, though they cannot agree whether it was a sign of his mercy or punishment upon a sinful nation. Whoever was responsible, the truth is that the devices probably stopped more bombs than actually went off that day, but they didn't protect anyone from the next five years. America was dark.Day 842: "I was out on the porch catching fireflies with Jamie on the night the lights went out. We caught a whole jar full when I saw a bright light come from the sky way far off in the North. Daddy screamed and jumped on us and he held me really close as we fell to the ground. The light grew really bright and then all of a sudden this wind crashed the field. The wind whooshed through like it was going to carry Daddy, me, and Jamie away. Then it went away. I looked up and the light in the sky faded away. I watched it dim until it turned to nothing. Then I looked around and realized I couldn't see anything. All the lights in the house went off. All the other houses did too. All the street lights were off and the whole town was dark. I asked Daddy what happened. "I don't know, Sweetie. We need to get back into the house before it gets too cold." I looked hard and tried to find a path back to the porch. Then I saw the light flicker on Jamie's cheek. The jar in her hand began to flicker and I could see the fireflies coming back to life. It wasn't much, but they were the only lights for miles and Jamie was all I could see."The Diary of Sarah BrennanDay 846: I don't know which is worse, the casualties we suffered at Salt Lake or the retreat back through the Sierra Nevadas. We lost the trucks and armor when all the comms and equipment went dead. We’ve been on foot since the California border. We are no longer being pursued. Perhaps they know how desperate we are. Or perhaps they are every bit as broken as we, limping back to Texas. I’ve reached the point where I no longer wish the hardship of my enemy, praying only that God will see fit to forgive us all our misgivings, and see us safely home.We have lost all contact with San Francisco. Everything’s gone silent. Even the locals we pass are in the dark. I fear all that awaits us beyond these mountains will be cities of ash. But I am trying to keep the men going. There must be some hope of a future worth getting back to if any of us hope to make it out of this pass alive. But I honestly don't know how we’re going to make it out of the mountains. The snow is thick and has reduced our pace to a crawl. There are days we make no more than a mile. Foraging is not meeting the nutritional needs of three battered divisions marching in winter. We have already lost as many men trying to get back to the base as we did in the battle.My greatest fear is that the men will begin to realize where we are. Why God would put us through all of this in the middle of the Donner Pass. Please Lord, don't let the men know what happened here, and by the mercy of the Heaven, don’t let them start getting ideas. Please Lord, just let us make it out the pass."Log of Lt. Joseph Ramirez, 3rd California Infantry RegimentAfter the collapse came the period historians remember as the American Dark Age.Five years passed. With all the infrastructural losses came a loss in leadership. The cities were deserted when the water, food, and power stopped coming in. Disease and pestilence took their place, moving in like a ravaging army. Towns like Ardmore, Oklahoma became overnight metropolises, taking in the flood of humanity escaping from cities like Dallas and the ruins of Oklahoma City. A local Indian casino from before the war, became a refugee camp for more than 60,000 people. The Oklahomans welcomed them warmly. There was no war then. There was no Texas, nor California and certainly no America. Now everyone was simply a survivor of the 2nd American Civil War.In the chaos of the collapse, micro-wars sprang up. With no government protection, towns and villages attacked one another for the scraps so civilization. Local Sheriffs declared themselves Generals of fifty-man armies. Much of the former United States fell into a feudal bid for power waging county against county and town against town, family against family. They fought battles over salt mines, cattle, clean creek water, or farmland.In the South a plague swept through the countryside. Many reputable reports indicate that it happened when the controls at the CDC in Atlanta were destroyed after the bombing or from the EMP. Others think the viralents were released on purpose. Genocides and ethnic cleansing also scarred the landscape in Chicago, Alabama, Miami, and Los Angeles.It was towns like Ardmore, Oklahoma that finally brought the people out of the dark. They rebuilt the agricultural backbone and got people back to work now that peace was assured through the destruction of the capacity to make war by the large nation-states. Veterans gathered to provide a unified defense force for the new agrarian cultures that built themselves out of the ashes. New farms were established and refugees built homes all along the landscapes.As famine no longer blighted the survivors, factories began to rise again. The infrastructure began returning as power was restored, transformers were replaced, networks were brought back online. As the towns became secure and prosperous again people moved back into the cities. Dallas, Sacramento, Columbus, and Richmond rose to become important regional powers again. The eyes of the nation looked to these cities as fears of the rekindling of the Unification Wars began to surface. Old hatreds and unresolved grievances lingered in the air.It was from Dallas that a movement started. One young girl led a peace movement from the heart of the former Republic of Texas.Day 2871: "This girl in Texas is calling for us to formally end the hostilities. I know it’s been years since anyone has fired a shot, and God only knows how much we’ve lost. I don't know if I could ever trust someone from Texas again, but she was just a girl when this whole thing started. It's not like she is to blame for anything, but it is just hard to get behind someone from down there. We are tired, there isn't anything left worth fighting for. If there is anything left it would have to be that this has to end before it all happens again."Sgt. Anthony Sullivan - California Civil Restoration AdministrationDay 2912: "Give this girl your support. What we did was criminal. As a people we destroyed what took great men hundreds of years to bring together. It took us less than two years to bring each other to the brink. We lost our greatest cities and our best people. For what? To throw away that which we were blessed with to create our own Hell on Earth? Now there is one of our own calling for repentance and recompense. Pray for her strength and success."Pastor Joseph RamirezDay 2945: "There's going to be a peace conference in New York City. They're back up and running for the most part. Hopefully we can do something good there. I will be part of the delegation from the RUS. We haven't thought of ourselves as that for years. Still, we have to go and let it be known that Columbus doesn't want any more fighting. We are more than this collection of third-world city-states that are built on the breakdown of our legacies. I hope this little girl from Dallas is more than hopes and dreams."Mayor Thomas Scott of ColumbusDay 2953: As the much talked-about New York City peace accords prepare to open, all the attention of the country is on this young woman from Oklahoma. She was one of the early people to flee with her family from Texas. She, with her father, mother and young sister, lived with family on a small farm in Southern Oklahoma. There they survived the conscription notices for service, the bombings, The Dark and the two-year winter.She took up work in an old cookie factory, now shelling pecans from local harvests for soldiers, then for survivors. After the Dark she administered relief efforts at a local Indian casino for refugees fleeing Texas. She was then given the task of finding the refugees on the local farms. She built up relief shelters to gather together aid to the refugees and give them jobs. Thousands knew her for her work and generosity. While still barely in her 20's she was instrumental in restoring Oklahoma City. When the lights came back online and grocery shelves were stocked again in Dallas, she was there. Pushed into local politics, she was a unifying force for the region.While in Dallas she championed a peace movement. Dallasites and Texans began to question if the war should continue, if their safety could be secured with the history of the war and Texas' role in it. She was the voice of reason in a sea of fears. She gained support from those she helped and her message spread across the Republic, and all the way to Columbus and Sacramento.Now leaders from across America are going to New York City and are meeting for the first time since the break-up of the United States to discuss a resolution to the failed Wars of Reunification. In her honor, the much talked about Brennan Treaty will be presented to the delegation, ratified and hopefully pass within the week. Here's to hope and to Sarah Brennan.Jennifer Aranda - New San Diego Union Tribune- EndSources:List of U.S. states and territories by populationList of countries by number of military and paramilitary personnelJohn Burgess's answer to Which states commit the most troops to the US Military?United States Armed ForcesJon Davis's answer to Hypothetical Battles: If every nation in the world allied and attempted to invade and conquer the United States, would they succeed?All the other answers on If every state of the USA declared war against each other, which would win?I was also inspired by watching some of my favorites on human nature and warfare Hotel Rwanda and Red Dawn. Just be thankful I didn't rewatch the documentary series "Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State."Liked this? You might also like my YouTube Channel. You can also connect with The War Elephant on Facebook. If you want to help me make more content like this, please visit my Patreon Page to find out more.

Last night (June 2, 2020), in my city, there were rumors of an imminent riot. All weekend, event promoters were organizing on Facebook, and promising to smash store fronts and light police cars on fire.On my walk this morning, this was the 7-Eleven near my house:Well. That got real, awfully fast.Now, my significant other is a true liberal, and she hates guns. Despises them. Absolutely despises.No one should have them!They kill people!Police, they’re okay of course.And the military too!Okay, maybe not “no one”, but there should be an extremely rigorous screening and background check process and lengthy mandatory training!And she doesn’t want to hear anything to the contrary. No, sir.She knows I’m a firearms enthusiast and, in the before time, hunting and target shooting were some enjoyable hobbies.So, I told her the the day before that there were rumors percolating about riots near our quaint New England neighborhood. And some less-credible rumors that people were being bussed up from Boston and New York to break things. Whatever the reality is, the murmurs are that some people are coming to town with some evil intentions.Now, I grew up near the Detroit area. Have lived in D.C. and NYC. And I tried to tell her that when these things happen—when the perception of law and order break down—some people stop behaving rationally. They may see opportunity and feel motivated to harm people or property due to the perceived lack of consequences. In those circumstances, the police will not help you. There simply aren’t enough of them. It’s our job to defend ourselves.SO, we need to review our safety plan ASAP and discuss how we will handle any unfortunate events which may unfold and may be dangerous to life and limb. Are the fences secure? Can the driveway be blocked? Are all the windows secured? Have we removed any large landscaping rocks and bricks out front? If somebody enters, what do you do and where do you go? etc.The very first thing she says is, “Should I go buy a gun?”I stopped. And chuckled to myself a bit.“You can’t buy a gun.”“Why not?”“Because as far as the government is concerned, you are a resident of New York, and all your identification shows exactly that. Federal law prohibits you from purchasing a gun in a state in which you don’t reside. Wait, no. You could purchase it, but you can’t touch it. The gun must first be shipped to your home state. So, it would be pointless.”“But I live here. There are no waiting periods.”“But the background check system doesn’t know that. And no law-abiding gun seller is going to look at your New York ID and let you walk out with a gun.”“… so I need to get someone else who is a resident of this state to buy them for me?”“No. That’s a ‘straw purchase’ and it’s a federal felony. If you do that and get caught, it’s up to 10 years in prison. And you lose your gun rights for the rest of your life.”“Wtf?”“Yeah. You could buy from a private seller, if you can find one. Luckily, there’s no universal background check system. If there were a universal background check system—and you wanted to obey the law—you would still be denied. Because your data is all wrong in database.”“Yeah, but can’t I just get it changed?”“Not before you need to.”Now, Second Amendment supporters are—on some level—probably laughing at this situation.And they should: laughter eases stress and anxiety. And it is slightly humorous, to see someone confronted with the real-world consequences of their positions. But really, this is quite serious.[Caution: this video shows a business owner in Rochester, New York being beaten by a group of rioters.]The Second Amendment exists so that you can protect yourself, your family, the community, your state, and your country.Progressives—very intentionally—want to deprive you of this sacred, constitutional right which our ancestors fought tooth-and-nail to make their political overlords respect it. No longer could king and captain arm the commoners, send them off to fight in their wars, then disarm them upon returning home—leaving them to predation by animals, bandits, and the king’s own minions. As if there were any practical difference in the end result.All societies are stratified—in various ways—by power relationships. And access to firearms tends to equalize power among its individuals. Those person with more power have a strong tendency to violently oppose—whether by politics or arms—anyone else trying to become their equals.This narrative has persisted for thousands of years. It’s never going away.In the U.S., we inherited these rights. We guard them jealously. But gun control groups have spent several billions of dollars over many years to condition you, modern citizen, to give up this fundamental right that is yours by birth. Bit by bit, piece by piece.“It’s so outdated, why would I ever need it?”“They’re only made to kill, why would I ever want one?”“Only responsible people should have guns.”“We just want reasonable gun control!”“If you have a firearm, that’s proof you want to harm someone!”“Europe doesn’t need guns! Why can’t we be more like Europe?”So much privilege to be checked.Relevant to the causes of the recent protests and riots, never forget what Malcolm X said about the Second Amendment (jump to 2:35):And remember that federal firearm control in the United States began as a progressive measure to disarm the black community. To weaken them, to keep them defenseless, so their demands could be further marginalized and ignored.One again, the same old saga of power. Forbid them arms. And arrest them for having the audacity to want to protect themselves and their communities.If or when the day comes when you finally personally understand: “Being ‘allowed’ to have the most effective self-defense tool ever created is a really good idea”……Look, I’m an atheist. And I’m not fond of quoting the Bible, but I do find it has some pearls of wisdom. And there’s a certain warning given after the Jews repeatedly asked that their rights and freedoms be give up for their safety:“When that day comes, you will beg for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you on that day.”Say that out loud, all dramatic-like. That’s some stone-cold Samuel L. Jackson shit.If you throw away your protections today and forget why they exist, when you eventually need them, it will be too late.And that is why conservatives fight so hard for the long game.“But this is an isolated incident--”Did I stutter?Now, I included the above story (and rant) to show you very specific, timely issue with universal background checks.Whew. Now, the basic arguments?You shouldn’t have to ask the government’s permission to exercise a constitutionally protected civil right.Guns are cheap, prevalent, and simple to manufacture in a home garage. It’s impossible to implement a universal background check. That’s just a propaganda phrase to make low-information voters think “all the bases are covered.”Criminals who want guns don’t give a damn about background checks. It’s extremely easy for a criminal to buy a gun. I have a non-violent criminal conviction on my record; for the rest of my life, it is illegal for me to purchase or possess a firearm. Yet, within a day, I could very easily go buy several firearms if I wished to. If some person wants to, there is literally nothing you can do to stop her from obtaining a firearm. And that’s the hard reality that many people just can’t seem to accept. It’s just this weird thing where some people on the Left acknowledge the failure of trying to control things like marijuana, but they expect it to be different for guns. Do you think universal background checks for marijuana would work? C’mon.Universal background checks which bureaucratically interfere with law-abiding citizens attempts to exercise their rights encourage law breaking. See above story.A universal check system isn’t really needed. For decades, private sellers have asked to be able to run private background checks. Federal Democrats (led on this issue by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY) refuse to allow it. Because it would defeat the reason for a universal background check system. Maybe before you try to impose something like a universal check, you should just try expanding the existing system so the people who are actually trying to use it, can.Some other interesting content for your reading pleasure:Considering all the nuclear waste, why is nuclear power considered clean? - Science Grok!Murder Hornets Have Invaded the United States - Science Grok!Why are oil prices negative? - Science Grok!

Few cities anywhere on earth are truly walkable. Individual neighborhoods tend to be pretty walkable, even in the United States. But if you want to go walk all the way across Paris, Buenos Aires, Delhi or Beijing, good luck with that.Walkability is definitely a problem in parts of the U.S., but it’s mostly a problem in suburbia and places west of the Mississippi, in cities and towns that grew up around the reality of the car… and also around the enormous spaces of the American West.I hate to always go on about Europe on Quora, but let’s contrast it for a second. Most travelers are only familiar with the charming historic cores of European cities, which are walkable and relatively small for good historic reasons. (Beyond those touristic cores, European cities are often not all that walkable, either.) Some European cities were built behind medieval walls for defensive purposes. (The only U.S. city I can think of that was originally built behind a defensive wall is New York — Wall Street was up against an old Dutch palisade — but beyond that, we weren’t too concerned about Jinghiz Khan rolling over the horizon, not even Crazy Horse or Geronimo. We just spread out. Except for some Western military outposts, we didn’t need to bundle together for safety.) It’s the same in Canada. I’ve never been to Australia, but I doubt it’s different down there.Most U.S. cities used to be a lot more neighborhood-based, and were therefore extremely walkable. Pittsburgh, for example, until very recently — arguably even now — was/is an extremely neighborhood-based city (including, charmingly, “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.”) Millvale, Lawrenceville, Greenfield, Squirrel Hill, Polish Hill… these were all pretty distinct places, and a lot of people rarely left their own neighborhood. Because some of these were ethnic-based, people stayed in their own neighborhood even more. They had everything they needed there: grocery stores, doctors, public schools, parish churches, parish schools, jobs, butchers, funeral directors, sometimes even cemeteries. They were pretty much self-contained. And few people back then had cars. Didn’t need ‘em. Pittsburgh can be a provincial place, but it wasn’t much different in New York or Chicago. (You could certainly live your entire life in Brooklyn and never leave.) I think probably all Eastern and Midwestern cities had distinct neighborhoods, “islands within the city.” Even some Western cities had this. (San Francisco’s Chinatown or Little Italy.)Cars and out-of-control capitalism caused that world to break down. Supermarkets caused corner groceries to go out of business. They couldn’t really compete. Cars gave people mobility. Cars also required big parking lots. Tell me where you’re going to build a parking lot and a Target on Polish Hill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. You’re not. Target is in Homestead, up the river, on a flat flood plain, for a good reason.Cities like Denver, L.A., and Phoenix — hell, even cities that “seem” older but aren’t, like Minneapolis (founded 1867) or Chicago (population 4,000 in 1840) — are mostly built around the reality of the automobile, or at least of trains and streetcars (when streetcars existed). This surprises some people, but most buildings in Phoenix, Arizona, were built after 1980. I wouldn’t be surprised if most buildings in Minneapolis, Minnesota, were built after 1950. The 1950s and certainly the ’80s were deep into the history of automobiles. Phoenix just didn’t need to be built around pedestrians. (And in the intense Arizona heat, or in Minnesota’s hyperborean cold, most reasonable people don’t want to walk outside if they have access to a car.)Cars used to be very cheap, and they were mostly produced in cities like Detroit. If you had a job in a factory that made cars, it was almost guaranteed that you were making enough money to buy one. People also wanted big yards. Space. A lot of them were tired of living in cramped conditions, which (in industrial American cities and old medieval European cores) were usually filthy beyond belief). If you had the chance to move out to spacious, green suburbia, most people thought that was an attractive prospect. Fifty or 100 years later, when urban air quality and public sanitation have dramatically improved, suburbia bores us to tears. But our grandparents thought suburbia was “nice.”What could we change?City planners have taken plenty of wrecking balls to earlier incarnations of American cities for decades. If you look at how many neighborhoods have been completely redesigned, or destroyed and replaced, even in young towns like Minneapolis (the city that existed here in 1900 is virtually gone), it’s incredible. So, there’s actually no excuse for not redesigning our cities again and making them more walkable. But a lot of things have to happen. Primarily we need shopping within walking distance from houses.Public transit will never fly in the U.S. People who think this is going to take off have their heads stuck like ostriches in the sand. Taking city buses and light rail is time-consuming, annoying, often dirty and obnoxious. A much better way to create walkability is just to re-zone cities and allow small corner groceries and other businesses to sprout up within 5 blocks or so of people’s houses, and give people the loans or even the grants to make it happen.If you require walkability, move to a walkable neighborhood. They’re around. When I lived on the Isthmus in Madison, Wisconsin, I had everything I needed within 20-minutes’ walking distance. I have a car, but I almost never drove it in Madison. I never had to bus, so that was even better. If I needed to go a little farther, the essential parts of Madison are contained enough that it’s also bikeable. But it’s also a damn lot colder in Wisconsin for a third of the year than it is in, uh, Barcelona. Some people aren’t up for walking even two blocks in that cold. But finding a walkable neighborhood — and even better, finding a job in that walkable neighborhood — means that you can avoid driving in icy conditions.It’s not that these areas don’t exist in the U.S. But don’t look at a city-wide level. Zoom into specific neighborhoods, and move there.