FEMA’s Flagrant Failure in North Carolina
The greatest threat to your freedoms right now is in your hometown.
Now Is The Time For Good Men To Get Angry
Hurricane Helene’s deadly aftermath has exposed severe threats to our freedoms and a dangerous misconception among the people about the scope and purpose of our federal government. It has become far too familiar to hear American citizens say, “When is the government coming?” Contrary to popular opinion, the sovereignty of The United States of America is not secured from the top down. Our liberty, prosperity, safety, and sustenance in times of trouble, mainly when infrastructure and emergency services are limited or hindered, depend upon the continuity of our small towns and communities. The very survival of our nation depends upon the readiness and resilience of its citizens. The true bulwark against invasion, catastrophes, and the breakdown of American society has always been autonomous local governments and the awareness and civic engagement of a well-informed citizenry.
It’s just a matter of time before something far worse than the catastrophe that befell our family, friends, and neighbors in the mountains happens to us. But it won’t be just one county or two. It will be the entire Southeastern region, the Eastern seaboard, or even the whole nation. The only thing that will save our town and communities will be good men and women who are awake and aware of the most immediate threat before it hits us.
To be clear, there is no longer any excuse for blaming the federal government or being caught unprepared for the most immediate threat to your family’s freedom and security.
Experts on emergency management and policy had begun to speak out about the centralization of disaster relief and the role of federal agencies like FEMA in emergency response long before the powerful remnants of Hurricane Helene forever altered the lives and landscape of our mountain counties.
Centralized Federal Emergency Management
Emergency management has become increasingly centralized since the Stafford Act of 1988 and the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security in the immediate wake of 9-11. Federal agencies and bureaucracies, particularly the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), have grown into many-tentacled beasts that reach deep into the local affairs of American towns and communities and, rather than protecting citizens from the effects of disasters, have systematically undermined local and state sovereignty.
The Stafford Act provided the legal framework and established the federal government as the primary provider of federal disaster response and recovery efforts following the official declaration of a disaster.
Federal Assistance: The Stafford Act allows state and local governments to receive federal assistance when a disaster overwhelms their capacity to respond. The Act gives the president the authority to declare a "major disaster" or an "emergency," which triggers federal aid and the mobilization of resources, such as funds, equipment, and manpower.
Types of Declarations: (1) Emergency Declarations are issued for any event where federal assistance is necessary to supplement state and local efforts—typically for less severe situations. (2) Major Disaster Declarations are reserved for more severe events, like hurricanes, earthquakes, or large-scale terrorist attacks, where a broad range of federal assistance is needed for long-term recovery.
FEMA's Role
FEMA is the primary agency tasked with coordinating the federal response under the Stafford Act. It manages federal resources, including funds, personnel, and logistical support, and, when all goes perfectly, should work in conjunction with state and local governments—they are becoming less and less effective at this.
Cost Sharing: The Act establishes a cost-sharing structure where the federal government covers at least 75% of the disaster recovery costs, with state and local governments covering the remainder. However, in extraordinary circumstances, the federal share can be increased.
Types of Aid: Public Assistance: Funding and resources to state and local governments for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the repair, replacement, or restoration of damaged public infrastructure.
Individual Assistance: Direct aid to individuals and households affected by the disaster, such as temporary housing, financial assistance, and disaster unemployment benefits.
Hazard Mitigation: Grants aimed at reducing future disaster risk by improving infrastructure and implementing preventive measures. In addition to immediate disaster relief, hazard mitigation provisions focus on reducing long-term risks associated with natural disasters. Through grants and planning assistance, FEMA requires state and local governments to adopt measures that could lessen the impact of future disasters, often limiting which providers can be contacted.
State and Local Roles: The governor of the affected state must request federal help by formally petitioning the president for a disaster declaration. The president then decides whether to grant or deny the request.
Amendments and Revisions: After criticisms of the federal response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, FEMA's authority was expanded to “improve coordination between federal, state, and local governments, and to speed up disaster aid.”
Disaster Recovery Reform Act (2018) emphasized pre-disaster mitigation planning and allocated more resources to reduce the impact of future disasters.
The Failure of Emergency Management
by Amy LePore Ph.D. @ArchetypalDork CEO @DissidentMedia
The images emerging from Tennessee and North Carolina are startling, and the federal government has never been more silent on disaster response. Social media commentary is full of people wondering how we got here and while the answer isn’t easy, you can draw a relatively straight line between the advent of “homeland security” and what you see today.
Traditional disaster planning was traded in for a sexier homeland security model- one that made the typical local responder feel like they were fighting Al Qaeda. With a “see-something say-something” mission and flush with Homeland Security dollars, emergency management organizations have morphed into something unrecognizable.
Federal Overreach and Loss of Local Autonomy
Increasing federal control over emergency management, particularly through FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has undermined the ability of local governments and communities to respond effectively to disasters. Instead of empowering localities with the resources and freedom to manage emergencies based on their unique circumstances, the federal government imposes one-size-fits-all solutions, often accompanied by burdensome compliance requirements. This leads to inefficiencies and delays in disaster relief, as local emergency managers must navigate federal bureaucratic hurdles.
For example, after Tropical Storm Lee, homeowners in Cecil County, Maryland, were told by FEMA that they did not meet the "threshold" for assistance despite suffering significant damage. This highlights the arbitrary nature of federal aid distribution and how it limits the flexibility of local responses.
Erosion of Citizen Responsibility
The centralization of disaster relief has contributed to an erosion of citizen responsibility and initiative. FEMA's promise to be the "federal family" that responds to emergencies has created a dependency culture, where citizens expect the government to solve problems instead of taking personal responsibility. Worse yet, FEMA has become a bloated and highly politicized bureaucracy that is, at best, inefficient and inconsistent in delivering on its mission of emergency management.
Worse still, over the years, as local officials have become addicted to federal grants and funding, our towns and communities have been lulled into a false sense of security and the empty promise that FEMA, or some heroic government entity, will immediately descend into the midst of our crisis like a mighty savior to make it all better with food, water, shelter, and lots of free cash when disaster strikes.
Once known for their independence and strength in tribulation, Americans have lost their sense of personal responsibility and been weakened by learned helplessness. That is why so many Americans are unprepared to help themselves and their communities in times of crisis.
As these faceless woke agencies take over, local community networks, which traditionally played a critical role in emergency management and disaster recovery, have been replaced by worthless bureaucrats and incompetent federal agencies. One of the many vital lessons from the tragic torrent in the mountains of NC and paralyzed powers that be who stumbled and hindered early relief efforts is that when disaster strikes, well-prepared, selfless individuals, private enterprises, churches, ministries, charities, and fearless, no-nonsense experienced or simply eager and caring men and women who see a need and fill it, will always be more effective, efficient, and consistent in providing immediate and relevant aid to their neighbors. Yet federal agencies like FEMA, confused by delusions of “equity,” perplexed by procedure, and hopped up on de facto authority, are more frequently obstructing and discouraging such efforts.
Free the People Ep 300: FEMA’s Catastrophic Failure
As Hurricane Helene brought devastation to Asheville, North Carolina, and surrounding communities, it’s been remarkable how ineffective FEMA and other government agencies have been at helping victims. More galling, government bureaucrats are actually impeding private efforts to offer aid to those in need. Matt Kibbe sits down with Amy LePore, co-founder of Dissident Media, who explains how the centralization of emergency services after 9/11 has led to an obstructive bureaucracy incapable of responding to the needs of citizens.
Militarization of Emergency Response
The centralization of disaster relief is also linked to the broader trend of militarizing public services, a shift that began after 9/11 with the rise of DHS. This has caused a growing divide between government agencies and the citizens they should serve. Emergency responders, who used to be viewed as members of the community, are now seen as part of an adversarial system that treats citizens with suspicion, particularly in the post-9/11 "see something, say something" era.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a prime example of how this militarized mindset was applied to public health. For example, local authorities regularly followed unlawful orders, enforcing arbitrary federal mandates and often violating constitutional and human rights with little regard for personal freedom and local knowledge.
Addiction to Federal Funds and Local Autonomy
Once local governments start accepting FEMA or DHS grants, local emergency management departments focus more on maintaining those lucrative funding streams than serving their communities well. This apparent conflict of interest distorts priorities, as grant compliance takes precedence over practical disaster preparedness.
Former Maryland emergency management official Amy Lapore conducted a nationwide survey of emergency managers, finding that most readily admit that the federal funding process and benefits impede their ability to respond effectively to local emergencies. Yet, despite recognizing this apparent fault line in the landscape of emergency service preparedness, most local officials are not seeking alternative funding sources, choosing instead to depend upon the federal government’s federal money and restrictive compliance requirements.
Competition for federal disaster relief funding has politicized the declaration of emergencies. Lapore says this creates a "race for the money," where states and localities lobby for federal disaster declarations for even the most minor of events, like snow removal—whatever it takes to get that money. This complicates and distorts the purpose of federal aid and dangerously reinforces the centralization of power in Washington, D.C. Local governments are willfully ceding autonomy over local affairs to the federal government—NOT GOOD!
Local Sheriff Demands County Manager Resign Over Helene Relief
By Rodney Orton | October 8, 2024
LOUISBURG, N.C. (WNCN) — The sheriff in Franklin County is asking the county manager to resign after claiming she is trying to add “red tape or roadblock” Hurricane Helene relief efforts in the North Carolina mountains.
Franklin County Sheriff Kevin White wrote on social media Tuesday about Franklin County Manager Kim Denton, saying she has “displayed a grotesque lack of leadership.” The issue appears linked to a letter that Denton sent to county management on Thursday, Oct. 3 about reimbursements for funds spent on Hurricane Helene relief. The letter said that Denton would need to approve spending “in advance of deployment” — or Franklin County might be denied financial reimbursement of money spent to help in western North Carolina. “There are strict reimbursement guidelines and financial policies,” the letter from Denton said. Click here to read the letter (pdf document).
White said that Denton’s letter was an effort to “stonewall hurricane relief under the vail [sic] of ‘doing their job’.”
Franklin County Manager Kim Denton's letter to officials and first responders is a prime example of how procedure and compliance regulations attached to FEMA funding are prioritized ahead of saving lives and delivering critical supplies.
In short, local officials are willing to risk the lives of the citizens they're sworn to protect to secure lucrative contracts with distant, disconnected, and ineffective federal bureaucracies that ultimately undermine the principles of self-reliance and community-based solutions that have always been central to the American way of life. This detached and foolish practice slowly transforms the local culture as citizens who trust their neighbors in leadership to do the right thing are placated by promises and conditioned to become passive in the face of trouble and crises.
Government intervention has slowly overtaken personal initiative and community cohesion. This passivity, more indicative of subjects in totalitarian regimes, is antithetical to the traditional American spirit of individual liberty and self-governance.
Are you beginning to see?
This is just a trickle of the anti-freedom flood waters rising in America right now. If your vision is still a bit blurry, let me clarify it for you. Crowing and boasting day after day about the Constitution and your God-given rights to life, liberty, and property — especially free speech — is a meaningless endeavor unless you are willing to engage the enemy of your family's freedom and defend the principles enumerated within that document. The Constitution is the standard of liberty, the rule, and the rod that defines and limits governmental authority and secures your human rights.
What secures the Constitution? The sword. The Second Amendment. The Constitution secures your rights, and it is your duty to secure The Constitution by engaging in civic duty in times of peace and fighting to defend liberty when it is under attack. That's how the Constitution remains in force and that is how freedom works. Free men are willing to accept the responsibility of freedom because they know that the consequences are worth it and that the alternative is out of the question.
Undoubtedly, many sincere people get involved with FEMA because they want to help. But there are plenty of opportunists, useful idiots, and others who know precisely what they're doing. A significant but often overlooked threat to the fabric of American life is the mitigation or obstruction of citizens' ability to manage their own affairs locally.
And so we end where we began—the number one threat to American sovereignty is the loss of local autonomy. Defending American sovereignty starts locally.
What is wrong with NC Governor Roy Cooper?
What Does The Bible Say About Resisting Tyranny?
The Bible consistently calls for God's people to resist tyranny and fight for justice, especially for those who cannot defend themselves. Throughout Scripture, we see examples and commands that encourage believers to act with courage, integrity, and love in defense of the vulnerable.
In the book of Exodus, Moses, empowered by God, stood up to Pharaoh, the most powerful tyrant of his time, to demand freedom for the enslaved Israelites (Exodus 5-14). God commands Moses to lead His people out of oppression, showing that delivering the oppressed is a divine mandate.
Queen Esther risked her life to plead with the king on behalf of her people when they were facing genocide. Her bravery and willingness to stand for the truth and the lives of others is a powerful example of defending the vulnerable (Esther 4:13-16).
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9)
This wisdom literature explicitly commands believers to advocate for justice and protection for the powerless.
Jesus continually confronted the religious and political leaders of His time when they oppressed the people and misused their authority. In Matthew 23, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for burdening others with their legalism, showing that standing for truth sometimes means standing against corrupt systems of power.
In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus teaches that true neighborly love involves stepping in to help those in need, even at personal cost. The Good Samaritan went out of his way to care for a stranger who was beaten and left helpless, modeling the call to defend the vulnerable.
"For freedom, Christ has set us free; stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)
Paul’s teaching on freedom emphasizes the Christian's duty to remain in the freedom Christ provides, both spiritually and morally, and to resist being oppressed by unjust human systems.
Loyalty to Truth and Defense of Freedom
Defending truth, freedom, and the vulnerable reflects God's character and attributes of justice, mercy, and truth (Psalm 89:14). Believers are called to mirror these attributes in our lives. In standing up against tyranny or injustice, we honor God’s righteousness, protect His image-bearers, and demonstrate His love.
The call to be “salt and light” (Matthew 5:13-16) means that Christians are to influence society for good, preserving what is just, purifying the putrid, illuminating the path to Christ, and shining a light on evil. Fighting for freedom and justice is an extension of living out the Gospel in a broken world where sin and tyranny seek to distort God's intended order.
In defending the defenseless and speaking truth in the face of oppression, we follow in the footsteps of Christ, who gave His life to set us free from the ultimate tyranny of sin and death. Therefore, standing for truth and defending the oppressed is not just an act of charity—it is an act of obedience to God's will and a reflection of the Kingdom to come. Resisting oppression, speaking truth, and fighting for freedom embodies the justice and mercy of God in a world that desperately needs both.
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