Alas, Rich Curmudgeon!

Been gone for a while, and I see Curmudgeon is back, including his story of winning the lottery and building a dream town of traditional Catholicism in North Dakota. I'm not sure an enclave is the answer because it is a clear target for enemies to come, as Curmudgeon points out.

If safety no longer exists for a political or religious group, it might be best to become invisible or hidden. Witness the Japanese Catholics who secretly maintained their faith for a couple of hundred years. Should things ever get really bad in the U.S., most people believe hiding is the answer--in isolated places such as the desert or the mountains or the far north. Personally, I think it might be smarter to become the poor janitor or car washer in the worst part of town and learn street smarts to protect yourself and your family.

I once visited a black Catholic friend who lived in one of the worst neighborhoods in the city--highest crime rate, weedy lots, and houses seemingly ready to be torn down. She had iron bars on her apparently run down house, but when I entered, what a surprise! Her house was clean and tastefully furnished--beautiful! When she saw my obvious shock at her home's interior, she said that it was wise for her house to look like the others on her block. She protected herself and her family by appearing poor and downtrodden.