Why zombie apocalypse preparedness is a valid pursuit

By Kamau Chukwueneka

We live in an increasingly unpredictable world. In this world there could at any time be a moment at which quick judgments and prior planning could easily mean the difference between life and death. One of the most inglorious types of “possible” disasters is the almost mythical Zombie Apocalypse. While there are a number of different origin stories and premises that herald the end of the human race one thing is absolutely clear. In the event of a zombie pandemic the only sure thing is multitudes of deaths, confusion, and probable anarchy. Even though the popular zombie archetypes probably fictional creatures and some say due to that fact it’s unnecessary to prepare for them, I would offer the idea that it would be better to be prepared for a possible fictional zombie apocalypse rather than ignore potential danger to ourselves and loved ones. As the Boy Scout motto goes, “Always be prepared.”

Considering the fact that there are a number of diseases and man-made substances which closely resembles the results of the zombie pandemic on the human body I would say that it’s quite possible that there is potential for the eventual tragedy. For example there’s the situation that took place recently in Florida involving a man behaving erratically, running around naked under the haze of delusions and anxiety leading him to attack and eat another man’s face. This event was attributed to the use of a synthetic drug one of which is increasingly used around the United States. Other users of this “Bath Salts” drug have been found to steal cars, attack priests, as well as stay conscious through several stun-gun-blasts.(Koebler) These "Bath salts" related incidences are not restrained by the geography of Miami Florida (location of "Miami's zombie" attack) more and more we hear of various of “Bath salts" related attacks across the United States.

When it comes to public policy and private direction the first indicator of an urgent need for a widespread focus of necessity the first notion will be cues taken from law enforcement and governmental agencies. In Maine, first responders and emergency agencies trained in a mock situation for the chaos that surrounds a zombie outbreak(Zierow). On the national scale a precedent was set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when they began releasing information to put Americans in the mindset of anticipation of needs and disaster readiness(Khan). While it may have been a tongue-in-cheek campaign, on the CDC’s end fact isn't diminished that the center for disease control did in fact publish information with the intention of preparing the American populace for severe disasters.

Now to the other side of the world, in Africa there is a disease call African Trypanosomiasis also known as the African “Sleeping Sickness.” This disease is characterized by turning people into confused, zombie-esque people that can kill if left untreated. To become infected by the disease the carrier had to have been bitten by a tsetse fly or come into contact with the disease through a blood transfusion or sexual contract. After infection, the person first develops physical symptoms such as joint pains, agent, and fever. Next are the neurological symptoms, which results in the “zombification.” Followed by the infected persons heart and kidney problems develop as well as the person sleep cycle going out of calibration. (Distant)

On the flipside there are quite a few detractors who do not believe anything similar to the deadly virus take over the world zombies could ever exist. They cite relatable reasons such as; in a zombie form there would be too many natural predators for the less mentally able zombie to cope with. Or due to extreme heat and cold the zombies would have too many natural issues to contend with to thrive and spread the infection. These and more are reasons to think that zombies are a completely unbelievable situation but when you think about it which are you personally more comfortable with?(Dietle)

Understanding that safety is our highest priority, in the case the zombie horde comes knocking on your door all snarling and gnashing teeth what is your preferred situation? Do you think it's best to take time and prepare yourself and your family? Do you ensure you have protective gear and weaponry? Do you stock food and water? Or do you stick your head in the sand and pretend it's unnecessary to prepare? I think you know the answer to the questions presented, I think you know that whether or not creatures of the zombies ever could exist it's prudent to adhere to the Boy Scout at ethos we touched on earlier. “Always be prepared." Works Cited

Dietle, David. “7 Scientific Reasons a Zombie Outbreak Would Fail (Quickly).” Cracked.com. 17 Aug. 2010. Web. 3 Sept. 2012.

Distant, Daniel. “African Trypanosomiasis, Zombie Disease, Steals Sleep From Victims.” Christian Post. 2 Sept. 2012. Web. 2 Sept. 2012.

Khan, Ali S. “CDC - Blogs - Public Health Matters Blog – Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 16 May 2011. Web. 2 Sept. 2012.

Koebler, Jason. “Miami’s ‘Naked Zombie’ Proves Need to Ban Bath Salts, Experts Say - US News and World Report.” U.S. News. 30 May 2012. Web. 2 Sept. 2012.

Zierow, John. “Emergency Responders Train for the Worst | Wlbz2.com.” WLBZ2.com. News. 21 June 2012. Web. 2 Sept. 2012.