I have finally gotten around to continuing this train of thought - something that needs to happen more, I think.
I have mentioned the problems with plants; they are not the only things that have legal problems.
In a country where firearms are heavily restricted, and other weapons limited, what steps are ethical to obtain enough firepower to protect yourself, your family, your land? And what knowledge can you gather about making weapons, particularly if much of that information is illegal or, at least, raises the wrong questions from the wrong people?
Simple weapons are not out of the question. What is the difference between a staff as a weapon and a hiking staff, or even something that's just a length of wood? Obviously not much, except for a lot of training. Simple weapons are nice to have, but take more training than most people would normally care to do. Knives can be useful, but are dangerous - it is very easy for things to go wrong.
It's possible to make a weapon out of anything. It's just that it takes training to be able to use it effectively.
Quite a few people have swords, but those are generally useless, poor quality metal, only fit as a bit of macho bravado hanging on the wall - not even worth being called a sword. Additionally, given that even fewer people actually train to use them properly, the "swords" are worse than useless.
Going further - is it right to obtain or make weapons such as crossbows, rifles, and so on, if it's not obvious that you're in direct threat, or when any threat is seen as a remote chance?
What, then, the steps that you can take in defending yourself? I have no problem with self-defence when it comes to someone attacking you, but is a warning shot to the head acceptable if someone is just the other side of a fence line and eyeing off a few fruit?
What if they are starving? Or they have a starving child to feed?
All I know is that good neighbours are a good start.
And rebuilding means not killing someone who's desperately trying to survive, as you are, but getting them to work for their own survival. Raiders cannot be tolerated - you need to ensure they don't see you as an easy target. Not everyone is a raider, though.