The holidays are past. It’s time to focus on this year. Culturally, economically and politically our tactics for this year need to be “local.” Regardless of how you feel about the “election,” I’m pretty sure this next year is going to be a difficult one when it comes to freedom – of all forms. The federal government is broken; it’s the new “global reset,” without regard to how Americans feel. Our best option now has to be local – state, county, city and community.

Washington, D.C. is a lot like the Rome of old. It really doesn’t represent the majority of Americans in any shape, form or fashion. It’s become unrecognizable. Imagine a place where you can’t say, “son, daughter, mother” or “father.” I blame it on the fact that politics has become a profession. Our “representatives” no longer have to live and work among us.

I’ve heard and seen various discussions lately based on Jefferson’s words: “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” There are numerous speeches or writings about states withdrawing from the Union, debates on the possibility of having to physically “take it to the streets” or violently resisting gun confiscations. Even as I write this there is violence occurring in D.C. We’d better hope and pray these types of events never happen. The best way to ensure a peaceful existence at this time is to focus energy where you can actually have some effect. If we have little or no influence at a federal level then it’s time to focus our tactics on those we still have sway with.

You know your state, the county where you live and the friends and neighbors surrounding you. And they should know you. These are the people you can actually communicate with face-to-face, establishing a real relationship with those responsible for representing you. In the coming year these associations, your personal link with local and state governments is going to be more critical than ever before. It’s also important to start taking measures to control the amount of influence those outside your communities and states have over the life you live. In other words, I don’t want California dictating how we live in Alabama. Plus, involvement at the local level allows you to see, hear and sometimes actually feel the results of your participation and influence. When career politicians don’t perform as expected, there are still plenty of legal options for replacement with someone in that position who will represent properly.

Remember, we the people are the government. This is no truer than at a local level. The old, “People get the government they deserve,” is true. It’s up to us to make sure we deserve a government based on our constitution. This is our tactic for 2021.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy. He is the author of The Book of Two Guns, AR-15 Skills and Drills, has a regular column in American Handgunner and makes some cool knives and custom revolvers. Visit Shootrite’s Facebook page for other details.