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In this week’s episode, we’ll talk about the feds’ struggle to get Obamacare up and running and how we can hinder it even more. Another Tennessee county has passed a resolution supporting the Second Amendment. And in Texas, the feds are yet again sticking their noses in where they don’t belong. Plus, we’ll talk about the power of local action.

Host: Michael Boldin.

Content Production: Mike Maharrey

You’ve probably seen the bumper sticker plastered on the back of a car.

“Think Globally. Act locally.

The catch-phrase actually evolved out of grassroots initiatives, particularly those focusing on environmental issues. It’s pretty wise when you think about it. You’re concerned with the health of the whole planet, but you focus your time, energy and efforts at the local level, where you can actually make a tangible positive impact. Let’s say your cause is eliminating hunger in America. There’s is no way you’re going to accomplish that by yourself. But you can start a food bank in your own community and actually reduce hunger in your little corner of the world. Now imagine those efforts replicated in communities across the U.S. When enough people spread out over a wide enough area take action at home, the net effect impacts the entire world.

Here at the Tenth Amendment Center, we’ve modified the slogan slightly, but the principle remains the same.

“Think globally. Nullify locally.”

Our end-game? Liberty!

Now, a lot of people share our goal. They’re right with us on the global thinking. But they can’t seem to get out of the big picture mindset to take action where it’s really going to matter – locally. They’re still trying to solve world hunger by sending 10 bucks to UNICEF.

You see, most Americans focus all of their attention on Washington D.C. They spend countless hours and billions of dollars trying to vote the bums out of Congress and the White House. After the campaign, they smugly slap an “I Voted” sticker on their lapel and then bemoan the fact that nothing ever changes.

Or they waste hours making phone calls and marching on DC, begging Congressional criminals to vote a certain way, then repeat step one when that never happens. And sadly, some people don’t even do that much. They just sit in front of their computers waiting breathlessly for the Supreme Court to ride to the rescue, and then churn out a blog when the black-robed federal employees predictably vote to expand federal power yet again.

Thanks for caring – and I sincerely mean that. But if this is your M.O., you’ve already lost..

The bottom line is that if you want to expand liberty, you need to fight for liberty at home – right in your own backyard. They will surely ignore you on Capitol Hill. They might even ignore you at your state capitol. But you have a MUCH better chance of making your voice heard at your city hall on in your county commission meeting! And you have a much better chance of getting them to listen, especially if you organize some local grassroots pressure. The local politicians often aren’t used to that – and they generally don’t know what hit them.

Take indefinite detention. We know the president isn’t going to wake up one morning, look at Michelle and say, “You know, honey, I can’t indefinitely detain people on American soil. I’m giving that power up!”

And while many states have considered bills to nullify federal kidnapping, only Virginia and Alaska have taken the first steps so far. Even so, you still have an option. You can nullify – right now! Today! Through your local governments.

Counties and cities have the authority to refuse to assist any federal attempts at indefinite detention in their jurisdictions. These measures will not only frustrate federal attempts to carry out this unconstitutional act, they will also send a strong message to state lawmakers and put the pressure on them to take things to the next level with their own bill to nullify indefinite detention.

Your local action, combined with similar actions in other counties and towns magnifies your lone voice into a sustained yell that state lawmakers simply can’t ignore.

This strategy works on any issue. Local governments can refuse to cooperate with violations of the Second Amendment, refuse to cooperate with the federal drug war, and refuse to spy on their citizens without a warrant. It just takes determined individuals like you to push these measures in your county, city or town.

And if your local officials won’t listen? Keep pressuring them, and pressuring them – and pressuring them – until they can’t take it anymore.

If you want to advance liberty, it’s going to take some work, but not in Washington DC.

Mother Teresa may have said it best: “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.