We all know things are not as they should be. Between a rotting culture and a self-serving government, the challenges to our republic are daunting. It is no wonder there are so many people seeking someone to fight for them.

Is that really the answer? Do we just need a better champion to go forth and fight our battles?

Our republic was founded on the premise of self-governance; that is, the citizens are the rulers. While revolutionary to the thinking of 18th-century Europeans, the idea was radical but not new.

It began with the form of government God intended for His people when freeing them from Egyptian captivity. They were to live under His laws, governing themselves without a king. After nearly a half-millennia of this arrangement, the people decided they wanted to look like everyone else.

Literally.

They said they wanted to “be like all the nations.” In demanding a king, they rejected God.

Being warned of the problems the king would bring, they went forward saying they wanted a man who would “go out before us and fight our battles.”

The kings served themselves, even with the battles they fought. In the case of King David, a battle was used to cover up the murder of his eighth wife’s first husband!

George Washington warned that large standing armies, while useful to kings, are “dangerous to the liberties of a country.” And Dwight Eisenhower, of course, warned against the establishment of a “military-industrial complex.” Both men feared how government rulers, in possession of the tools of war, would use them against the interests of the citizens.

It isn’t necessarily bullets or bombs that are our state and nation’s greatest threat, but rather wholly unserious men pushing foolish ideas.

When the movie Home Alone came out in 1990, the pre-teen star left “home alone” in a family mixup is seen buying $20 worth of groceries. A recent shopping trip by an economist found that the same basket of goods today costs nearly $80.

But that is not the worst of it. Women are told they must share locker rooms and bathrooms with men. Young children are being physically mutilated to appease the radical gender fetishes of mentally ill adults. Schoolchildren are less educated than ever, while library shelves are stocked with pornography. We have an undeclared invasion taking place at our southern border. It goes on and on.

Simply choosing a self-proclaimed “fighter” for public office is not only insufficient, it is probably perpetuating the problems unless we as citizens commit to being more firmly and actively engaged.

We can no longer allow ourselves the luxury of letting a politician tickle our ears with promises of how he will fight for us and consider our job done. We must actively – even forcefully – speak out in the public square. As citizens, it is up to us to re-take our government and reform our culture.

It is time for us to set aside the self-serving promises of politicians. We must fight for our families, communities, state, and nation. If the republic is to be saved, we ourselves must do the fighting!

Michael Quinn Sullivan

Michael Quinn Sullivan is the publisher of Texas Scorecard. He is a native Texan, a graduate of Texas A&M, and an Eagle Scout. Previously, he has worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine contributor, Capitol Hill staffer, and think tank vice president. Michael and his wife have three adult children, a son-in-law, and a dog. Michael is the author of three books, including "Reflections on Life and Liberty."