Do you watch the news and catch yourself thinking, “Someone needs to do something about that”? When you read a political Facebook Post do you sigh and say, “I wish I had the time to become involved? If you do, I have good news for you. You can get involved and make a difference in Knox County and it doesn’t have to turn your life upside down. In fact, I’m going to show you seven ways to make a difference in Knox County in less than five hours.
First Things First
But before we go there, we’ve got to get some basics out of the way. Many people want to make a difference, but few do. Why? Because they don’t do the three steps I’m about to share with you.
First, you must make the decision that you are going to do this. You must decide this is important..in fact it is vital. Regardless of what is going on in your life, you are going to commit three to five hours every week to make a difference.
Once you do that, it’s time to set a deadline because if you don’t, it won’t happen. And it needs to be an immediate deadline. Don’t put if off until after Easter when you’ll have more time….or after you get the carpet replaced or whatever big event is standing in your way. Do it now, or it won’t happen.
Third (and this is the big secret), put it on your calendar. Life is busy and if it isn’t on your calendar, it’s probably not going to get done. In addition, this is probably a little out of your comfort zone so if it’s not on your calendar, you are not going to do it. You’re always going to have an excuse. If that happens, five years down the road you’ll be bemoaning the state of Knox County and feeling guilty because you could have made a difference.
What If You Only Have Two Hours or Less to Spare
I can hear you now. “Well, that’s great but I don’t even have three hours a week I can spare. I’ve got three kids who are all involved in soccer, ballet lessons, and football”
No problem, I’ve got some ideas for you that will only take an hour or two a week that will make a huge difference in Knox County.
First, Register to Vote and Then….Vote
This seems like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised at how many conservative Republicans either aren’t registered to vote, or if they are registered, don’t vote. Or they only vote in the “big” Presidential elections.
If you do only one thing after reading this post, do this – vote in every election. That includes local primaries and local general elections (even when we aren’t voting for a president). If you’ve never voted in the primaries and don’t see the reason to vote in the primaries, click here. This is an in depth look at the importance of voting in the primaries.
If you aren’t registered to vote, click here. If you are registered but want to check on upcoming elections, click here. And bookmark that last page so you can easily check to see when the next election is. Once you decide to vote in every election, encourage your friends and family to vote too. In fact, make it a point to remind friends of primary and general election dates.
Secondly, Get Educated About the Issues Surrounding Knox County
When I said earlier that you need to vote, here’s a very important caveat. Don’t vote until you’ve researched the candidates and the issues. While most of us are really good about checking out the more well-known candidates, we aren’t so good about the candidates and issues further down the ballot.
Part of making a difference in Knox County involves getting educated about the issues surrounding our county. So how do you do that?
Unfortunately, as conservatives, we’ve found that the local news outlets tend to lean to the left. If you watch them, listen for clues about what direction they are coming from. As conservatives we can no longer simply accept what the mainstream media tells us…we have to investigate it for ourselves.
For state-wide news and some local issues, you can read the Tennessee Conservative. You can also sign up by clicking here to get the News You Can Use, a monthly newsletter that focuses on Knox County. And check back to this website weekly to read our weekly blog post that focuses on Knox County. If you’re on Facebook follow our page by clicking here.
But don’t stop there. So many of us either didn’t have a good civics class or we’ve forgotten what we learned. If you’re really serious about learning more, Hillsdale College has some great courses that are free to the public.
Share Your Newfound Knowledge
In reality, this takes no time at all. You can share the things you have learned at your son’s playgroup, your daughter’s ballet lesson, your walking group, or your gym.
People are always talking about what’s going on and now you have the inside track. You can speak out about issues you’ve learned about from an educated point of view. Without taking any time away from your normal life, you can share what you’ve learned and correct misinformation.
Knowledge is a tremendous thing and if you’ve taken two or three hours a week to educate yourself, you are far ahead of your neighbors and friends. Share that knowledge and you’ll make a difference in Knox County.
Donate to a Candidate or Group You Believe In
This might not be an option for everyone because of financial challenges, and I get that. But donating to a campaign, political action group, or organization is a quick and easy way to make a difference in our county.
Most organizations and campaigns have processes that allow you to make a one-time donation or a recurring one. This option takes maybe five minutes to set up and you’ll know you are doing your part in making a difference in Knox County.
What If You Have Three to Five Hours a Week?
The four preceding suggestions are relatively easy, and you can do all of them except vote from your sofa, or while you’re living your life. But what if you have a few more hours you can spare?
Find a Group to Get Involved In
This is one of the most important things to do if you have a few more hours available. Your valuable time is put to work more efficiently if you are working with a group of like-minded individuals.
But again, there’s a caveat. You want to get involved with a group that actually works and doesn’t just bring in speakers. Over ten years ago, my husband and I decided we wanted to get more politically involved and make a difference in Knox County. We went to several political meetings. We finally quit going because we were busy and didn’t want to waste what little time we had sitting around listening to people bloviate instead of doing something.
This is why I feel confident in recommending the Knox County Conservative Republicans. They are a “boots on the ground” organization. You’re not going to just sit around and listen to speakers; you’re going to make a difference in Knox County.
In addition, the group is divided into districts which allows you to focus on the area you live in. You can work towards change in your district, not in the district six miles away. But when something concerns all Knox County, all the districts can get together and tackle it.
While I consider Knox County Conservative Republicans to be the best group for people to get involved in, we might not be a good fit for you. If you’re only interested in issues that affect your children’s education, you might want to join Moms for Liberty. If, by chance, you’re reading this and you live in Blount County, contact East Tennessee Conservatives. And if you are more interested in working on national financial issues, Americans for Prosperity might be the group for you. For those who want a group led by conservative women, there is Knox County Republican Women. This list is by no means exhaustive; these are just the groups that came to mind first.
Whatever you do, get involved with a group. Try several if you like to determine which one is more in line with your personality and interests.
Don’t Just Attend Meetings, Do Something
Once you’ve decided on a group that fits your interests and personality, get involved. Make it a point to put those meeting dates on your calendar immediately so you don’t forget about them and schedule something else.
You might want to go to a few meetings to become more comfortable, but as soon as you are comfortable with the group, sign up to do something. As I said before, this is where Knox County Conservative Republicans excel. The leaders want you to get involved, not just sit and listen. While most groups schedule plenty of speakers, this group also provides you with numerous opportunities to get out there and help.
Now, I know you’re busy. But helping could look like something as simple as delivering yard signs…all while listening to your favorite podcast. You could decide to attend the Knox County Commission meeting and report your observations to your group. You could make phone calls for candidates.
There are a plethora of opportunities available to help out. And regardless of how little time they take, all of them are going to make a difference in our community.
Contact Your Elected Officials
The final way you can make a difference in Knox County is to contact your elected officials, This is one of the reasons you need to be involved in a local group. Once you are on your group’s email list, they can contact you when there is an issue that is before county commission or before our state’s legislators that public opinion can sway.
Once your group gives you contact information, it’s relatively easy to either call or email your elected officials and let them know your opinion and why you hold that opinion. This is vitally important because your elected officials need to know where their constituents stand, and you can bet the opposition is going to be contacting them.
And all of this can be done from the comfort of your couch or dining room table. You’re making a difference in Knox County while having your morning coffee or after your kids go to bed.
One Final Thought
Although there is some controversy as to who said this, I want to leave you with this quote: “The Only Thing Necessary for the Triumph of Evil is that Good Men Do Nothing”
So, I’m going to make it easy for you. I’m going to give you the opportunity to get more information about Knox County Conservative Republicans. You can do that by clicking here. There is no obligation, only an opportunity to do something to make a difference in Knox County.
Lori Lennon is a life-long conservative Republican but has only recently become more active in local issues. She is vice-president of the Conservative Republicans of Districts 7 & 8. She’s determined to learn everything she can about how this county works and pass it along to you in a way that won’t take a doctorate to understand.