In August 2010, I decided to click the volunteer link on the Tenth Amendment Center website.

Needless to say, I had no I idea what I was getting myself into!

Little did I know that five years later, I would be the TAC’s national communications director and completely immersed in the movement to nullify federal power.

No – that fateful August day, all I knew is that I needed to do something.

My journey into political activism started on a rainy April Tuesday in a park in Lexington Kentucky. It was one of the early Tea Party rallies. At that time, I was a moderately engaged, mainstream, conservative Republican. I kept myself reasonably well-informed. I also considered myself pretty politically savvy. After all, I listened to Rush Limbaugh, put some bumper stickers on my car and voted every election. I even maintained a little blog.

I went to that Tea Party rally more out of morbid curiosity than anything. Plus, I knew one of the guys speaking. But as I stood in that dreary park, surrounded by several hundred people waving signs and chanting slogans, something came over me that I just couldn’t shake.

You see, I intuitively understood America was heading down a dangerous path. At the time, I couldn’t really articulate exactly what it was, at least not beyond the talking points I learned listening to conservative talk radio and reading right wing political commentary. But I did recognize that government was too big, too intrusive and too deeply in debt.

That was a starting point.

As I contemplated things, I started to think about my kids. What kind of world was I leaving them? And this question hit me like a ton of bricks – if things are really as bad as you think, what are you going to do about it? I realized right then and there that I didn’t want my kids to ask me one day, “Hey Daddy, when everything was going down the crapper, what did you do?” and only be able to answer, “Well, I stood in a park and held a sign. And I voted.”

That day set me on a path that ultimately led me to that fateful click on the TAC website.

As you can imagine by my description of myself as a mainstream, conservative Republican, I was confused about a great many things. But I subscribed to two important principles: constitutional fidelity and idea that federal power was meant to remain limited.

Now, like a lot of conservative Republicans, I didn’t understand at the time that the party I attached myself to was just as guilty of expanding government and violating the Constitution as the progressives I so vehemently opposed. But I embraced the idea of constitutional fidelity none-the-less.

Again, that was a starting point.

I honestly don’t remember how I heard about the Tenth Amendment Center. I imagine I ran across some articles here and there. But as I was looking for someplace to plug in, I found myself spending more and more time perusing the TAC website. The first thing that struck me was that these guys did things right. The website looked good. The writing was solid. And it all seemed – well – professional.

Plus, it was obvious that the Tenth Amendment Center actually had a plan to limit federal power. It was serious about the Constitution. The people at the TAC were actively involved in finding actual solutions to problems I’d already identified.

But I hesitated. I was wary. These people talked about something called “nullification.” I’d never heard of such a thing. And they talked a lot about weed. What was up with that?

But as I read and studied, I began to realize that for the first time, I was plugging into something that wasn’t just about politics. The Tenth Amendment Center operated on a set of principles.

“Follow the Constitution, every issue, every time, no exceptions, no excuses.”

After debating it for about two weeks, I finally clicked the volunteer button.

I really didn’t have a whole lot to offer, other than an ability to write, a willingness to work and a new-found passion to do something. I’d never actually done activism. But Michael Boldin decided to give me a chance, and a few weeks later, he handed me the keys to the Kentucky Tenth Amendment Center.

I guess he must have liked my work, because it wasn’t long before I was invited to join the national team as the communications director.

The rest, as they say, is history.

I’d finally found a place that I could do something.

In fact, looking back, I’m overwhelmed by all that I have done. I’ve written three books and literally hundreds of articles and blog posts. I’ve been interviewed by major newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, the Guardian and the Washington Post. I’ve been on TV. I’ve had articles published on major political websites, in three different languages. I’ve been a guest on radio shows, literally across the globe. I’ve testified before legislative committees in several states. I’ve spoken at events across the country. I’ve met and strategized with leaders of major political organizations. And best of all, I’ve met incredible people and made lifelong friends.

Here’s the takeaway. I brought nothing to the table other than a few talents and abilities, and a willingness to learn.

That’s it.

That means you can do it to. I’m nobody special. You have talents and abilities you can use to further the cause of liberty.

We could sure use your help. Don’t just sit there.

Do something.

Here’s that link. http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/volunteer/

Post Script

I just want to take a moment and say a few words about Tenth Amendment Center founder and executive director Michael Boldin. I have never met a more dedicated, hardworking man in my life. If you had any idea the amount of time, energy and sacrifice Michael puts into the Tenth Amendment Center, it would boggle your mind. He built this organization from scratch, starting with basically $200 and an idea for a blog. He’s passionate about living free, and the hours he puts in for the cause proves it. He’s not making a bunch of money doing this. In fact, he goes without a lot of stuff to make the TAC possible. He inspires the best out of the people around him, and he makes the people he works with better.

I love the work that I do for TAC, but really, the best thing about this last five years is that I’ve gotten a great friend out of the whole deal.

Thank you Micheal, for giving me a chance.

Mike Maharrey

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