This is another perilous time for our country.

The rule of law is being undermined as radical leftists ravage our cities, demolish our communities, and seek to destroy or fundamentally change everything our country was founded on.

Our so-called leaders have cowered to the mob, refusing to take the steps necessary to protect the rule of law, and in some cases have endorsed the lawlessness we are witnessing.

IT’S NOT JUST DEMOCRATS.

Republicans have sat idly by for years, making empty promises to the people who elect them, compromising the principles they claim to stand for in exchange for promises from the left, and invites to cocktail or Christmas Winterval parties.

Instead of pushing a legislative agenda that promotes the values and the priorities of the America that elected them, the GOP sits back, ostensibly fighting radical proposals, but scarcely winning.

Take gun control, where liberals have for years been engaged in an attempt to repeal our Second Amendment rights and take away our guns.

Some Republicans have defended against these efforts, but our side has shown no willingness to shift onto the attack i.e. repeal gun laws already in place, or pass legislation making it easier to exercise our constitutional rights.

In the last few years, we have seen laws passed requiring federal criminal background checks on all firearms sales, the banning of bump stocks, support for raising age limits on gun purchases, and more, but not a single law has been passed making it easier for law-abiding citizens to legally possess a firearm.

The same goes for social media regulation, which is increasingly censorious towards conservatives.

As Twitter, Google, Facebook, and other sites skew their content to the left, Republicans that pledged to fight for the American people have refused to take action against the social media giants and protect the free speech of people everywhere.

This has happened on issue after issue. Republicans, always more willing to compromise, trap us in an unending cycle of erosion of our freedoms. Fundamental and constitutional rights that were not in play ten or twenty years ago are now considered controversial issues.

ACTION. ACTION. ACTION.

It is far past time for action. Many Republicans say the right things, but have shown, year-on-year, that they are unable or unwilling to take action.

Conservatives must take a hard look at their party and the people who represent it (and them), and if necessary, upend it all over again.

In 2009, a group of conservatives within the Republican Party launched the Tea Party movement, and by 2013, over 10 percent of Americans identified as part of the movement.

The Tea Party was committed to the ideals which define the conservative movement and the effective grassroots coalition they formed energized voters nationwide: winning back the house for Republicans in 2010, transforming the discussions surrounding American politics, and bringing change locally and nationwide.

Unfortunately, enthusiasm waned as the very people whom the Tea Party targeted, the political class and establishment, helped contribute to its demise.

The movement ran out of steam, being hijacked by Koch affiliates, and being met with pushback from other establishment Republicans. Organizations that claimed Tea Party affiliate status began to strip it of its social conservative values, and funnel its resources into corporate-friendly political action committees, blunting its effect.

As Politico puts it, what began as a grassroots organization “was hijacked by those who mirrored its critique of government: bloated, inefficient and looking out only for themselves.” The mainstream Republican Party has shrugged off any remnants of the movement, returning in large part to the status quo, refusing to take a stand on controversial subjects.

That is until Trump came along. But Trump isn’t going to be around forever. And as it stands there’s no one who can replace his sheer force of character.

So what comes next for the conservative movement?

What is certain, is that we can no longer trust or rely on the Republican establishment. We need a new Tea party movement. Just like in 2009 and 2016, when the forgotten men and women of America’s working-class rose up to make their voices heard, we need an organization made up of people who are fed up with establishment politics and tired of the lies and empty promises.

Only with a new grassroots movement can we effectively fight for constitutionalism, fiscal and social conservatism, and a returning of power to the people.

The Tea Party was aptly named after the Boston Tea Party, where America rose to fight against the perceived tyranny of the British: for freedom, and for liberty. Today we face a fight for those same ideals, and years of sitting on our hands have left us losing battle after battle.

Our leaders were elected to represent and fight for the American people. It’s time they did. And if they don’t, then we the people must.