Too much focus on national issues has left TN suffering | Opinion

Tennessee has become its own version of the Upside Down from "Stranger Things." Not because of monsters or sci-fi darkness, but because of how our citizens choose what to fight for − and what to completely ignore.

Some stay silent out of worry. Others stay silent because they genuinely don't know what's happening. Either way, the silence is hurting our communities.

Over and over, I watch Tennesseans mobilize in huge numbers for national controversies that change nothing. We saw the "No Kings" protest. We saw statewide outrage over JD Vance's comments while serving turkey at Fort Campbell . People pour their passion into whatever the internet labels as the crisis of the week.

Yet these same people go quiet when it comes to the leaders who actually shape their daily lives: their mayors, city councils, police and fire chiefs, judges, district attorneys and courtroom systems. The local issues that directly impact families, taxpayers and public safety rarely draw the same ire.

So I have to ask: When did we become a state that screams about Washington but whispers about what's happening in our own backyard?

Tennessee's upside-down outrage

Common sense says: Fix your household and community first. Fix your city and county next. Then, if you still have energy, look at national politics. Tennessee has it backwards.

The "No Kings" protest was a perfect example. Ask 10 people why they were there and you'd get 10 different answers: symbolism, tyranny, Trump, immigration or, simply, "I'm not sure." It was outrage without direction.

This confusion mirrors our political culture. Republicans often stay silent because they think "it's not my lane," while Democrats loudly protest symbolic issues that don't fix anything on the ground.

One side sits out. The other side melts down. Meanwhile, problems right here at home go untouched. National noise drowns out local accountability. And while we fight each other online, wealthy donors and connected individuals quietly maintain influence over local leadership.

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When local accountability disappears

Many Tennesseans have been asking why wealthy developers routinely receive waivers , exceptions or leniency from local building and codes departments, while working-class families are fined over tall grass, minor repairs or other small violations. People notice when connected developers get flexibility and poor families get penalties.

They also notice when former officeholders later appear in advisory roles or partnerships with those same developers. Even when legal, the appearance of revolving-door politics destroys trust in the system.

And this creates Tennessee's Upside Down, in which people rage about national issues but stay quiet when their own hometown is struggling with transparency, fairness and leadership.

The wealthy benefit when locals are silent

Local leaders don't stay in power because everything is working perfectly. They stay in power because: wealthy donors support them, those donors rarely hear loud public pushback and citizens are too distracted by national drama to focus on local issues.

And because this silence is often interpreted as approval, we end up with: court systems offering little public explanation, public safety departments making major decisions quietly, city budgets prioritizing vanity projects over essentials, hiring and firing without transparency and policies drifting without community oversight. When everyday people stay quiet, the wealthy end up with more influence than the citizens living with the consequences.

Federal politics may be loud, but local politics are far more impactful.

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Washington doesn't control your property taxes; your mayor and city council do. Washington doesn't decide firefighter or police pay; your local government does. Washington doesn't decide how evidence is handled, or which courtroom standards are followed; your local judge does. Washington doesn't run police and fire operations; your chiefs do.

Real change comes from local meetings, courtroom procedures and city budgets — not cable news arguments. And if Tennesseans put even a fraction of their energy into local oversight, many frustrations would disappear.

A challenge for every Tennessean

This is not an attack. It's a challenge.

Get active on social media about your local courts, local elected leaders, local pay scales, local transparency and local problems affecting families. Encourage peaceful involvement. Contact local media when something seems wrong.

If you have the energy to argue about Washington, you have the energy to ask your local judge, DA, mayor or fire chief why accountability is inconsistent. Don't fight the battles the internet hands you. Fight the battles that actually shape your home.

Tennessee is full of good, tough, patriotic people. We are not weak. We are not passive. We are not confused. But we are distracted −by wealthy platforms, national noise and political theater designed to keep us divided. 

Joshua Gillette is a wounded Special Forces veteran on a mission to live better, heal with plant medicine, and lead his family with purpose while dreaming of building a better path forward for fellow community heroes.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why we should focus on local issues more than national ones | Opinion