When you hear words like “militia” and “prepper” and “survival retreat,” you probably imagine a rural, conservative, blue collar fellow who loathes the government. What you probably don’t imagine, are the kinds of people who run for state office. In South Carolina however, two state representatives are planning to create survivalist communities in anticipation of a possible collapse of the United States. According to AP:

State Reps. Josiah Magnuson, R-Campobello, and Jonathon Hill, R-Townville – both from tiny towns in the Upstate Bible Belt – are in the process of setting up what they call the “Virtue Solution Project,” a group that is seeking to either save America or survive a societal collapse, which they both believe is likely coming.

The organization is a mixture of religious ministry, grassroots political organizing and disaster prepping. At its core, their movement hopes to save the country by reshaping it to their interpretation of the Founding Fathers’ ideals.

As part of their two pronged plan, their first aim is to do everything they can to bring America back to its conservative roots.

They are advocating that their followers, and offshoot groups, form their own communities that will no longer have to rely on corporate America or the “tyrannical” federal government. They are encouraging neighbors to support “principled men” – such as themselves – who are willing to nullify laws and court rulings they don’t agree with, like abortion, gay marriage, gun restrictions and federal standards for driver’s licenses.

For their members who are not in political office, they advocate doing their part by finding their way onto juries in order to acquit people charged with crimes they personally believe are “unjust.”

And failing that, they’re getting ready for the whole system to collapse. Their long-term goal is ambitious to say the least. The lawmakers want to train 1 million “neighborhood leaders” who will be able to rebuild America following its collapse.

If that doesn’t work, they will have “community preparedness centers,” where there will be access to “reading material, tools, food storage, ammo, and more.”

The centers will be there when the economy collapses, a natural disaster occurs, a foreign nation attacks, the federal debt dooms the country or an electromagnetic pulse wipes out the nation’s infrastructure. All are scenarios they have considered.

It’s also at these “micro hubs” that neighbors and fellow members of their “militia” will be able to learn about spiritual leadership, first aid, farming techniques, renewable energy sources, and setting up “perimeters” and other “tactical defense” strategies.

In essence, Magnuson and Hill are trying to create a replacement for the current system; something that will act as a transition between the old decaying system and whatever comes next. They’re trying to create an alternative, and are adamant that this isn’t about secession, or overthrowing the government. As Magnuson put it, “This isn’t some type of political overturning movement. It’s more of a political and economic replacing movement.”

I’m sure they’ll be called crazy by the mainstream. I personally think their vision is a bit too conservative to achieve widespread appeal. There are a wide range of people in this country who love liberty and fear our government, and it’d be foolish not to include them in any nationwide prepper movement. But at least someone in government sees the writing on the wall, and is willing to admit it and prepare for what is increasingly looking like an inevitability.