Being a sovereign citizen is not as liberating as it sounds.
If there’s one bit of advice I can give it’s this: don’t ever go, full sovereign citizen. There are a lot of reasons for this. But they all boil down to a couple of main points: responsibility and accountability. Let’s put it this way just to create understanding. Sovereign citizens aren’t bad people.
Some would state that they’re anarchists who are ready to tear down society. This is like stating that a group of misinformed teens will topple the government. It’s a fanciful notion, but it won’t happen. SovCits can throw legal precedents all day and act as though they know what they’re talking about. However, this hypocrisy will fail them utterly with each new legal precedent they attempt to spew. Why, you ask? Well, that’s rather simple.
They want the benefits of a government without responsibility.
It’s normal, we all want the benefits of life and don’t want to work too hard. But as we grow up we learn how the world works. In simple terms, SovCits have regressed in a big way. Many won’t admit this, but SovCits operate under the idea that ‘life isn’t fair’ unless it’s fair for them. It’s simplistic, but it kind of nails the idea of what they’re trying to do.
Sadly, Sovereign Citizenry is a movement, and it’s spreading like the common cold. It’s not just the USA that’s dealing with this issue. One would think that adults who have lived would be immunized somehow. But as it happens, many adults still want the easy way through life. That kind of determination would be impressive if their energy were applied to worthwhile pursuits. In all honesty though, trying to remain apart from a nation while living in it is a little confusing.
Like all movements, there are individuals who try to reap the benefits without going full SovCit. But unfortunately, it’s tough to respect anyone that only does something halfway. In this case, going anywhere near the SovCit line is enough to make one look and sound like a fool. The chance to sit down with a sovereign citizen to understand their mindset sounds interesting. Then again, listening to a parrot squawk back at you is interesting, for a while.
By now though, one could be wondering how to identify a sovereign citizen. Even better, how does one avoid becoming a SovCit? Well, the last part is tough, but identifying these individuals is fairly easy.
There are a few key ideas that SovCits tend to say
1. I’m not driving, I’m traveling.
It sounds like another way to say something, right? The truth is that a person can travel freely wherever they’d like, within reason of course. For instance, ‘traveling’ onto another person’s property still isn’t a good idea. But ‘traveling’ down a highway in an automobile, a land yacht, or whatever a SovCit wants to call their ride isn’t accurate. If they were operating a bicycle, riding a horse, walking, jogging, etc., then it’s fine. But operating a motor vehicle is a little different. Not only does it require at least a little bit of training to operate a motor vehicle, but it also requires a license to prove this.
Sure, a license doesn’t mean much. But it does tell cops that a person has the legal right to drive. Then comes the insurance, and the registration, which are meant to help the driver. Unfortunately, SovCits feel that this is a way for the government to lock people into contracts and make money. Yeah, this argument is bound to go around and around, but the point is this: if you want to drive, you need to be licensed, insured, and have registration.
2. I’m a person/settler/individual/etc., blah, blah, blah
Yes, we’re all people, we’re all individuals, and so on. But when talking to a SovCit this often becomes a dodge rather than a sensible statement. If you call a SovCit a person, they’ll say they’re the settler, the individual, or the entity representing the person. They might state that they have no first or last name. They have a NAME. Apparently, it’s fair to assume that they don’t contract with anything that displeases them, not just the government. Is anyone’s head spinning yet? The attempt to understand the ideas of a SovCit is confusing.
Of course, there is a way to have fun with this. If one has the patience, they can flip the script on a SovCit and make a game of it. Sure, it’s kind of petty, it’s ridiculous, and it can set your teeth on edge. But the upside is that it’s just as frustrating for the individual/person/entity/caretaker/etc. See? It can be fun to play pretend.
3. As a free person, I do not recognize your jurisdiction.
Seriously, SovCits don’t think that people have jurisdiction over them. They’re ‘children of the earth’. No offense intended to anyone’s religious beliefs, but technically, we’re all children of the earth. Honestly, Genesis 3:19, for those who enjoy referencing the Holy Bible, “…from dust you are and to dust you shall return.” That sounds kind of definitive. If one wants to stick logic in the craw of the SovCit movement this is a good line. But still, as children of the dust, we still need to recognize the authority given to others.
If a SovCit comes at you with this line there are many ways to counter it. Of course, they need to listen and care enough to understand. Sadly, a lot of them don’t. But by all means, remind them that without authority of any kind, life would surrender to chaos. Some SovCits think that they can benefit and not follow the laws because they’re more peaceful than others. But hoo boy, if anyone’s ever heard a SovCit go on a tirade, they’ll already know better.
Just remind a SovCit that if they want the services of the police, the fire department, or even a branch of government, it comes with a price. Not only do they need to pay taxes, but they need to recognize the authority their taxes pay for. It’s preferred that they recognize it without telling the authorities, “You serve me!” Yeah, cops and judges don’t like that.
What is the Sovereign Citizen Movement?
In simple terms, this movement is about people feeling that protesting taxes is a good idea. There’s a lot more to it than that, but if one can imagine a group of people feeling disillusioned about life and feeling that their woes are someone else’s fault, then that’s a good start. No one likes paying taxes, that much is easy to state. A lot of us would rather keep that money in our pockets and go spend it on something else. But taxes are, believe it or not, how a great deal of our society continues to run.
The Sovereign Citizen Movement props itself up as a chance to remain free from government rule, which is kind of funny, to be honest. It’s funny because these same people still end up paying into the government they profess to hate. They don’t want to ‘enter into a contract’ with the government. They protest everything that they’re ‘forced’ to do when it’s proved that the laws still apply to them. But at the end of the day, no one is stopping them from moving out into a desolate spot to live free. They’re choosing to make life harder on themselves, not the other way around.
So, How Should You Deal with a Sovereign Citizen?
Honestly, try not to. If you feel yourself getting into a debate with a SovCit you’re in for a long argument. A long, and very pointless argument. A sovereign citizen will do their best to tell you that the law doesn’t matter. They’ll likely tell you that cops are just out to collect money for the government. Hell, they’ll tell you that they’re American Nationals and can do pretty much anything they want.
Do yourself a favor. Don’t listen. It’s not a dig at the SovCit’s…okay, maybe it is. But at the very least, the idea of sovereignty, when applied in this manner, is mainstreaming madness. Sure, taxation is a pain in the ass. Of course, people want benefits without going at it the hard way. But seriously, a lot of us still know what it takes to accept responsibility. If we want things such as a police force, a fire department, and numerous other things our taxes pay for, we pay for them.
The cops aren’t going to accept checks and they don’t roll up with card scanners ready to go. If a sovereign citizen begins to tell you, well, pretty much anything, do yourself a favor. Plug your ears with cotton, wax, or whatever it takes. Then put on a pair of earmuffs and go on your way. Trust me, you’ll be better off.
WTR? (Why’s That Radass?)
Believe it or not, it’s Radass to pay your taxes and take responsibility for your life decisions. It sounds lame, doesn’t it? But the other option, acting as though one’s intelligence has somehow halted and even regressed…well, yeah, it’s better to stay responsible. Remember, don’t ever go full sovereign citizen, for your sake.
