Sovereign Citizens are a Threat to True Constitutionalism-Sometime ago I did a piece titled “ Sovereign
Citizens Right or Wrong? Perhaps Both” Although I’m not contradicting my
earlier article in that I still believe that sovereigns are right on some points.
I have become more concerned about the threat of the sovereign doctrine. The
doctrine especially poses a dangerous threat to the liberty loving true
constitutionalists.
Just in case you aren’t familiar with sovereign
citizens I will provide a brief history. Sovereign citizens gained prominence
in the 70’s and then sort of disappeared until recently. Sovereigns don’t
believe in income taxes, don’t believe that they’re subject to the courts,
federal, state or municipal authority. They don’t even believe they are
required to have a driver’s license or required to abide by any law which they
consider unconstitutional. In the sovereigns mind they’re subject only to
themselves and God. They believe that the United States of America has been
replaced by an unlawful defacto corporate government called the United States.
According to them this happened in the 1800’s during the civil war under the
Lincoln administration. They use a form of paper terrorism to tie up the courts
and promote their agenda.
The ideology of sovereign citizens is just plain
baloney. I love my country and I consider myself a constitutionalists. The
reason that I am a constitutionalists is because of my desire to preserve the
free republic called the United States of America. Sovereign citizens have a
different motive. Rather than standing for the constitution, sovereign citizens
hide behind it. They will twist and turn the constitution, the Bible,
Federalist papers and anything else they can get there hands on to suit their
agenda.
Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying that all
sovereigns are bad. There are basically two types of sovereigns. The first type
is the deadbeat sovereign. His motivation is to mainly get out of paying taxes
and serving himself. Hey if I had my way the only tax that would be allowed
would be a no- deduction sales tax. Unfortunately that’s not the way it is.
Once these guys see it’s more economical to pay taxes and abide by the laws
they will usually take off their sovereign hat. A good example of a deadbeat
sovereign is the “under the table Craigslist contractor” who lives with his
parents or in-laws, works only when the weather is good, refuses to pay income
taxes, and refuses to buy health insurance for his kids. By the way, no matter
what you think about the Affordable Health Care Act, you are a deadbeat if you
are able bodied and can afford health insurance and refuse to buy it for your
children. However, I can understand if
you can’t afford it. And I’m not convinced that the Act is going to make health
care any more affordable but only time will tell and I plan on keeping an open
mind. Again when all Americans contribute we can afford to help the true needy
such as disabled vets, elderly and orphans.
The second type is the “Paul Revere Want to Be”.
This person has a good heart, is truly patriotic and wants to help his country.
This person believes that the constitution is the end all to everything. He’s a
staunch member of the "if it’s not in the constitution you shouldn’t do it
crowd". In other words in his mind the Louisiana purchase was wrong
because there was no constitutional authority for the purchase. Even though
this person has a good heart, he is the most dangerous type of sovereign
because the ideology is a religion to this person. It’s as if some charismatic cult
leader possesses him. Although only a small percentage of sovereigns have
committed violent acts, I have recently come to believe they have become a more
serious threat because the ideology caters to either a selfish heart or a
patriotic one. Like the devil, the doctrine mixes a little truth with a lot of
lies, which coupled with a charismatic speaker, can sway many.
America is a great nation founded by a freedom
loving people. Like a family, a nation must work together to survive. A
sovereign citizen is like the deadbeat nephew who never visits the grandfather
yet demands their share when the will is read. Notice how sovereign citizens
don’t want to pay taxes or to contribute to the American society yet they drive
on public roads, walk on public sidewalks, go to public hospitals and enjoy the
benefits of military protection all paid for with tax dollars? Sound a little
hypocritical? Then they have the audacity to call you a traitor simply because
you don’t believe what they believe. When challenged by a veteran a sovereign
speaker claimed that Americans have sold out liberty for benefits such as
social security, veterans benefits etc. How dare he call one who served his
country a traitor! Especially when it’s the sovereign citizen who receives the
undeserved benefits!
It’s especially concerning how the sovereign
doctrine is gaining acceptance among the younger millennial generation. I can
certainly understand why given the millennials selfish desires. I thought that my Generation X was bad. But
the questions come to mind concerning Generation Y, why did we have them? They
see no obligation to care for those that cared for them. They don’t feel the
duty to fund social security for their war vet grandparents, serve their
country or anything else.
If every American believed the sovereign baloney,
this nation would have not won WWI, WWII or the cold war. We would not be able
to fund public roads, schools, social security or Medicare without all
contributing. This nation would have collapsed along time ago. It’s for the
greater good. Remember the mission, which is to save the free republic. Our founding fathers were constitutionalists
who understood the need for a limited government. Sovereigns on the other hand
are anarchists who only want government when it benefits them. The founding
fathers put a system in place to deal with unconstitutional acts by the
government i.e. the ballot box, courts etc. With that said I don’t see how
sovereigns can call themselves constitutionalists given they reject what the document
stands for. The document reaffirms the rights given to us by God, it spells out
the responsibility that we as Americans have to ourselves and to each other.
The lone-wolf sovereign approach is simply un- American.
If one feels their rights are violated then fight it
out in court. Now with that said, I don’t expect someone to standby and watch
their daughter raped by law enforcement and wait to fight it out in court. But
if you feel a driver’s license is unconstitutional instead of shooting the police
officer like a sovereign father and son sovereign did in Arkansas. Fight it out
in court latter. My God, these guys must have been possessed. One can easily
see the danger in this cultic theology. The danger is believing everyone who
disagrees with you is an enemy.
I don’t know what else I can say about them other
than this, I strongly urge constitutional patriotic groups such as the NRA,
Gun Owners of America, Oath Keepers and others to not allow the sovereign
doctrines to infiltrate their organizations. I would also encourage law
enforcement organizations to keep a watchful eye on these lunatics for
sovereign citizens are to constitutionalists what the KKK was to southerners. I
have known a few sovereigns. And I will admit to being drawn to the doctrine, but
early on I thank God I saw it for what it was, utter a demonic ideology. That
does nothing to preserve our hard won liberties. I’m sad to say I lost a good
friend to this doctrine. It’s not uncommon for one to put the ideology ahead
of work, friends, and even the closest family. So I pray to God that this
ideology will vanish and vanish soon.
