Posted on 08/07/2002 1:17:02 PM PDT by 1bigdictator
Sovereignty for the Rest of Us... by: Lewis J. Goldberg One can find much material, on the internet and other sources, espousing the idea that Americans, by law, were intended to be 'sovereign' people, and go to great lengths of research - deep in the United States Code and in Supreme Court case records - to prove the point. Reading but only one or two pieces on the topic inspires the thinking man to question "just what is it that we, as a people, have lost and how do we get it back?"
While to most of us, the idea of 'sovereignty' remains an enigma, a concept relegated to 'kook-status' by the mainstream media and politicians, we do have 'real life' examples of groups formally accorded some of their individual sovereignty: our own American Indians [henceforth referred to as 'Indians'] and [to a certain extent] the Amish. We take for granted that Indians, on their 'reservations,' are able to do many things we 'regular' Americans may not, as well as avoid doing some of the things that we are compelled to do by law. Employers do not collect Federal income tax from Indians living on or near a reservation. Many other State and federal taxes go uncollected, and most State laws do not apply within these defined areas. Of non-Indian America, only the Amish, in their exemption from Social Security participation, have been able to successfully distance themselves from Federal control, and then only through aggressive lobbying of Congress.
A body of thought has evolved [or revived] around the idea that we are all, as citizens of our respective States, sovereign. We are tricked out of our sovereignty by participating in, unbeknown to us, contracts that assign men to the unnatural office of 'person, ' thereby stripping away the protections of sovereignty. It is through this unwilling participation that we are forced to obtain licenses, pay taxes on our income, and actually forfeit the protection of the Bill of Rights [which applies only to natural men, not 'persons. ']
The proliferation of deceptive laws, allowing the Federal government to treat Americans as property, is staggering. While many people attribute the nature of these laws to 'conspiracy,' it makes better sense, in the context of human nature, to assume that laws are written the way they are because no one, of their own volition, works to eliminate their own job. Lawmakers are not in the business of creating men free from their laws...they are in the business of 'control.' Ever notice how the various disease charities never seem to find a cure for anything, but continue to ask for money year after year? Ever notice as well that drug companies find cures all the time? Everyone works in their own self-interest, our own Founding Fathers notwithstanding.
Whether the cause of our ills is conspiracy or nature, the symptom is the same: loss of freedom. Whether conspiracy or nature, the dilemma for those affected is the same: what do we do about it? Or more accurately, what can we do about it?
In part, the original petition of the Amish to Congress said, "[w]e do not want to be burdensome, but we do not want to lose our birthright to everlasting glory, therefore we must do all we can to live our faith..." How willing we are to lose our "birthright to everlasting glory" not to mention the simple dignity of benefiting from one's own sweat and the humility of relying upon one's brethren for sustenance for a time.
The only avenue to freedom is the only solution that ever worked against tyranny: resistance. The Indians and Amish both organised and stood up to 'the system.' How should it be different for us? No amount of individual wrangling over vague code and definitions of terms buried in over 200 years' worth of legal precedent will solve the mess we're in. It will take millions of people, cohesively declaring to the Federal government, We're not playing by your rules anymore, period! Are we close to that decision yet? No. We like our chains, and we not only paint them in designer colours, we argue over various style options each year around election time.
In short, we deserve our serfdom, for we - as a whole - lack the maturity to see past the basest of our desires...the need for 'security. ' Unfortunately, maturity is often born of tragedy, a tragedy which many see as inevitable for our selfish, whiny nation. May it not be so.
Your comments and questions are encouraged. [editor@patriotist.com]
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