I spoke to Cryer when I learned of his case. This was shortly after the IRS brought it. I found his response to me to be interesting.
First of all, I have a similar issue to Cryer. I do not have a problem paying taxes. I pay gas, tobacco, alcohol and other excise and imposts without any complaint. Those are constitutional taxes and I am not an anarchist. I simply find a tax on my wages to be anathema to freedom. I work for my money; I trade a portion of my life for it - a portion of my finite time here on the planet. When I volunteer to pay a tax, I am acting of my own cognition. However, a tax on my life is anti-freedom and outside the scope of any government that is supposed to protect my right to be free. This is a right that is above the constitution and what Jefferson spoke of in the Declaration.
It’s been about 11 years for me. So when I learned of Cryer’s case, I contacted him. What he told me was this: ‘If I had a family or someone who was relying on me, I would not take on this fight. I would encourage anyone who has people relying on them to not fight as I have.’ In other words, your claim that this is somehow a big con game and your insinuation that “tax protesters” are trying to get more people to fight the gestapo is misinformed. Of course, I personally wish more people would but I no one encourages them to do so. I am sickened to think that you can vote portions of my life away from me. The United States is a country of individuals with individual rights. My right to my time is not in question. Why do people feel it is okay then to take part of my day from me and put it to use for the “common good”. I don’t care about the common good. I care about my good, my family’s good and the good I want to support. Do I have a constitutional right to care only about those things I care about? Do I have some constitutional compulsion to agree with you and to do as you say or else risk time in jail so long as I don’t usurp any of your rights? Can’t I be a greedy, self-centered bastard if I want? Is it greedy to just want to keep what is mine; to keep those things I have traded my life for and to only give them up when I damn well choose? I want everyone and certainly me to be free.
If a person comes to you and demands money, you can choose not to give it to him - no matter how badly he “needs” it. If he takes it, you call the police and he goes to jail. But if the masses vote for someone who then take that money from you and you refuse, you now go to jail. Where’s the justice in that?
Typical tax protester attitude.
This thread, like all such threads, contains a fine sampling of the delusions of the TP crowd. Anyone who pursues this nonsense stands an excellent chance of winding up in prison, Cryer is a VERY rare exception.
And, prison sentence or no, you still get to pay every penny of tax, penalty and interest. Just ask Schiff, Rose, Simkanin, Meredith, Johnson, Kuglin, Cryer and a long list of others.
The IRS has increased its enforcement effort in this area, pursuing both injunctions against the morons who promote this junk and selective criminal prosecutions, again mostly against promoters. However, there are still hundreds of "little people" who aren't promoters convicted every single year. If you want to vastly increase your odds of totally screwing up your life, just follow some of the TP delusions on this thread.
I, for one, thank you for your struggle. I haven't the ability, the opportunity, nor the wealth to fight the IRS; but would if I could. Best wishes to you and yours.