"Sovereign Citizens' threat to cops and country"
A shocking show. Sovereign Citizens, an increasingly concerning segment of the population for law enforcement, were the subject of a segment on CBS' May 15 "60 Minutes."
The segment featured an interview with West Memphis Chief of Police Bob Paudert, whose son, Brandon was killed, with fellow Officer Bill Evans during a traffic stop, by Sovereign Citizen Jerry Kane and his son, Joe.
Sovereign Citizens are anti-government extremists who don't pay taxes, ignore requirements like Social Security cards and driver licenses, and have no regard for the police or courts.
The FBI lists them as a top domestic terror threat. With a sluggish economy and the mortgage crisis, their ranks are growing. An estimated 300,000 consider themselves Sovereign.
In the simplest form, Sovereign Citizens believe they are above the law.
They are angry with authority and want to be free of legal restraints.
Sovereign Citizens believe the government has moved away from the fundamental principles on which this nation was built. They are motivated to re establish the limits of limited government. To re establish these limits, they have resorted to extreme violence targeted at police and judges.
Alfred Adask, Sovereign Citizen "guru" states, "We have a right to keep and bear arms to shoot our own politicians...to shoot police, Members of Congress, Senators... the President."
Sovereign Citizens believe in the illegitimacy of the Constitution's 14th Amendment - where the government justifies restrictions on individual liberty in the name of national security. There has been serious talk lately in some states , most notably Arizona, that suggests a desire to repeal the 14th Amendment. On this issue, it appears the Sovereign Citizens and members of the right-wing share common ground.
According to those who pay attention to writings on social networks where the Tea Party hangs out, you will see quite a few so called TP activists talking about the government being unconstitutional, taxes are evil, laws don't apply to them, people are sovereign, etc. And, this is coming from people identified as Sovereign Citizens who have infiltrated the Tea Party to push their agenda and recruit. To see the Tea Party and Sovereign Citizens blur together check out http://donmashakshennepincountymnfreepress.blogspot.com/2009/06/sovereign-citizens-as-our-founding.html
According to a Center internationally known for fighting hate, teaching tolerance, seeking justice, and monitoring the activities of extremist hate groups, the Tea Party is actually helping to strengthen the white supremacist movement in America, and has helped to re energized some specific hate groups that were on the verge of extinction.
What do you get when you mix libertarianism with right-wing extremism, all juiced up with the populism of the Tea Party movement? Well, one of the outcomes is the rise of the Sovereign Citizens.
As things stand in the country today, on a political spectrum, Sovereign Citizen adherents are only a few steps farther to the right than the Tea Party movement itself.
Richard O. Schwab was formerly associate head of school and middle school head, Cincinnati Country Day School. He is also neighborhood team leader, Glendale Organizing For America Community Team (www.gofact.blogspot.com)
