What is a Sovereign Citizen?
The so-called “Sovereign Citizen” is a member of a poorly organized movement typified by a range of antipathy to the government and disdain for the state’s legitimate authority. This kind of movement has gained notoriety in the United States, particularly because its adherents engage in various forms of legal and financial resistance against perceived government oppression. The recent arrest of Vem Miller, suspected of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, quickly brought into the crosshairs this controversial group and its ideologies.
The origins of the Sovereign Citizen Movement
The early 1970s saw the beginning of the sovereign citizens’ movement, formed from eclectic radical anti-government sentiments combined with pseudolegal theories. It is often associated with the Posse Comitatus, a far-right group that embraced notions of white supremacy and antisemitism. The movement originally attracted those who were hostile toward government authority, primarily on issues like taxation and legal jurisdiction.
The sovereign citizens’ movement is undergirded by the belief that they are distinct in every sense from the government and not bound by any law that does not receive their direct consent. Based on fundamental misinterpretations of common law and U.S. history, many adherents argue that the federal government has not had any legitimacy since the 1930s, when the U.S. dollar was taken off the gold standard, thereby making citizens collateral for governmental debts and, as a result, slaves.
Core beliefs and practices
The sovereign citizens have a number of beliefs that reject the legitimacy of all conventional legal systems. The central tenets include:
- Rejection of government authority: There are no forms of government authority that are recognized by the sovereign citizens, including, for instance, the local, state or federal laws. The individuals do not pay taxes or follow other rules like registering their vehicles or getting driving licenses.
- Pseudo-legal arguments: Members employ elaborate legal “logic” and pseudo-legal documents, declaring themselves sovereign citizens. They routinely file meritless lawsuits against government agencies-a practice called “paper terrorism.”
- Alternative identity claims: Many sovereign citizens claim they can establish an alternative legal identity by filing specific documents with government offices. Typically this is done by “renouncing” what is perceived as a “corporate” identity – often embodied in the birth certificate or Social Security number – and declaring a “sovereign” identity.
- Resistance tactics: The sovereign citizens engage in confrontational contacts with the police, who during traffic stops or arrest read prepared statements like “I’m not driving; I’m traveling” to invoke their argument.
Impact on society
The actions and beliefs of sovereign citizens have significant effects on the general public. Failure to comply with the law at times result in hazardous confrontations with law enforcement, where some cases have become violent. In such cases, there have been encounters where citizens use deadly force on police officers during simple traffic stops.
The movement’s tendency to declare frivolous lawsuits against everyone also runs the risk of clogging up the courts and taking up time and space that could be better used for other cases. For that, it has also been termed “paper terrorism” because of its usage of flooding the courts with ridiculous filings that have no legal standing.
Diverse demographics
While the movement of the sovereign citizen is historically linked to white supremacist ideologies, over time it has undergone transformations that permit today the adhesion of elements coming from different ethnic groups. Indeed, today the participants in the movement belong to all kinds of ethnic backgrounds, also including members associated with self-proclaimed Moorish sects who espouse similar beliefs concerning sovereignty and identity.
This diversification is indicative of problems that extend far beyond the confines of this group, as many of the individuals who have joined this particular movement often suffer the pangs of economic hardship or feelings of disfranchisement. The movement provides them with a framework through which they can channel their frustrations and resist what they perceive to be oppressive governmental structures.
Vem Miller’s link
The recent arrest of Vem Miller who reportedly was part of the sovereign citizen movement near a Trump rally in Coachella, California, has cast that fact into sharp view. Authorities found him with several firearms and fake identification papers after trying to gain access to the rally with those false credentials. He claimed to be a journalist with a press pass. Sheriff Chad Bianco portrayed Miller as possessing “fringe” anti-government beliefs typical of this movement. Thanks to the quick interception of security operatives, What would be a third assassination attempt after the previous one covered in this article, Who is Ryan Wesley Routh, the alleged second shooter who tried to assassinate Trump at a Florida golf course, was quickly averted.
Although Miller said that he was a Trump supporter and did not wish harm to the former president, his actions certainly reflected the potential volatility associated with that of a sovereign citizen ideology. His case puts into memory how those beliefs can manifest in extreme behaviors that threaten public safety.
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