Summary: The Sovereign Citizens Movement

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Historical and Political background
The Sovereign citizen movement is a subculture that originated from an anarchist ideology and philosophy of the Posse Comitatus of the 1970’s and the KKK. The Sovereign Citizens believe in conspiracy theories. They believed that the United States government was infiltrated and parts of the real government was switched with an illegitimate tyrannical government. Today, the Sovereign Citizens are certain that there are two separate governments. As a result, they decided to separate themselves from the government and their laws becoming freemen. They felt they truly had no rights, only privileges the government allowed them to have.
With the number of Sovereign Citizens constantly growing in the United States
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Sovereign Citizens are furious that they have to pay taxes, listen to law enforcement officers, and abide by the rules of the government period. In the article “Sovereign Citizens Movement” Continues to Attract Attention, author Bob Adelmann states, “ The average Sovereign Citizen today is 30 to 35 years old and is in economic dire straits” (Adelmann, 2012). They are more than likely single or divorced, and recently unemployed, which can also make them angry. Over the last couple of years new recruits have been people who are in desperate situations and who are looking to get out. Mainly individuals who are financially strained due to bankruptcy, child support, etc., those who are furious with the government and their regulations, and con artists who are looking for ways to make money are joining the Sovereign Citizens every …show more content…
Even Sovereign Citizens who are behind bars continue to recruit and train new members continuing the movement and paper terrorism tactic.
Weaponry
Various law enforcement identifications have been used by the Sovereign Citizens to get out of traffic violations, carry concealed weapons, and breach security protocols. Another tactic used by the Sovereign Citizens is called paper terrorism. They would flood the court system with endless unnecessary paperwork by filing false warrants, liens on court officials, elected officials, and police officers. The goal is to have their own cases thrown out. Sovereigns will even go further to make their enemy’s life as miserable as possible by:
Filing retaliatory, bogus property liens that may not be discovered by the victim until they attempt to sell their property. Sovereigns also file fake tax forms that are designed to ruin an enemy's credit rating and cause them to be audited by the IRS. Then they will have to prove they are the rightful owner of that property by filing documents and hiring a lawyer. (Southern Poverty Law Center)
In an attempt by the government to stop these paper terrorism tactics they have established specific laws just in this