Arguments Against Sovereign Citizens

Sovereign Citizens

The movement was originally started by a 1960s Christian white supremacist group called "Posse Comitatus." One of their core beliefs is that the United States is controlled by a global Jewish conspiracy.

In order to distance themselves from supporting this government while still continuing to live within the U.S., they developed the belief that they are not subject to federal laws. The group is most known for pioneering techniques knows as "paper terrorism." This includes filling frivolous lawsuits, fake reports of tax evasion on government officials, and similar false documents. This forces their victims to spend time and money responding to these illegitimate claims, which sometimes even leads to bankruptcy.

One of the simplest arguments against sovereign citizens is that the constitution, and by extension, the federal government, has express authority over the citizens of the United States. This is according to article six of the constitution, known as the

Although their beliefs are completely illegitimate and borne out of anti-Semitic racism, they are a disruptive and growing force within The United States.

In 2010, two police officers were shot and killed by "sovereign citizens" in Arkansas during a routine traffic stop. In most cases, sovereign citizens tend to be more than a nuisance than a deadly threat. They claim that the United States law does not apply to them, and refuse to pay traffic tickets and taxes. However, a 2014 survey of law enforcement officers found that sovereign citizens were the number one threat in the U.S., more so than even Islamic extremists or neo-Nazis.

They tend to argue that because they never agreed to the federal government 's authority, they cannot be arrested or charged with a