|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Sovereign citizens use the term “State Citizen” to express a central belief in their ideology: they consider themselves answerable only to the laws of their state (or sometimes a specific interpretation of those laws) and not subject to federal authority.
Here’s a breakdown of their reasoning:
- Misunderstanding of Citizenship: Sovereign citizens believe there are two classes of citizens in the U.S.: state citizens and federal citizens [1, 2]. They see “State Citizen” status as superior and exempt from federal laws and regulations. This contradicts the reality of U.S. citizenship.
- Rejection of Federal Authority: By emphasizing “State Citizen,” they aim to delegitimize the federal government’s power over them [2]. They might argue that only state laws apply to them, not federal ones.
- Fabricated Legal Distinction: The concept of “State Citizen” has no basis in law. The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees a single U.S. citizenship that applies nationwide [3].
- Challenge to National Identity: Sovereign citizens who use “State Citizen” might be implicitly rejecting the idea of a unified American identity in favor of a stronger state-based identity [4].
Why “State Citizen” Doesn’t Hold Up:
- The U.S. Constitution establishes a federal system, but everyone residing in the country is still a U.S. citizen with obligations to both federal and state laws.
Important Points to Remember:
- “State Citizen” is not a recognized legal status.
- U.S. citizenship applies nationwide, and federal laws apply to all citizens.
- Sovereign citizens’ arguments based on this distinction are invalid in court.
Citations:
- [1] Anti-Defamation League: The Sovereign Citizen Movement [https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/sovereign-citizen-movement-united-states]
- [2] Southern Poverty Law Center: Sovereign Citizens [www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/ideology/sovereign-citizens-movement]
- [3] Cornell University Law School: Legal Information Institute: Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution [“14th Amendment.” Legal Information Institute, Legal Information Institute, www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxiv.]
- [4] Oyez: U.S. Supreme Court: Cases & Opinions [Oyez. “U.S. Supreme Court Oral Arguments on Apple Podcasts.” Apple Podcasts, 25 Apr. 2024, podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u-s-supreme-court-oral-arguments/id1048210550
