Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[EnigmaticHat]

Someone I knew in High School posted this on FB unironically.

Its an article claiming that, due to some very old and out of context pieces of legislation, you don't need a driver's license to drive non-commercially in the US.  It furthermore implies that if you drive without a driver's license, its unconstitutional for you to get speeding tickets.

[Sirus]

Ah yes, sovereign citizens. They're a funny bunch.

[heydude6]

So what would happen if a guy decided to drive without a license in USA, got caught for it, and then in court used this as a defense? Cause if he gets off scot free then the article would technically be correct, although they would probably fix that loophole soon afterwards.

Even if the article were correct about that point, it doesn't mean that the ideas it advocates are right. The rest of it devolves into a conspiracy theory. The DMV was not created to scam people out of money, it was created to prevent idiots from killing each other. As far as the whole forfeiting rights angle goes, I'd rather forfeit part of a constitutional right than get run over by a guy who doesn't know how to use a steering wheel.

Anyway, once they fix that loophole, the article will devolve into irrelevance.

[MaximumZero]

Well yes, but as much as I enjoy punching people in the face the legal implications aren't nice.

Honestly neither is pulling teeth out of your knuckles.

Easy, there, WorkerDrone.

[Sirus]

So what would happen if a guy decided to drive without a license in USA, got caught for it, and then in court used this as a defense? Cause if he gets off scot free then the article would technically be correct, although they would probably fix that loophole soon afterwards.

Even if the article were correct about that point, it doesn't mean that the ideas it advocates are right. The rest of it devolves into a conspiracy theory. The DMV was not created to scam people out of money, it was created to prevent idiots from killing each other. As far as the whole forfeiting rights angle goes, I'd rather forfeit part of a constitutional right than get run over by a guy who doesn't know how to use a steering wheel.

Anyway, once they fix that loophole, the article will devolve into irrelevance.

As far as I know (which isn't much, admittedly), as a defense in court it doesn't work at all. The sovereign citizen movement is pretty much founded on pseudo-legal bullcrap based on the assumption that the US government has no real authority over anyone, and that by saying the correct magic words you can be absolved of virtually any crime. When this inevitably doesn't work, the assumption is that the government is so corrupt that they're denying you your rights and thus you're still innocent (at least in your own mind).

[Frumple]

So what would happen if a guy decided to drive without a license in USA, got caught for it, and then in court used this as a defense? Cause if he gets off scot free then the article would technically be correct, although they would probably fix that loophole soon afterwards.

Well, first the judge would laugh at them, maybe literally. Then the defense would be thrown out, at best. If the defendant kept trying that route afterwards, iirc what usually comes next is contempt of court charges.

[Avis-Mergulus]

Kinda reminds me of the Runner sect in the Russian Old Believers. Guys basically decided that civil government was literally Satan, so having any kind of document or paying any kind of tax, as well as serving in the army, or in some cases, even using money at all, was considered a sin among them. They made themselves "passports" which were pieces of paper with things like "The Lord is the protector of my life: so whom shall I fear?" written on them.
In contrast to "sovereign citizens", the government and the church considered them to be DOUBLE HERESY, so they also had no permanent homes (convenient since they also considered having stuff to be evil) and were generally hunted.
Plus they believed that the world was going to end / there was a Heaven on Earth called Belovodye ('Whitewater land') that one could get to if one was free of sin / similar magical and eschatological nonsense.

All in all, a bunch of crazy religious weirdos, but at the same time kinda badass in a way. It's like, one of those guys would make a fascinating character for an RPG. I have to think more on that.

[TD1]

Only, instead of having "The Lord is the protector of my life: so whom shall I fear?" written on a passport, they have it inscribed on their blades in order to strengthen their resolve in battle?

[Avis-Mergulus]

Only, instead of having "The Lord is the protector of my life: so whom shall I fear?" written on a passport, they have it inscribed on their blades in order to strengthen their resolve in battle?

Sadly (or perhaps fortunately), violence was also a no-no. But I guess you could adjust that if you wanted to play a combat-oriented character.

[EnigmaticHat]

So what would happen if a guy decided to drive without a license in USA, got caught for it, and then in court used this as a defense? Cause if he gets off scot free then the article would technically be correct, although they would probably fix that loophole soon afterwards.

Even if the article were correct about that point, it doesn't mean that the ideas it advocates are right. The rest of it devolves into a conspiracy theory. The DMV was not created to scam people out of money, it was created to prevent idiots from killing each other. As far as the whole forfeiting rights angle goes, I'd rather forfeit part of a constitutional right than get run over by a guy who doesn't know how to use a steering wheel.

Anyway, once they fix that loophole, the article will devolve into irrelevance.

As far as I know (which isn't much, admittedly), as a defense in court it doesn't work at all. The sovereign citizen movement is pretty much founded on pseudo-legal bullcrap based on the assumption that the US government has no real authority over anyone, and that by saying the correct magic words you can be absolved of virtually any crime. When this inevitably doesn't work, the assumption is that the government is so corrupt that they're denying you your rights and thus you're still innocent (at least in your own mind).

Adding onto this, of the concrete sources the writer quotes, two of them predate the widespread use of cars.  Laws change, the important thing is what's on the books now, not what some guy in a wig wrote 2 centuries ago.

[Kot]

So, this Westworld thing is happening.
It's fucking amazing.

[Spehss _]

Apparently there's some kind of nation wide clown "pandemic", as people freak out over reports of suspicious looking clowns doing suspicious stuff. Actual professional clowns are getting harassed for it, there's "clown hunts" as people form groups to look for reported suspicious clowns, etc.

What the hell.

[Frumple]

It's come up a few times, yes. Should be noted that there's at least one murder associated with the stuff, and it's been happening for something like two or three months.

[JoshuaFH]

Apparently there's some kind of nation wide clown "pandemic", as people freak out over reports of suspicious looking clowns doing suspicious stuff. Actual professional clowns are getting harassed for it, there's "clown hunts" as people form groups to look for reported suspicious clowns, etc.

What the hell.

Some thought the world would end in fire, others in ice, perhaps submerged in water, or destroyed by something from outer space, or eaten by machines, but they were all wrong, the world will end in clowns.

[Spehss _]

It's come up a few times, yes. Should be noted that there's at least one murder associated with the stuff, and it's been happening for something like two or three months.

I'm only finding out about it today. How I'm only now hearing about something so bizarre is beyond me.