“Legal” Theft

And the state in which I still own a house is one of the worst – South Carolina.

Now, there is much to love about SC. The people are generally friendly, they have strong family ties, the children are generally quite civil and polite, and the winter temps are a relief, after having lived in Cleveland, OH for many years. Just NOT having to scrape the ice and snow off your car in the winter is tremendous.

But, the state legislature is too complacent about the many abuses of Civil Forfeiture, which hits the Black population harder than it does the White population. Black people are more likely to not have access to a bank account, or other ways to put their money safely away. They are more likely to keep it in their car or on their person, making them more vulnerable to losing it in any encounter with the police.

 “Black men pay the price for this program. They represent 13 percent of the state’s population. Yet 65 percent of all citizens targeted for civil forfeiture in the state are black males.”

Those encounters don’t have to involve a crime – or, even, an arrest. Many people have had their cash taken without having any recourse, except to hire a lawyer (good luck with that if you’ve lost access to your money!).

So, for all the people I’ve heard saying how the Red states will provide safety and freedom, I can only say:

Look, the Red states – and, yes, many of them ARE in the South – are not uniformly supportive of the freedom and dignity of citizens. Local and state governments often do abuse their power to act against Americans. They don’t always respect Constitutional Rights, or even Human Rights.

That’s why I’m not concerned about leaving the Red for a state that is generally classified as Blue. I know that moving to a “freer” state is not a solution, by itself.

No, Americans need to learn that – no matter where you live or work – Freedom doesn’t come freely. You have to be prepared to push back against the bullies – even the government ones – that try to keep you from your Sovereign Rights.

Sure, you probably won’t want to stay in a place that is more abusive than not. And, I can’t honestly counsel people NOT to leave, should they be able to without a huge financial or personal penalty.

But, just walking away from an overbearing government is no more the answer than walking out on an abusive spouse. Even after you leave, you will likely have problems. If not with that person, you will often manage to find another abusive a$$hole who will push you around.

The cure is to develop a spine. Learn to tell them NO. And, when they push you, push back (metaphorically). Figure out how to clip their wings, whether by refusing to stick around, hiring a lawyer, going public about the abuse, disentangling yourself financially, or whatever it takes.