The decision to enforce a law is necessarily also a decision to use the threat of force on someone. Even more significantly, it is also a decision to escalate the use of force if resistance is met. As a result, the most minor infraction can result in severe punishment, and even death, if one persistently resists. We all know this instinctively when we see those blue lights flashing behind us, and we pull over to put ourselves at the mercy of a government law enforcer.
The greatest illusion that pro-government people wish to maintain is that the government is a voluntary endeavor we all enter into. This is why non-violent resistance is so damaging to them; it makes explicit the true violent nature of government. Witness the following video of a Keene, NH man sentenced to sit in a cage for half a year:
His original "crime" was apparently a minor traffic violation (running a stop sign).
I feel sad watching this video. I also admire Kurt for his strength in standing up for himself, and I hope many people see this video.
I know many people will respond to this video by dismissing Kurt's actions as "stupid". Surely he knew the consequences of even the meager resistance he was displaying (trying to have an actual conversation with the judge). This type of blame-the-victim response strikes me as similar to the government law enforcer's (at 3:57) when Kurt complains that he is being put in pain. He says "No, you're putting yourself in pain."
No comments:
Post a Comment