Banking regulations put forth by the Patriot Act, and other “safety acts” that follow have long been a huge frustration of mine. But this week, it all came home for me. I have been concerned that all of my money is in “one place.” Since that time, I have been taking money in cash. I have not gone over the $10,000 threshold that flags the IRS, but I still caused a RED FLAG to fly.
I received a letter from my bank where I have been banking for over 17 years, telling me that if I did not comply with their questioning I would have my account closed.
It’s the Minority Report. Guilty until proven innocent? That’s what the man on the phone with the bank told me. I was guilty until I explained myself. Of course, the fact that I am a U.S. Citizen and have committed NO CRIME does not matter. They just do not like how it “looks” and so they want to know what I am doing with my money. This seems like the law is in direct violation of my Fourth Amendment. Granted nothing was searched or seized, but I was questioned, and it is really no ones business. I realize I still have the freedom to leave their bank, and even have the freedom to use no bank at all, but there are conveniences to being tied to the grid, lets face it.
However, what did they think I was doing? Starting a militia, peddling drugs, or selling something illegal like… raw milk? Some suspicious activity I’m sure. Well I’m not., and just because I’m a 9.12er, and have gone to Tea Party rallies, own a pocket Constitution, and have Americana home décor doesn’t make me a domestic terrorist.
This caused me to realize the thing that is missing from our society the most is, plain old living. No one wants to allow us to just live, make mistakes, and grow.
I thought about Franklin’s famous quote, “Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
After 9.11, we gave up many liberties with the Patriot Act, and similar acts that followed.
So, here we are, living in a world where we are being protected by every expert known to man. We have financial experts at the Federal Reserve. We have Medical Experts that know that government health care is the only safe way to insure our country. We have Department of Education experts in Washington, D.C. that know what the people of Utah (and everywhere else) should be teaching, we have Legislators, and Congressmen who think they have risen above the masses, and are now qualified to legislate the redistribution of wealth because Americans won’t do it themselves.
ENOUGH! We do not need any more experts. This country was established so that men could govern themselves. Yes, at times we fail to be responsible in our duties, but if we have natural consequence (or Natural Law) occur, we will pick ourselves up, we will pick our neighbors up, and we will be able to rise to the occasion. This is the first principle of liberty. “The only reliable basis for sound government and just human relations is natural law.”
Experts need to remove themselves from our lives, and let the people get back to living, growing, and becoming the men and women that our God intended us to be … loving, giving stewards of this great land.
Moreover, we should still be innocent until proven guilty.
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Marty, No I’m not kidding about the ACLU. You need to start paying their dues and supporting them.
Your story about the local law in Summit County is a good example why. You need to think more about what the ACLU actually is doing and stop listening to the crap you hear on Fox news.
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Brent I dont know if you’re kidding on not but the ACLU goes around suing people for expressing their religious beliefs and then defending people who want to do seriously messed up stuff like peeing on the Flag or supporting NAMBLA pervies which is just WRONG. I want to preserve my freedoms but I respect that we need some law and order around here besides, the cops here in Utah are not like liberal blue state cops. If you tried any of that knowyourrights.org video BS like locking your doors during a traffic stop and giving them smartass guff about ‘are you detaining me or am I free to go, hmmm?’ why in Summit County they’ll kick your ass out and push your hooptie ride off the side of mirror lake highway like they did to some dude from New Jersey we met on the slopes. And the actors that they use in those videos look just as much like stoners as the actors playing the stoners look like stoners. Just sayin,
Party on Star People, live long and prosper!
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I agree with your distaste for the Patriot Act.
Are you a member of the ACLU? If not, why not?
From my perspective, the ACLU is the only organization trying to do anything about the Patriot Act and attempting to preserve our personal liberties. I’m sure you can find things that the ACLU has done that you may personally disagree with but you can’t have it both ways. The ACLU defends everyone and all who need protection from an over reaching government.
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The Patriot Act just plain stinks. And this whole business with the IRS and their BS 8300 form if you sell a car some baseball cards that you managed to hang despite your mom putting the majority of the collection in the garbage, that is simply and nothing more than pointy headed bureaucracy all in the so-called name of fighting terrorism? Like if I check out a falafel cookbook from the library, and I did because I like falafel sandwiches especially with the tahini sauce that I didn’t know how to make so that’s why I needed to look it up. That doesn’t make me a freaking member of Hamas, but try telling that to the FBI! George Bush II should hang his head in shame for opening the door to all this government intrusion in all our lives! And Zions Bank has no business telling you how to pay your bills! They’re lucky we’re not in Nevada where some lady running for senate wants citizens to pay for stuff with live chickens!
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It wasn’t Zions Bank, for the record. And you are right, George Bush opened the door, and the socialists are running through.
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Great comments, Jackie. If I were you, I would close the account and take my business elsewhere. It’s of no concern of that bank what you are doing with your money and the person who called you should have told him that.
I agree about the conveniences of a banking institution, but this Big Brother behavior need not be tolerated. One of the reasons I went with a small credit union rather than a bank is because this particular credit union actually believes in the privacy of its customers.
As for the Patriot Act, it needs to be repealed. I don’t understand how the invasion of our privacy can make anyone feel more safe; it certainly doesn’t work for me. We need government out of our lives and things will be better.
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