The death of Chase Allan was a tragedy. And I am mourning the events that led to his demise, including those mentioned in a previous letter. But what concerns me most is that there are college-educated people in Utah who believe they can declare themselves “sovereign citizens” — and therefore are not subject to the laws of the state (or country) in which they live.

Anarchy is defined as, “a state of disorder due to absence or nonrecognition of authority or other controlling systems … [the rejection of governmental authority] has become a synonym for chaos and the breakdown of civil order.” This is Civics 101. What is most tragic is that there are people among us — anarchists — who prefer anarchy to civil order. Put another way, there are people who refuse to accept that we live within — and daily benefit from — a system of laws.

Since the predominant culture in Northern Utah is LDS, it should be noted LDS beliefs specifically state, ” … all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside …” (D&C: 134:5) It should also be noted that although the “Sovereign Citizen Movement” has been around since the early 1970s, “Sovereign citizen arguments have no basis in law and have never been successful in court.” (Source: Wikipedia)

Yes, Chase Allan’s death was a tragedy and should be mourned. But also mourned should be the fact that he was an anarchist. No-one — in America — can put himself “above the law” simply by declaring himself to be a “sovereign citizen.”

Don Gardner

Ogden

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