(continued from part I...)
After a few moments, they grabbed my arms and placed handcuffs on me. I said to Lopez, “You said you weren’t going to do this.” Lopez began patting my body with his hands, asking if I had a weapon. I said, “Yes, I do, I have the Word of God.” He asked again, and I gave him the same answer.
They wanted me to walk into their car, but I just stood there, explaining that, in Christ’s Kingdom we treat others like we would like to be treated, and that I wouldn’t be helping them with their evil deeds. They soon grabbed under my arms and pushed me into their vehicle. Lopez read to me what is known as a Miranda Warning, saying that I now had the right to remain silent, and other state benefits. I told Lopez that I had rights far above any of those. Lopez asked if I understood those rights. I stated that I don’t accept any rights or protections offered by his State. Lopez verbally pressed the point about reaching an understanding, but I firmly told him that we have no agreement.
It was almost time to go to jail, or so I thought. Ditto asked me if I would give him permission to drive my car to our destination. I was inclined to refuse. But, the Holy Spirit, again prompted me to be quite receptive to that idea. Besides, towing companies are often more extortion prone than State bureaucrats. I told Ditto that he had my permission to drive the car so that it wouldn’t be a hazard or an obstruction on the highway, but to bring the keys back. And, he said that he would. I knew that Ditto would figure that he was now free to search and seize property items that might seem incriminating against me, even though there was no cause to do so. But, what might they find: a copy of New Jerusalem Times in the glove box, arc welding gear in the trunk, a signed-over Certificate of Title to the car, some personnel items, letters, and correspondence, etc?
Ditto drove off in my car. Lopez drove the squad car, with me handcuffed in the front passenger seat. That drive lasted approximately 30 minutes, during which time Lopez and I had a pretty good dialogue about the nature and presence of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. I also asked Lopez, “If your supervisors ordered you to participate in another incident similar to the one at Waco, Texas, would you do it, or would you quit your job, and most likely sacrifice your career?” There was silence in the car.
I further asked, “Would you provoke people enough, so that they might shoot at you, in order for you to justify the use of military tanks to annihilate them?”
We arrived at a small building with several offices inside. Some more men came out to meet me, most of them were not wearing uniforms. I would not help them by walking, and I was threatened with jail while being dragged inside anyway, in a semi-upright amnner. But this place was not a jail, there was not even a holding cell.
I believe this was a Hartley County Sheriff building, which also housed small offices for Texas State Troopers (DPS). These two agencies seemed to work together a lot. I believe one of the men was their so-called County Sheriff. “Sheriffs” are deemed to be the highest law enforcement official of a County, which is a political subdivision of the State, and is therefore one of the modern princes of those hostile principalities and powers. (Eph. 6:12)
Upon entering, I loudly announced to all the staff and support personnel that I forgave them for their trespass against me. Jesus told us, that if we forgave others who trespass against us, that our heavenly Father would forgive us. So, I gave it to them right up-front, while they were in their very act of trespass. (Mat. 6:14)
I was placed in a seat. I asked if this was their interrogation room. Lopez, Ditto, and two other so-called “Troopers” were milling about this area. One of the Troopers said that I was one of those people who didn’t pay taxes. I told them that we pay for whatever we use, and that the Body of Christ is not made up of thieves. (We owe them nothing, because we take nothing from them, and we don’t reside in their political fictions. We’re not their slaves, we belong to Another.)
On several occasions I was asked for a date of birth, a social security number, or a state-registered name. I told them that a date of baptism marks a spiritual birth. Lopez was holding my ID, and said, “Your date of baptism is September, 22. Tomorrow is your birthday. You’ll be four years old. You’re just a baby!”
“You’re right, I’m just a baby!” I told him. I shared with them that, “When we are born-again, we become new creatures in Christ Jesus, and old things pass away.” (II Cor. 5:17)
“New creatures?” one of them blurted out, with a puzzled look on his face.
That period lasted for nearly two hours, and I felt comfortable talking to all of them. During that time, the Sheriff, and possibly others, were calling various agencies from the State of Kansas, Oregon, Arizona, and their federal District of Columbia, trying to figure-out if I was a criminal. They wanted me to sign a receipt for the few items of property that they had already taken, which I refused to do.
Lopez was holding some of my personal letters, trying to find a place to put what looked like three charging instruments (traffic tickets), when I said, “You swore an oath to help people to be secure in their property and their effects. I didn’t authorize you to go into my car a take those letters.”
“Oh, yeah,... unreasonable search and seizure,” he said.
At one point Lopez had a lot of insight when he held up my church-style identification, and said, “You really don’t need these, do you?”
I said, “That’s right, they’re just paper! But, they do bear witness to the reality that is right in front of you.”
We talked about mandatory state vehicle insurance. I told them (for example) Tennessee residents are not required to contract with state-approved insurance companies, and how they’re not criminals when they travel. (I think that is no longer the case now, and Vermont residents may be the only statists that aren’t compelled to purchase car insurance). Also that, car insurance neither prevents accidents, nor saves lives. And how, during the 1970’s, the insurance industry and the U.S. federal government lobbied to cause most states to compel their residents to contract with third parties (insurance companies).
“That was twenty years ago,” responded one of the Troopers.
I told him that was the tendency of his State, “Yesterday you were free to travel, and killing unborn babies was prohibited; today you are forced to pay when traveling, and your right to kill unborn babies is protected by the State.”
Even when statists try to do good, it comes out bad. It’s a law. The Bible calls it, “the law of Sin and Death.” (Rom. 8:2) We who live by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ are immune.
Further, I said to them, “You swore an oath to uphold a document that specifically mentions something called, the Common Law. Within that rule of Law is a criteria for determining if a crime has been committed: If there is no victim, or no property damage, there is no crime!” I said, “I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Common Law doesn’t exist anymore,” one of them said.
“So, why did you sware an oath to uphold it?” I asked him. But, there was no answer.
Church Denominations became a topic, and I let them know that 99.9% of them were state-corporations that also apply for permission to become a non-profit, 501(c) (3) organization under the control of the IRS.
One of the Troopers somberly said, “That’s true.”
“Jesus is not Lord of those organizations,” I said, “the State is!”
I asked these Troopers not to become upset when I told them that their job was one of a mindless robot for the State. Like the Nazis, who, at the Nuremberg Trials, said they were, “just following orders.” Or, like the Roman soldiers, who were state employees too, as they took Jesus and crucified Him.
Lopez quickly spoke up, “You can’t compare yourself to Jesus.”
“His same Life is inside me, and I haven’t done anything wrong either.” I said.
The Sheriff came into the room and asked me to come with him, so he could see about releasing me. I wasn’t surprised by what followed, but I did walk to the desk of a woman who held a fictional state office: “Justice of the Peace.” The woman said that she had three charges against me: Driving on the Shoulder of the Road, Failure to Identify Myself, and No Vehicle Insurance. I asked her if she was the Complainant?
She said, “No, they are,” as she pointed behind me at Lopez and Ditto.
“Those men couldn’t possibly be the Complainant,” I said, “they are the ones who stopped me, and have deprived me of my liberty and property.”
She threatened me with more charges if I didn’t tell her my name. I looked her right in the eye, and said, “Christian Livingstone is the only name I have, and the only one I use.” She said, that if I plead guilty to each charge, and paid $250 on each count, that they would let me go.
I still had my wallet, which contained nearly $2000 in cash, as I told her, “I have no need to make any pleadings in this matter, but, I am willing to settle for damages; just restore me to the condition that you found me, and in that way both parties will be best served.”
She just shook her head and said, “No.”
Soon afterwards, they started to drag me out to a State vehicle, and I loudly announced, “With your own hands, this is the inheritance that you are giving your children, should they ever become Christians.”
(continues at part III...)