Live Free or Die

Well, that's the wrong state's motto, but it fits the story. A self-proclaimed State of Washington citizen (not a U.S. citizen!) is being locked up for eight years for failing to pay his income taxes. Mr. Stephenson has declared that the IRS has no authority to collect taxes. I guess he missed that particular Amendment to the Constitution.

I once heard (and it quite struck my fancy) that if you try to live freely and don't pay your taxes, the government will kill you. Mr. Stephenson is well on his way to this result. He has already taken the first few steps by not paying taxes and being imprisoned. Now all he needs to do is try to escape and live freely. After the trial, he declared the proceedings a "sham conviction," so I wouldn't put an escape attempt past him. And that's when the feds start shooting.