Given all the talk, lately, of the decalaration of sovereignty by several states, I have noted that there is little corresponding talk of individual sovereignty.

This is not at all a new concept and has a long history, at least as a philosophical ideal. I recall members of the Libertarian movement (not necessarily the Libertarian Party, who chose to allegedly achieve their ends by becoming part of the state they sought to supposedly do away with), back in the seventies, talking about individual sovereignty and individualist anarchism, etc, and these concepts were promoted in the nineteenth century by such individualist anarchists as Lysander Spooner.

Now, many may consider this far too radical an idea. Many will consider it preposterous, in fact. But, consider that those who do so have spent their entire lives with their minds entrained by a false society based upon the unseen rule of an all-encompassing unelected oligarchy – the very people we should all be rebelling against at this moment.

Given that our government, both federal and state, derives it powers to govern from the consent and will of the people, does it not follow that the same provisions of the Tenth Amendment that are currently being used by the states to declare their sovereignty may also be used by the people? In fact, the Tenth Amendment says so:

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution nor  prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

What this means is that whatever rights that aren’t specifically mentioned as powers of either the federal or state governments exclusively are also granted to the people. So, if a state can declare its independence of the federal government under the Tenth Amendment, then so can an individual declare himself/herself independent of both the federal or the state governments in the event that both become despotic.

Now, it is my preference to have some form of minimal government. After all, the Declaration of Independence says:

“…Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”

The historical precedent is that humanity has relied, in one form or another, on some degree of governance, however imperfect that may be. But, what if all attempts (and, should the states succeed in shrugging off the current regime, this would be at least our third attempt to get it right, the first being the Articles of Confederation, the second being Federalism and the third being whatever comes next) to arrive at a just government continue to fail? What if the states withdraw from and dissolve the federal government, only to become equally as tyrannical, themselves? Then we have not one despotic regime to deal with, but fifty of them.

In looking ahead to what might happen, I see this as a very real possibility, granted that we know our states are currently infiltrated by those who serve the interests of the current federal government and the unseen oligarchy controlling it, and not the interests of the states or the people. In such a situation, can we realistically expect that the states, once freed of federal rule, won’t also become tyrannical regimes, themselves? It seems rather unlikely to me, given the lessons of history.

Therefore, as a sort of “insurance policy” of sorts, I’ve written – for whatever it may be worth (and I acknowledge that may be very little or nothing, given the present situation), a Declaration of Individual Sovereignty. Take it as you wish, do with it what you will, and feel free to re-write or revise it to suit your own needs or goals. I’m keeping my own copy – just in case.

P.S.: If the link isn’t working, here is the full text:

A Declaration of Individual Sovereignty

Be it known that I, _______________________, the undersigned, do hereby declare myself to be a sovereign individual under the provisions of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America and that I reserve for myself all the rights and powers conferred upon the People of the United States of America by the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, which states:

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution,

nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively,

or to the people.”

Recognizing that both the Federal Government of the United States of America and the governments of the several States derive their just powers to govern from the consent and will of the People, and that the People may reserve the right to throw off the bonds of servitude and oppression of a tyrannical government, as per the guarantees made in the Constitution of the United States of America and the Bill of Rights, it is the incumbent duty of all the People to declare such tyrannical governments null and void according to the provisions and limitations imposed upon those governments by the Constitution of the United States of America and to either seek to establish a new and just government in adherence to the Constitution of the United States of America or, if that has become no longer possible, to declare themselves, each one, an individual sovereign entity beholden to no governance save for their own.

In accordance with these aims and purposes as stated herein, I hereby and herewith declare myself to be free of any and all governance by either the Federal Government or any of the several States of the United States of America and I hereby and herewith reserve and reclaim all the rights enumerated by the Constitution of the United States of America and the Bill of Rights, as well as all natural rights not enumerated by the Constitution or the Bill of Rights, such as they are recognized to be inherent conditions of human existence. These rights shall include, but are in no way limited to the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, as well as the right to keep and bear arms, which shall be construed to mean any and all types of weaponry that may be necessary, in defense of my life, liberty and property from all aggressors whoever they may be.

Signed ______________________________ this ______ day of ______, 20___