Here’s an entry for the “Job-Doing Hall of Fame.”
What if your job meant that you had to go arrest a guy who just wanted to live off the grid on his own land? What if that guy was a veteran? What if his only crime was refusing a service that he was supposed to pay for, like public water or utilities?
Is it actually acceptable to go to his place, kidnap him, and hold him against his will for that?
If YOU are the person who takes any of those actions, are you to blame if you’re “just doing your job?”
Meet Tyler Truitt
Tyler Truitt is a veteran who owns two acres of land in Madison County, Alabama. He and his girlfriend live off-grid. They have a clean, well-cared-for home with solar panels and a rainwater collection system. They don’t have loud parties, deal drugs, or do anything else that could be deemed anti-social.
Well, except refusing to tie into the grid.
And the government can’t have that.
So, in the interest of keeping law and order in Indiana, a guy who served his country is being harassed by his local government because they deem that not having public utilities makes his home unsafe.
I don’t know about you, but I think the unsafe part is the government officials that commit such crimes as trespassing, kidnapping, and extortion.
Truitt and his girlfriend aren’t hurting anyone. They aren’t endangering the welfare of their neighbors. They aren’t stealing, causing a public health hazard, or damaging anybody’s property.
They’re just living free.
Here’s an interview with Tyler Truitt.
After this interview, Tyler ended up going to court and was put on probation for his “crimes.”
It gets worse. During his probation, he had the audacity to return to his home. His probation was revoked and last month, he was re-arrested. He spent 10 days, including Veteran’s Day, in jail, as punishment for living in his own home. Here’s a screenshot of his booking paperwork.
This saga has been going on for months and months.
Can you imagine living in your home, minding your own business, and waiting every day for the knock at the door that turns your life upside down and deprives you of your liberty because you choose to live on your own land without public water and electricity?
“Stop abdicating the personal responsibility for your own actions.”
Truitt posted this powerful message on his Facebook page regarding his time in jail:
A Message from Tyler
Today is November 20, 2016. As many of you know, I spent the week before last in jail. The judge had ordered me to serve a 10 day sentence in addition to fines. This was in relation to the trial last year which has been under appeal for some months. The ultimate outcome of which we lost and I was ordered to serve the time. This concludes all pending legal action at the time, but what we expect to happen is for the city to come cite us again and start this process all over again. I’m not sure exactly what they’re planning to do, but I’m sure this won’t be the end of it.
As for my experience in jail, there is one aspect of all this I briefly wanted to mention. Most of the jail and court, city, county etc. employees seem to be on our side. I had numerous guards tell me they thought our situation was messed up and apologize for what is happening to us. The deputy at the courthouse even said “Hey, aren’t you that guy who was on TV living off grid? I can’t believe they are doing this to you. That’s really messed up.” As he proceeded to carry me out without a word of protest to anyone else. That seems to be the common sentiment, and what I want you to notice is the key word “they”. People always say “they”, as if that person, “just doing their job”, has nothing at all to do with this. Just a bunch of little cogs in a big machine all doing their little part with no control over their own actions.
The best thing about jail is that when you are in there, you know you’re a prisoner, no questions about it. Complete with orange jumpsuit, metal bars, and bland, hastily prepared prison food. But what about the people on the outside? All those little cogs just doing a job with no control over their own actions? Going to a job they hate every day and doing exactly as they are told even when it irks their own moral conscience. I think this begs the question, “Who is the real prisoner?” And what kind of invisible walls inside our minds force us to act this way?
Many people are living like a prisoner, and yet still believing they are free. Because we have this grand illusion of freedom, a prison without walls, and so many choices (Should I go to Burger King or Taco Bell for lunch today?) we continue on touting how much freedom we all have, as we compliantly and unquestioningly carry out our orders. Because we have bills to pay and obligations that must be upheld. Obligations so pressing that we would do things which violate our own values and sense of self.
Now maybe some of you out there (especially law enforcement or military) are saying to yourself, “Sure I have to do things at work which make me feel uncomfortable, but I would never do anything too bad. I could stop myself before I do anything seriously unethical or unspeakable.” Possibly, but just where do you draw the line? Maybe for you that line isn’t drawn at incarcerating someone just for living peacefully on their own property (like my situation). But where is it? Is it when you are told to mace protesters? Or lie to cover up the actions of other officers? Is it when you’re asked to round up millions of Hispanic people for deportation? Or when you are ordered to force all Muslims into a concentration camp? Is it when you have to torture prisoners? Or is it when you’re made to confiscate weapons from your fellow patriotic Americans? How about when they tell you to shoot anyone who offers the least bit of resistance?
The point is that every time you’re forced to do something you feel is wrong without putting up the least bit of resistance, you only further train your mind to be compliant. Now is when it’s easy to say no. Do you think it will be any easier when people are rioting and there is chaos everywhere to make the right decision when you only have a moment to decide? Let’s remember, all the people at the Nuremburg trials were just following orders too, and I’m sure most of them never imagined themselves doing the types of things they did.
I guess what I’m asking all of you to do is remember that the choice actually is yours. All those invisible walls only exist in our minds, but we can tear them down and see what real freedom feels like. Stop living like a slave or prisoner to some giant system. Instead of “they”, it’s “we”. Stop abdicating the personal responsibility for your own actions. If you can do that, then you will truly be free. We don’t need to depend on some presidential savior, Trump, Bernie, Hillary, Obama, etc. to make America great again and make all our choices for us. America is the people, all of us. Only through our own actions, taking personal responsibility and making ourselves great, can each of us do our part to make America great.
If you read all of this, thank you for your time.
Tyler Truitt
There is nothing I can add to that. Go here to help fund Truitt’s legal battle and here to follow the story on Facebook.
Related Reads
#21: Gatlin To: Fred Mertz, misterwhite (#20)
And you have tried to chastize me to clean up the language on this forum?
Hypocrite!
Gatlin posted on 2016-12-16 10:11:53 Reply Private Reply
#22: misterwhite To: jeremiad (#11)
Zoning was ruled constitutional 100 years ago.
Would it be OK with you if I set up a pig farm next door to your house? A manufacturing plant? A strip club? Casino? Amusement park?
Hey, it's my land.
misterwhite posted on 2016-12-16 10:12:06 Reply Private Reply
#23: Deckard To: misterwhite, jeremiad (#22)
Deckard posted on 2016-12-16 10:15:57 Reply Private Reply
#24: Deckard To: Gatlin, Fred Mertz (#21)
Your selective faux outrage should have been directed at paulsen.
Hypocrite!
Project much?
Deckard posted on 2016-12-16 10:18:21 Reply Private Reply
#25: misterwhite To: Deckard (#23)
misterwhite posted on 2016-12-16 10:30:55 Reply Private Reply
#26: Deckard To: misterwhite (#25)
Deckard posted on 2016-12-16 11:03:55 Reply Private Reply
#27: Roscoe To: A K A Stone (#15)
How do you know?
Roscoe posted on 2016-12-16 11:17:26 Reply Private Reply
#28: Roscoe To: Deckard (#26)
Don't forget his untreated sewage.
Roscoe posted on 2016-12-16 11:24:59 Reply Private Reply
#29: no gnu taxes To: Deckard (#0)
Okay, whatever sympathy I might have had for the guy was lost right here. He sounds like just another leftard whining about Mrs. Bill Clinton losing.
All the asshole had to do was apply for a variance, and he probably would have gotten it.
no gnu taxes posted on 2016-12-16 11:38:45 Reply Private Reply
#30: A K A Stone To: Roscoe (#27)
Two reasons.
1. I said so.
2. I'm smarter than you are.
Besides it is the concept of private property. If someone owns something they get to control it.
You may take the communist approach and not allow private property or you may limit the use of property. Again that is if you have communist leanings.
So are you a communist or do you support true private property rights?
Hint if you are for the assholes who want to tell someone else what to do on their land. Then you are the commie.
If you are with the man with the trailer who owns the land and wants to be free. Then you are a red blooded real American.
So again are you a commie or an American?
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 11:42:23 Reply Private Reply
#31: no gnu taxes To: Roscoe (#28)
If it is just him, and not a whole community of idiots that he invites in, I would say his untreated sewage is a lot less than the the rabbits, squirrels raccoons, opossums, and other critters that occupy the area anyway.
no gnu taxes posted on 2016-12-16 11:42:37 Reply Private Reply
#32: A K A Stone To: misterwhite (#22)
So was Obamacare.
You support Obamacare.
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 11:43:18 Reply Private Reply
#33: A K A Stone To: misterwhite (#22)
That would be fine. It is your land.
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 11:43:51 Reply Private Reply
#34: A K A Stone To: misterwhite (#18)
If it is just.
Abortion is law and order.
You better support it. Or you are a hypocrite.
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 11:45:36 Reply Private Reply
#35: no gnu taxes To: A K A Stone (#30)
So if there is a river flowing through my property, I have the rights to dam it up to prevent you from having water anymore?
Seems like I've seen a lot of Western shows and movies based on this concept.
no gnu taxes posted on 2016-12-16 11:45:51 Reply Private Reply
#36: A K A Stone To: no gnu taxes (#35)
No one owns the rivers or beaches.
Did you not know that?
The land is owned around the river but not the river itself.
So if someone wants to build a wall on their land they should be able to do that. But not the river itself. They don't own it.
I'm in the minority on this. I know the reasons that others give for zoning. But I'm a purist. If you own it it is yours. If you believe in leases with restricted rights. That is ok, just don't pretend you own it.
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 11:53:37 Reply Private Reply
#37: Gatlin To: no gnu taxes, misterwhite (#29)
The mayor told him to apply for a variance and he said he would rather go to court.
Which shows me he is one of those "I'lll do it my way and no one can tell me any different" libertarian assholes.
So he went to court, and guess what...HE LOST!
He also proclaimed tht the "ordance was unconstitutional."
He does sould lika a "Deckard"....doesn't he?
Gatlin posted on 2016-12-16 11:53:58 Reply Private Reply
#38: Roscoe To: A K A Stone (#30)
Is the land subject to contractual use limitations in the form of covenants, conditions and restricted recorded by an earlier owner or owners?
Is there a homeowners association with proprietary rights in the property?
Is the land subject to a mortgage requiring compliance with local laws?
Property ownership is a bundle of rights. Rarely is it absolute.
You don't appear to know very much about the nature of real property at all.
Roscoe posted on 2016-12-16 11:57:03 Reply Private Reply
#39: Roscoe To: A K A Stone (#36)
So much for water rights.
Roscoe posted on 2016-12-16 11:58:00 Reply Private Reply
#40: no gnu taxes To: A K A Stone (#36)
If what you do on your property affects my standard of living on my property, then no, I don't agree you have the right to do it.
no gnu taxes posted on 2016-12-16 11:58:45 Reply Private Reply
#41: Roscoe To: no gnu taxes (#31)
He has lots of help.
Roscoe posted on 2016-12-16 12:00:30 Reply Private Reply
#42: no gnu taxes To: Gatlin (#37)
Kind of sounds like the software writer for this site.
no gnu taxes posted on 2016-12-16 12:05:25 Reply Private Reply
#43: Gatlin To: no gnu taxes (#42)
Yep, it sure does ...
Gatlin posted on 2016-12-16 12:09:59 Reply Private Reply
#44: A K A Stone To: Roscoe (#38)
They are communist in nature.
Oh I understand it quite well. It is just not true ownership. So all you have to do is quit saying you support the concept of PRIVATE property. Or glorified leases.
I don't care which you support.
I know things aren't changing, and i'm ok with it.
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 12:18:55 Reply Private Reply
#45: A K A Stone To: Roscoe (#39)
You don't believe in "rights". You convert them to privileges.
I disagree with you that a person should be able to damn the river. But you are free to think that way. I don't care.
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 12:20:21 Reply Private Reply
#46: A K A Stone To: no gnu taxes (#40)
How did the guy in the trailer affect anyone around him?
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 12:22:23 Reply Private Reply
#47: Roscoe To: A K A Stone (#44)
So much for contractual rights.
Roscoe posted on 2016-12-16 12:25:20 Reply Private Reply
#48: Roscoe To: A K A Stone (#45)
You don't believe in "rights".
Roscoe posted on 2016-12-16 12:25:43 Reply Private Reply
#49: A K A Stone To: Roscoe (#47)
Once you sell it it isn't yours anymore.
Not so much for contractual rights.
So much for still having a say in property that you sold, and no longer own.
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 12:27:30 Reply Private Reply
#50: no gnu taxes To: A K A Stone (#46)
Really, I don't know that he did and think he probably did not.
He just wanted to act like a dick and then got treated like a dick.
Geez, the guy is spouting Clinton campaign talking points.
no gnu taxes posted on 2016-12-16 12:29:48 Reply Private Reply
#51: A K A Stone To: Roscoe (#48)
You probably don't believe you have a right to drive either. You and your type like converting rights into privileges so that you can control people and make them submit to the way you want things. The way the group wants it. Group think over the individual. Communist ideology. Screw that.
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 12:29:58 Reply Private Reply
#52: Roscoe To: A K A Stone (#49)
You really hate property rights and contracts. Methinks you're the commie.
Roscoe posted on 2016-12-16 12:31:04 Reply Private Reply
#53: Roscoe To: A K A Stone (#51)
Nope. You just said you want to stop people from selling interests in their property.
Roscoe posted on 2016-12-16 12:32:44 Reply Private Reply
#54: A K A Stone To: no gnu taxes (#50)
No he just had a little money. Not enough to buy a 500 thousand dollar house like Mr. White. So he bought some land and put a trailer on it. So that he has a place to live. So that he has shelter. So that he can work and provide for himself. On this thread it was even admitted he only needed a variance. So he can have it there anyway. The assholes with to much time on their hands just want him to live by their standards. Group think communist ideology.
The dicks were the people harassing him and they should be treated as such.
Even Hillary supporters have a rights. Why would you even bring that up unless you made up your mind on this based on who he voted for.
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 12:34:02 Reply Private Reply
#55: A K A Stone To: Roscoe (#53)
No one owns the river. Are you stupid?
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 12:34:36 Reply Private Reply
#56: A K A Stone To: Roscoe (#52)
You're just demonstrating your stupidity. That is ok with me.
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 12:35:29 Reply Private Reply
#57: no gnu taxes To: Roscoe (#47)
I've lived in these communities a couple of times. The problem isn't so much with the contract, but with the 80 year old retirees with nothing better to do than report some inconsequential violation to the management to make themselves feel important.
no gnu taxes posted on 2016-12-16 12:35:41 Reply Private Reply
#58: Roscoe To: A K A Stone (#55)
Read and learn.
Roscoe posted on 2016-12-16 12:38:42 Reply Private Reply
#59: no gnu taxes To: A K A Stone (#54)
If you fuck with people, they are going to to fuck with you back.
IMO, the guy got what he wanted.
no gnu taxes posted on 2016-12-16 12:39:05 Reply Private Reply
#60: misterwhite To: Roscoe (#41)
misterwhite posted on 2016-12-16 12:41:00 Reply Private Reply
#61: A K A Stone To: no gnu taxes (#59)
Sounds like he needs to pay some assholes back. According to your thinking.
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 12:41:41 Reply Private Reply
#62: A K A Stone To: Roscoe (#58)
If the river runs through your land you have a right to use the water. Of course.
Do you have a right to stop me from walking down the river and fishing in the water surrounded by your land. No you don't have that right because no one owns the river. Hopefully that clears up your misunderstanding.
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 12:43:53 Reply Private Reply
#63: A K A Stone To: no gnu taxes (#59)
So you admit they were just fucking with him. Shame on them.
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 12:44:38 Reply Private Reply
#64: Roscoe To: no gnu taxes (#59)
For the trailer. Him and his large girlfriend crapping in buckets on land adjacent to a public park would be more problematic.
Roscoe posted on 2016-12-16 12:45:01 Reply Private Reply
#65: Roscoe To: A K A Stone (#62)
Water rights are owned. They are property.
Do you know anything at all about property rights?
Roscoe posted on 2016-12-16 12:48:39 Reply Private Reply
#66: Roscoe To: no gnu taxes (#57)
Yep. Private property restrictions frequently wind up being more onerous than government zoning.
Roscoe posted on 2016-12-16 12:52:53 Reply Private Reply
#67: A K A Stone To: Roscoe (#65)
Dumb ass I said no one owns the river. I didn't say no one has rights to the river. No one owns it. I can walk down, kayak, canoe and fish in any river.
Comprende dumb ass?
A K A Stone posted on 2016-12-16 13:03:32 Reply Private Reply
#68: no gnu taxes To: A K A Stone (#63)
We will all behave in human ways.
IMO, this could have very easily been avoided by the trailer dude.
HE didn't want that. He wanted a confrontation. So he got what he wanted.
no gnu taxes posted on 2016-12-16 13:08:51 Reply Private Reply
#69: Roscoe To: A K A Stone (#67)
Ownership rights to the river.
Usage rights, access rights, fishing rights, water rights...
Basically, you want to ban the ownership of all private property rights to rivers, in favor of communal ownership. Have you ever heard of The Tragedy of the Commons?
Roscoe posted on 2016-12-16 13:12:27 Reply Private Reply
#70: Hondo68 To: Gatlin, Pinguinite, no gnu taxes (#43)
BbbbWwwwAaaaaaa !!
A couple of butthurt thugs! Ha HA
((( PING )))
Hondo68 posted on 2016-12-16 13:12:53 Reply Private Reply