I said it once before but it bears repeating now (repost)

Let me break it down.

I've said it before but it will eternally bear repeating. The only power possessed by any government--anywhere, ever--is its ability to initiate violence with impunity.

YES. There are warnings. There are citations. There are tickets and fines. There are friendly-sounding letters. There are court dates. There are pleasant-looking social workers. There are social and cultural pressures.

But these are just "polite" suggestions that conceal the threat of violence.

Refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the above?

Go to jail.

There's Mr. Police Officer at your door offering to take you for a ride. His friend Mr. Prison Warden is willing to take you under his wing and help you see sense.

Refuse to go to jail willingly? Do you consider your court-ordered arrest to be nothing more than kidnapping? What will you do?

Submit to arrest or else.

Mr. Police Officer politely reminds you of his authority.

Or else what?

We will forcibly arrest you.

Mr. Police Officer hates resorting to coercion. It looks bad.

What if I exercise my natural right to defend my person and property against aggression?

We will shoot you. Dead.

Mr. Police Office has it on good authority that you're a mentally unstable and certifiably dangerous drug dealer.

Every political ideal and issue is built upon this simple, sadistic premise: "Do it or we'll kill you."

Every ballot you cast in the name of democracy is a sanction for the majority of people to inflict this violent ultimatum upon a minority of people. Every time you say "there oughta be a law...", you're proposing a new situation in which this violent ultimatum must be used. Every day, you're threatened with this ultimatum by people you've never met for murky reasons you've never understood.

I don't appreciate ex post facto justification. Don't make excuses for your abusers.

So much is possible with freedom. There is so much that will have to wait until our lives have passed. We have so far to go before there are individuals who are truly allowed to ask and explore all of the "why?"s they want with impunity and encouragement. I know what we are missing. I fear too many people resist because they are afraid to know.