There is an X account that is the complete opposite of me. The user is she/they, has short spiky hair, is an avid gamer, and says, “I am real and legitimate and cannot be contained by a cult.”
I know because I've talked to her that “legally present” means she's registered with a social security number. She is a classic example of a child awakening to a sovereign nation.
My family also does not feel like they are sovereign. We never “opted out.” We never “opted in” either. We are just ordinary Americans before 1930.
It is a misconception to think that children like me and this child, X, are being raised at a disadvantage. Tara Westover's 2018 memoir “Educated” touted how religious education leads to abused and traumatized youth. Her book legitimizes the victim mentality, but I was not convinced.
cult status
Westover's father was a tyrant. Mine wasn't like that. Nevertheless, “educated” seems to assume that her experience applies to anyone who grew up unconventionally. This is a disservice to many families like mine who were able to ignore mainstream expectations without becoming Duggars.
I am blogging as follows “The Girl Who Doesn't Exist” Research and write about cults and religious communities. My “qualifications” are 11 younger brothers and over 60 cousins. I am a 3rd generation homeschooled person, but a 4th generation without a social security number or birth certificate.
But I didn't let it stop me from doing what I decided to do. I lived in Germany, traveled extensively, ran my own business for 10 years, and worked as a professional seamstress specializing in wedding dresses.
I have many uncles and aunts who are convinced that they were raised in traumatic cults. They don't understand why my brother and I aren't too keen on signing up to pay our taxes, why they aren't interested in getting a piece of paper to “prove” we exist .
no complaints
My family also does not feel like they are sovereign. We never “opted out.” We never “opted in” either. We are just ordinary Americans before 1930. We are honest, hardworking and pay no income tax. Oh, we give Caesar his. But we won't give him more than that. Surely we give him nothing of God.
We have no interest in whining about pronouns or difficulties. Everyone goes through difficult times, but not everyone coped as well as our family did. Or maybe we're proud of it. We are not ashamed of how we were raised. In fact, we are proud of our ingenuity and independence.
I could easily have become another Tara Westover or some angry blue-haired she/they feminist. As it turns out, the statistics are against me. But I was content with my life and wasn't tempted by what the world had to offer me. Granted, I didn't have to tell the DMV who I was. Instead, I paved the way for my siblings to walk the path that my aunts and uncles would not pave for me.
avoid it
I learned how to be present In a world where I was told it was impossible for me to survive without a social security number.
I have managed to find my own balance in living in the modern world without surrendering my right to autonomy and identity to the government. I learned that if you have fun interacting with people, you can do well in anything. And if illegal immigrants can do it, why can't I? And I am not at risk of deportation. Instead of feeling envious or jealous, I decided to take notes on the best people.
Raise free children
Since then, I've been asked for a bullet point blueprint. Unfortunately, that's not actually the case. There is no good way to delete your Social Security number unless you want to become a state citizen or sovereign citizen. But simply by not giving them a Social Security number or birth certificate at birth, you can give your children a chance to live an empowered life outside the system.
It doesn't matter at all whether you have a midwife or give birth in a hospital. Either way, you should allow your child to opt out.
If you have a midwife, make sure that she is trustworthy and that she is not just giving you paperwork. Although there are a few good midwives left, many are now pro-big government and often unconventional. If you decide to go down this path, choose wisely.
If you're giving birth in a hospital, you don't have to worry about having a real conversation. Your best bet is to be liked and invisible. Let's play together. Don't be weird, be respectful. When it's time to take your child home and the staff member asks you to fill out the baby's paperwork, say, “Oh, I'll take it home and do it later.” The midwife probably won't follow up.
handmade birth certificate
I think it's best to do a few things once you bring your child home to make it easier for him to work and travel in the future. First, if you have a family Bible, write down your child's date of birth and name. This is still considered a legal document and can be used later to obtain a passport for your child.
You can also create a homemade birth certificate and have it notarized. Once these steps are complete, you can begin the process of applying for a passport for your child. If your child is under 2 years old and both parents are legal U.S. citizens, this process is very easy. You must write a letter stating that your child does not have a Social Security number or birth certificate for religious reasons. There is no need to clarify these religious beliefs. It's not a debate or discussion. You have a right to your beliefs.
Obtaining a passport
You may want to fill in all zeros in your passport and include a copy of your family's Bible. Also, ask for a witness affidavit and birth affidavit at the passport agency. These are filled out by a family member or friend and notarized at the passport office. You will need 2-3 copies of each form, or 4-6 signatures from family and friends. You should be able to easily obtain a passport for your child without any problems.
You can then later use your child's passport number to open a bank account for your child at a bank of your choice, especially small banks and banks that deal with immigrants.
If you have these two things in place, your child is set up to have a pretty successful life, no matter what the future holds for us. Best-case scenario: Everything stays as is, and your child can travel, bank, and work. You may still not be able to hire children in certain places because they require a social security number. But the kid probably won't want to work there anyway.
be yourself
At the end of the day, being your own human being is more valuable than being an asset to the U.S. government's taxes. And if you teach your kids to think creatively, like me and all of my younger brothers do, they'll find a way to do whatever they want without a Social Security number.
This looks different depending on the drive. All I wanted to do was be a wife, a writer, and be able to travel. I feel like my life is very successful. However, many of my siblings were nerds and interested in technology, so I learned how to create cryptocurrencies and how to get credit cards (something I can only talk about a little because it's not my passion).
Either way, the point remains the same. You find a way to accomplish whatever you feel you need to accomplish and do it your way. What could be more American than this?
