I try to stay away from those kinds of interactions with the state. I value my freedom too much to "go to jail for freedom".
Yeah, but I don't mean activism. I'm just talking bummer experiences with the state that may have influenced your views.
Example - When I was eighteen, a buddy and I went to Meijer (Big department store, like a Super Walmart) and were walking around. I went because I wanted to buy a jar of black powder. (Making homemade fireworks) Anyway, this friend grabs a cassette tape and I guess a frog spear tip and stuffs them into his pants.
Mind you, I have no idea he did this.
He was 17, I was 18.
We go to leave and get stopped at the door. My friend bolts. I stand there looking confused.
Police are called.
I get held and cited for "Second Degree Retail Fraud"
My friend gets caught exiting the wooded area behind the store by police, after an hour long game of hide and seek. He was apparently climbing trees and waiting for them to pass by and jumping down and all sorts of ninja shit.
I go home.
They never send me paperwork or anything. A court date comes and goes. The next day my friend calls me and asks why I didn't show up at the courthouse. I immediately go up there with my father (I didn't live with him, I was in my own place at 17 and a few months) and try to explain that I never received notification.
They throw me into the tank for two hours and almost arrest my father for screaming at them for several minutes. The tank was this jail looking room right off of the court room. Stunk and was creepy and grimy.
They let me out and reschedule court after we have to pay $200 to get me out of the tank.
I show up to new court date.
My whole family is there, the friend who stole the shit is there. The friend who stole the shit admits that I knew nothing and had nothing to do with the theft.
He gets six months probation. I get two years probation, during which time I am required to show evidence that I am in school (Yes, including college), 80 hours of community service, and I have to take classes about retail fraud.
Mind you I was what you would call a GOOD FUCKING KID by the mainstream definition. I didn't smoke, drink, or use drugs. I had my own place, two jobs, and was in school.
None of that mattered to Judge Gail "Maximum" McKnight. (That was her actual nickname)
At the end of all of this, I have to stand in front of her again and talk to her about how good a boy I've been and explain my personal life to her. Yes, I stayed in school, here's is my Cert of Outstanding attendance, Here is my cert for outstanding achievement, here is my nomination for a student category Academy Award for Best Animated Short (Not kidding) etc etc.
Bitch then sat in that chair and mused about how she did the right thing because of how well I was doing for myself and then complimented me on being a good boy.
That night I went out and committed my first premeditated crime ever, by driving through town and defacing just about every single stop sign in Plymouth, Michigan (Okay, it was exactly 40) by putting bumper stickers that said "Government" under the word "Stop"
Because fuck that stupid bitch.
That was in 1992 and I'm still pissed.