A Travesty of a Mockery of a Sham

The wacky tax protestor is a firmly established American archetype. Despite decades of legal outcomes to the contrary, there remains a persistent belief that income taxes can be ditched without any negative consequences.

The protestor is well-versed in sophomoric, semantic arguments. One staple observes that the law that established the income tax never defines income as anything other than "income," and -- guess what -- they don't have any "income." No wonder these folks regularly end up owing hefty penalties to the hated IRS.

But one Karl Frank Kleinpaste has upped the ante. At his trial on tax evasion charges in Pittsburgh, Kleinpaste -- acting as his own counsel, natch -- managed to question himself on the witness stand.

The trial judge enforced an edict barring Kleinpaste from filibustering on the topic of taxes. "You have to ask yourself some questions here. You can't just ramble on," the judge said.

Kleinpaste, however, did not follow the lead of Fielding Mellish and avail himself of the opportunity to move for a mistrial.

Comments

[tim]

The best counsel-cross-examining-himself scene is the episode of King of the Hill where big-government opponent Dale Gribble shows himself pictures of Hollywood foxes and asks if he finds them attractive:

Dale: Mira Sorvino? Mena Suvari? Lee Lee Sobieski?

Dale: Speeeeak English!

[todd]

This is my dad. he is a brilliant mind going to waste on something quite insignificant as tax law. he is a leader of many who consistently denies his position. successfully questioning himself (though not successful in the sense of the verdict) is one example of the mind that he has. he is able to debate intelligently with other people and has now shown that he can even debate with himself as per some of the great philosophers of the past (e.g. playwrites who create dialogue between characters is actually a conversation between the author and himself). Now he is merely wasting his talents on something as insignificant as taxes instead of people, human nature, and eternal/long-term relevance. this is the travesty. my dad is wasting his life in prison because he decides not to "give to caesar what is caesar's."

[todd]

This is my dad. he is a brilliant mind going to waste on something quite insignificant as tax law. he is a leader of many who consistently denies his position. successfully questioning himself (though not successful in the sense of the verdict) is one example of the mind that he has. he is able to debate intelligently with other people and has now shown that he can even debate with himself as per some of the great philosophers of the past (e.g. playwrites who create dialogue between characters is actually a conversation between the author and himself). Now he is merely wasting his talents on something as insignificant as taxes instead of people, human nature, and eternal/long-term relevance. this is the travesty. my dad is wasting his life in prison because he decides not to "give to caesar what is caesar's."