I had a bank transfer (rent to my then-landlord) seized by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). They never provided a reason, but I suspect it was related to his Middle-Eastern name. I got a case number and was directed to a government website to dispute the seizure. I filled out the forms and switched to depositing money orders directly into his account, which was a huge pain in the ass compared to an online bank transfer.

Months later, I got a letter from OFAC telling me they had no record of the case, despite my including the case number in the disputation paperwork. I then decided that it wasn't worth the time and stress that would be involved in pursuing the matter, as it was ~$2k. I would hire a lawyer to take it on for me if I had endless cash, but at the time this nearly got me evicted because I couldn't make up the rent. A family member loaned me the money and bailed me out.

It was just another reminder that you can't take on the government unless you have the means to do so or your case is so outrageous that someone will represent you pro-bono. It was demoralizing. I'm also reminded, in this moment, of a sheriff deputy who claimed to smell marijuana in a car that I'd borrowed from my father while mine was in the shop. Not only was I not smoking weed at the time, but I'd sure as hell never have smoked it in a borrowed vehicle. Outrageous lies to pressure me to consent to a search (which I successfully declined, but I'm also white, so…)

I used to keep one of those cards that the TSA would leave in your checked luggage when they searched stuck to my refrigerator. It was a daily reminder that they can put their boot on your neck, which is exactly what I took the card as meant to imply. I'm not an anti-government type, but I sure am anti-authoritarian-assholes type. This behavior must be stopped.

Not too different than an armed gang robbing someone on the street. Specifically, the polite kind of robbery where three guys walk up and say “Hey, let me see that watch.”