April 15, 2024
To whoever reads this:
The United States’ unconscionable support of Israel to kill over 33,000
Palestinians, including 10,000+ children, in the last six months, breaks
my heart. The US’ unconscionable participation in war, and in arming
other nations for war, continues to break my heart.
My calculations indicate that I owe $1,152. The War Resisters League’s
latest analysis
(https://www.warresisters.org/resources/pie-chart-flyers-where-your-income-tax-money-really-goes)
shows that about 45% of every federal income tax dollar goes to military
spending. On a more granular level, the US Campaign for Palestinian
Rights calculates that the average taxpayer pays $25.25 per year to arm
the Israeli military at a total cost of over $3 billion per year.
I refuse to pay income taxes that may fund war in any amount.
I understand that I may face consequences.
But few US warmongers have ever faced consequences. In fact, today, many
who face prison time, fines, or other penalties are the whistleblowers
who revealed the extent of government violence.
I hope that as a worker in the IRS, you will consider the reasons that
many people like me are resisting war taxes this year, and every year.
Thank you,
Erica
I love this letter. In fact I will be using it as a template for next year’s taxes. I’ve been receiving y’all’s newletters for a number of years and have never had the courage to actually resist paying my taxes. This year will be different. The only thing that I would change is the number of Palestinians killed. The independent reporting that I routinely watch/read says that the numbers are much much higher–around 300,000 now. I have heard that the counting of the dead has ceased as a way to subtly propagandize the public.