April – May 2026

cover of latest newsletter.
National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee
40 Years of Resistance
More Than a Paycheck,
REFUSING to PAY for WAR

April – May 2026

Contents

    • Click here to download a PDF of the April/May issue

      [Return to NWTRCC home]

      [Previous Newsletter]

      Tax Season 2026 
(and other Tax Season events)

      By Lincoln Rice and Chrissy Kirchhoefer

      NYC War Resisters League invaded Union Square on Valentine’s Day. Photo by Ed Hedemann

      For Tax Day, many local war tax resistance groups take to the streets to advocate refusal to fund a budget that is largely dedicated to past, present, and future military expenses. Two years ago, we saw increased interest in war tax resistance because of the invasion of Gaza with weapons provided by US tax dollars. Last tax season, the early actions of the Trump administration, such as DOGE, kept interest high. This year, we have seen even stronger interest in the wake of ICE murders as well as the invasions of Venezuela and Iran. If you plan on hosting a Tax Day event, please alert the NWTRCC office and take pictures. The following list is only what we had as this issue went to print. Find the most up-to-date list of Tax Day actions at nwtrcc.org/tax-day-actions-2026.

      Current List of Tax Day Actions

      Oakland, California – April 12, 1:00-3:00p. Sponsored by People’s Life Fund. Tax Redirection Granting Ceremony and Potluck at 401 26th Street. Direct questions and RSVPs to nowartax@riseup.net. For more information, visit nowartax.org.

      Dubuque, Iowa – April 15, 4:00p-6:00p. Second Annual Dubuque Tax Day Bike Ride. Sponsored by the Little Platte Catholic Worker Farm. Meeting place and bike route being determined. Please wear bright colors or even a silly costume. I will also have flyers that we can pass out to anyone who’s interested. For more info, email yric.morrislatchaw@gmail.com.

      St. Louis, Missouri – April 15, 3:30p-5. Vigil, leafleting with WRL Pie Chart and Penny Poll at Old Court House (11 North 4th Street). For more information contact Chrissy at outreach@nwtrcc.org.

      Albuquerque, New Mexico – April 15, 10:00a-4:00p. Tabling at the Union of the University of New Mexico – Main Campus. For more information, or email Ginny at bigmoneyoutofpolitics@gmail.com.

      Manhattan, New York – April 15, Noon-1:30pm. Vigil, music, and leafleting at IRS office at 290 Broadway (off Duane St.) Details being finalized as this goes to press. Sponsored by NYC War Resisters League and more groups TBA. For more information, www.nycwarresisters.org/demonstrations or email nycwrl@nycwarresisters.org.

      Eugene, Oregon – April 15, Time TBD. Taxes for Peace Not War, Planet vs Pentagon and allies will flyer outside the federal building (211 E 7th Ave), which hosts both the IRS and ICE. We will also have fliers and banners showing how much of our tax dollars go to the military and how little goes to life-affirming things. For more info, email Sue at suebarnhart2@gmail.com.

      Portland, Oregon – April 11, 4-5:30p. Tax Day Redirection Action at Albina Library, 205 NE Russell St. Come around 3:45p to hear Portland’s own singer-songwriter and activist David Rovics! For more information, see @OCPeaceFund on Instagram.

      Portland, Oregon – April 15, 7:30-9a. War Resisters League-Portland will hold “Burma-Shave” style signs on bridges for the morning commute. Signs provided. RSVP John at jgrueschow1@gmail.com.

      Milwaukee, Wisconsin – April 11, Noon-1pm. Protest against federal tax dollars for war, US Army Reserve, 5130 W. Silver Spring Dr. Sponsored by Milwaukee War Tax Resistance, Casa Maria Catholic Worker, Peace Action Wisconsin, and Welfare Warriors. For more info, contact Lincoln at nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org.

      Check out other websites for Tax Day actions:


      The Global Days of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS) are taking place again this year, April 10 to May 9. This year, they “are witnessing the dramatic consequences of escalating global militarization.” Find a list of all the actions at demilitarize.org. Taxpayes Against Genocide is also promoting Tax Day actions this year. Find a list of their actions at taxpayersagainstgenocide.org.

      [Return to List of Headlines]

      War Tax Resistance in the News!

      In March, we saw many high-profile news outlets print in-depth articles on war tax resistance, including the New York Times, the Guardian, Newsweek, and CNBC. You can find the entire list of articles printed on war tax resistance at nwtrcc.org. Go to the “Media” tab and click on “Articles.”
      Now might also be a good time to write a letter to the editor on war tax resistance. Here is a letter to the editor recently published in the Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, California and written by Elizabeth Boardman:
      Taxation without Representation
      When the media reports consistently for months that a majority of American voters do not support or want to help pay for evisceration of federal service functions, destruction of historical monuments, aggression in Gaza, the rollback of climate protection legislation, ICE raids all over our country, war in Iran, or other ill-conceived initiatives of the administration, I conclude that we are being subjected to taxation without representation. I object. I refuse to pay on April 15. I will tell the president and my legislators. It will be a small act of civil disobedience and it will not change the world. Since I don’t owe much (a couple of thousand), the penalties and fees won’t amount to much. But it will be a slightly stronger protest than joining the No Kings rally on March 28. Maybe others will join me. 

      [Return to List of Headlines]

      Counseling Notes

      Purpose of this Section

      This section serves as a hub for war tax resisters to keep abreast of the kind of actions the IRS is taking to collect federal tax debt. It also aids WTR Counselors, who are war tax resisters who volunteer to support existing and potential resisters. These counselors have undergone a day-long training to non-directively counsel individuals and aid them in determining their goals in regards to WTR, to discover the options most appropriate to their situation, and to assess realistically the possible consequences of those options. A current list of counselors by state can be found on the NWTRCC website (go to the “About Us” tab and click “Local Contacts & Counselors”). This training is usually offered once a year in February. If you would be interested in attending one of these trainings, please contact the NWTRCC office at nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org or (800) 269-7464.

      No Recent IRS Actions… Just Letters

      To the best of our knowledge, no war tax resister has suffered a levy or garnishment since December 2024. At that time, a decades-long war tax resisting couple had their bank account levied. As Peter Smith noted in his update in February for the War Tax Resistance Penalty Fund (wtrpf.org), the last appeal collected more than enough to reimburse the couple for the $3,691 in collected interest and penalties. Since the pandemic, the only IRS collection actions reported to the NWTRCC office have been a handful of levies on bank and investment accounts, but all these predate the December 2024 collection.
      I should make one qualification to the above statement. On the WTR list-serve (lists.riseup.net/www/info/wtr-s), I believe a couple people may have mentioned that a state refund was taken by the IRS more recently, but I’m having trouble finding that discussion at the moment. Levying a state refund is easier for the IRS because it is another government entity that they have a good relationship with.
      As has been previously noted, the IRS suspended almost all garnishments and levies during the pandemic—this included wage and social security garnishments. Although the IRS was authorized to restart these garnishments over five years ago, we have not heard from a single resister that their Social Security garnishment of 15% has restarted. This is especially strange since this kind of garnishment requires very little work from the IRS.
      All of this makes clear that the 30,000 IRS employees (roughly 30% of their workforce) fired since Trump took office, has caused greater inefficiencies for the IRS as pertains to collection activity. Though this does not explain the lack of Social Security garnishments that could have restarted during the Biden administration. We know that automated letters are still very plentiful and the NWTRCC office receives many phone calls and emails from new resisters who have received them.
      If you have experienced any IRS collection effort in the past year, please alert the NWTRCC office so we can keep everyone up to date on the latest IRS activity.

      [Return to List of Headlines]

      Many Thanks

      Thanks to each of you who has donated in early 2026! Remember, you can also donate online through PayPal and Venmo (not tax deductible) or Resist (tax deductible) by clicking on the “Donate” button at nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org. (Please let the NWTRCC office know if you use Resist.) It’s never too late to send that contribution to support our work.

      [Return to List of Headlines]

      Network Updates

      The Network List of Affiliates, Area Contacts, Counselors, and Alternative Funds is updated and online at nwtrcc.org, or contact the NWTRCC office (nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org or (800) 269-7464), if you would like a printed list by mail.

      Don’t forget, you can find us on
      Facebook • Twitter • YouTube • Instagram •

      or join our discussion listserve.
      Click on the icons at       nwtrcc.org

      Advertise to Activists! See the advertising rates for this newsletter or contact the editor at (800) 269‒7464.

      Consider a Bequest

      NWTRCC accepts bequests which can be arranged through your will or other estate plan.

      Don’t Delay, Make a Bequest to NWTRCC Today!

      Many of us war tax resisters (WTRs) are getting on in age though we don’t like to admit it and some of us are still young but want to ensure the longevity of NWTRCC. We have been supporters of NWTRCC with our dollars and our efforts and understand the importance of ensuring that NWTRCC is around as long as our taxes support death, destruction, and the military-industrial complex. NWTRCC is key to keeping WTRs connected across the country and the globe. It provides critical information for potential, new and long-time WTRs through this newsletter, the practicals, counselors, staff, and other technical support. Through national gatherings, social and traditional media, and its presence at peace and justice events across the country, the organization promotes outreach to the community at large to raise awareness that WTR is a way to resist collusion with the killing of citizens here and abroad.
      A charitable bequest is the easiest and best way to make a gift to NWTRCC. Through your will or other estate plan and no matter what your age is, you simply name NWTRCC as the beneficiary of a portion of your estate or of particular assets in your estate. Bequests can be some of the most enduring gifts. A large or small bequest can be made for many reasons. It can honor a loved one while providing critical support to NWTRCC to maintain or expand the committee’s work. A bequest costs nothing now yet it may give you great satisfaction to know that your gift will live on in NWTRCC. You can find more information about making a bequest on our website: nwtrcc.org/bequests. You can also contact Lincoln Rice at (800) 269-7464 to discuss gift strategies that can help you support NWTRCC and WTR.

      More information: nwtrcc.org/bequests, (800) 269-7464, or nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org.

      “I have been donating quarterly to NWTRCC for many years, because as a life-long war tax resister I feel I definitely need NWTRCC to be there and to be strong.”

      — Becky Pierce, Dorchester, Mass.

      Please join Becky as an annual, monthly, or quarterly pledger to NWTRCC. See the donate page on our website to pledge through Paypal (any amount monthly) or through Resist (monthly, quarterly, and annual options). If you would like a pledge packet to give by check, please contact the NWTRCC office, 800-269-7464.

      Are you organizing an action, training, or gathering?
      Got a good photo of your war tax resister community in action?
      Keep us in the loop

      We’re all about building the community of resisters.
      We’d love to celebrate you + help spread the word. Email Chrissy Kirchhoefer (Our Outreach Consultant):outreach@nwtrcc.org

      Donate by Venmo


      NWTRCC now accepts donations by Venmo! We still accept donations by check, PayPal, and credit/debit card using PayPal. Also, tax deductible donations can be made by check or credit/debit card using one of our fiscal sponsors. For more information on all the ways you can donate to NWTRCC, go to nwtrcc.org/donate.

      [Return to List of Headlines]

      Tax Resistance Ideas and Actions

      Spreading WTR on Valentine’s Day

      Graphic created by NYC WRL

      The NYC War Resisters League invaded Union Square this afternoon — Valentine’s Day — with a literature table, leaflets, signs, and a giant heart-shaped helium-filled balloon urging passersby to consider refusing to pay for war. Despite the lingering snow on the ground, it helped that the still cold temps were relatively warmer than the nasty sub-zero ones we’ve endured for almost 3 weeks.
      The balloon with its painted message — not a common site in our demonstrations — attracted a lot of attention and cameras to our war tax resistance literature and stimulated a lot of discussions.

      – Report from Ed Hedemann

      The Next Generation of WTRs

      Sharing the stage with the Portland Ant-Imperialist Action, the Oregon Community Peace Fund presented a brief intro to War Tax Resisting in November at our local esteemed Lewis and Clark College. The crowd was the largest student group we have ever presented in front of and true to their training, many took notes and asked good questions. Many of those gathered seemed to appreciate the fact that even if they, a student, do not make more than the standard deduction now, they were learning for their future.
      Over the last several years our group has moved from very lightly attended WTR workshops to several fairly large workshops per year. The population we see at these gatherings, which we are now calling teach-ins, have shifted from on average, middle-aged people to a much younger audience. More people are learning about WTR in our area than ever before AND we long-time resisters are feeding off the energy and ideas of these new resisters.

      – Report from Paul Stretch

      Pie Day in Portland, Oregon

      15 people gathered to eat pie in all its forms: fruit pies, hand pies, and even pizza pies on March 14 in Portland with the Oregon Community Peace Fund.  Our members Ash and Jenna capably gave their first duo Beginning WTR presentation to the engaged group.
      The homey, pie-infused atmosphere contributed to lots of honest sharing and community building.

      – Report from Paul Stretch

      Over 50 in Attendance in Portland, Oregon

      Increased disillusionment with our country’s war-

      Instagram Graphic used to promote the Portland teach-in

      mongering has spurred huge interest in war tax resistance here in Portland, Oregon. In our second  teach-in this month, over 50 curious and fed-up attendees listened intently to how to keep our tax money out of the hands of the military. The Oregon Community for Peace now has a dozen core members contributing diverse talents for getting the War Tax message out to our local public. One of the attendees reported back that they had been exposed to the idea of tax resistance but “now I know how and the teach-in made it seem a lot less scary to do so.”

      – Report from Paul Stretch

      Pie Day: Lancaster, Pennsylvania

      Anticipating Tax Day 2026, representatives of the Peace Action Network of Lancaster and 1040 for Peace conducted a public Penny Poll in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
      Engaging a wide range of participants in a public place as an interactive tool for good conversation and learning about current US budget priorities and personal values. Participants looked at the options and thought about their choices. They then distributed 10 pennies however they wished among 10 budget categories. The local Fox station came and interviewed some participants.
      Here are the results that 85 participants provided on a cold and windy, albeit sunny day:
      • Agriculture – 5.8%
      • Diplomacy – 4.6%
      • Education – 22.4%
      • Environment (Green Energy) – 13.5%
      • Health – 21.6%
      • Housing – 10.9%
      • Mass Transit/Roads – 5.6%
      • Military/Homeland Security – 3.4%
      • Veterans – 10.6%
      • Other – 1.4%

      – Report by H. A. Penner

      Madison Catholic Worker host WTR 101

      The Madison chapter of World Beyond War sponsored a war tax resistance workshop on March 14 at a local library for an interactive group. Then the following Thursday, I provided an introduction to war tax resistance at The Great Turning Catholic Worker in Madison, Wisconsin. The latter event packed their living room with long-time war tax resisters and people wanting to learn more. There was a lot of interest around the idea of attracting more people to war tax resistance by starting with a lower amount of resistance, such as $200.

      – Report by Lincoln Rice

      MC USA Church Peace Tax Fund. Illustration by Jesse Graber

      WTR Event in Washington DC
      By H. A. Penner

      Kathy Boylan invited me to speak at the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker about war tax resistance for their March 6th clarification of thought. Around 30 people were present. The group was composed of both young and old. The best part of the evening was the extensive and engaging group dialogue! There was a high level of interest expressed about federal tax resistance/redirection. I came away encouraged! Below are excerpts from what I shared with the group:
      As a life-long conscientious objector to war, I object on religious grounds to the payment of that portion of my federal income taxes that supports militaristic authoritarianism. Instead, I redirect the levy elaborated on my federal income tax forms to my local church to be used in its peacebuilding activities that include its annual budgeted contribution to the denomination’s Church Peace Tax Fund that:
      • Provides a way to redirect resources from warmaking to problem-solving programs which, unlike war, are a realistic path to peace.
      • Models what the US government has not yet been able to enact — the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund legislation.
      • Provides resources for the peace and justice education of future generations.
      •    Acknowledges and honors courageous peacebuilders each year who have faithfully paved the path of peace.
      • Contributes to the development of a peace and justice advocacy movement.
      • Provides young people with alternatives to military enlistment.
      • Makes available scholarships for youth to participate in annual peace camps.
      While withholding federal taxes for moral reasons is currently illegal, I believe the US Constitution outlines this right as one of religious freedom.
      In response to Jesus’ exhortation to love our neighbors (Matthew 22:39) and our enemies (Matthew 5:44), it is appropriate to support those who, because of conscience, are unwilling to pay taxes that underwrite militaristic authoritarianism.
      Paying taxes that support militaristic authoritarianism — often more than we contribute to our churches — affects our convictions. Why do we taxpayers continue to pay for something that violates our deepest beliefs? Why do we pay for something we don’t want?
      The United States is the world’s leading purveyor of arms sales, global warfare and militarism. According to Geographical magazine, the US has a larger military budget than the next nine countries combined.
      Although I am a federal tax resister/redirector, I am not opposed to paying taxes. I willingly pay that portion of my tax liability that goes toward peace-oriented systems and supports life. But I am a religious conscientious objector to the death and destruction that the current United States authoritarian military apparatus represents and am compelled as a disciple of Jesus to take this action.
      I urge the US Congress to pass the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill (H.R. 4529 in the 117th Congress) that would recognize the constitutional right for individuals to practice religious beliefs according to their consciences.

      [Return to List of Headlines]

      NWTRCC News

      NWTRCC National Conference:
      Resisting Together
      (May 1-3, 2026)

      Our spring conference will be completely on Zoom. Friday evening will begin with our traditional social hour. Each breakout room will have a topic for discussion that will be predetermined and attendees can choose which breakout room they want to join. If you have a suggestion for a breakout room topic, there is a space to include it with your registration.
      Our first Saturday session will begin at 11a Eastern. The sessions for Saturday are still being determined, but we are happy to announce that Rachel Cohen will be joining us to share her war tax resistance journey. Rachel is a lawyer from Chicago, who publicly stated on her Instagram (@cohen.489) earlier this tax season that she is refusing to pay her $8,800 federal tax debt owing to the actions of ICE and the US military.
      Saturday will also include concurrent WTR101 & 201 sessions. On Sunday morning we will hold our business meeting, which is open to all. If you have a proposal for the business meeting, please send it to the NWTRCC office before April 12. Go to the NWTRCC website (nwtrcc.org) for full schedule and registration information.

      NWTRCC Hosted Counselor Training in February

      On Saturday February 1st, NWTRCC offered its yearly war tax resistance counselor training on Zoom. This five-hour intensive session was attended by eight people. The attendees were a mix of some counselors looking for a refresh, some longtime war tax resisters wanting to take a deeper dive, and a couple people newer to war tax resistance. As a result of the session, we added area contacts in Michigan and Nevada.

      [Return to List of Headlines]

      In Memoriam: Arthur Harvey June 8, 1932 – January 17, 2026

      Max Harvey, Elizabeth Harvey, Emily Harvey, and Arthur Harvey outside their Maine home at the time of the auction. Photo by Carl Welsh, June, 1996

      Arthur Harvey was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey on June 8, 1932. He was 10 when his parents divorced, so he was sent to live with several families at the School of Living, a back-to-the-land communal movement then based in Ohio.
      A few years later he moved back east to live with his mother in New York City and attended Stuyvesant High School, a specialized school requiring an entrance exam and a loyalty oath, which he refused to sign but afterwards regretted “affirming” it.
      In the 1950s Arthur started protesting the nuclear war air raid drills and was arrested in City Hall Park on April 17, 1959, for not taking shelter during the simulated but mandatory drill. Dorothy Day and Ammon Hennacy were among the 21 others arrested that day.
      He went to work at a dairy co-op in Michigan but left in the summer of 1959 to join A. J. Muste, Marj Swann, and others protesting the nuclear-tipped Atlas missiles at the Strategic Air Command’s Mead Missile Base in Omaha, Nebraska. For jumping the fence at the base, he was sentenced to six months in Sandstone Federal Prison, which he served with Ammon Hennacy.
      Because most federal income taxes were spent on US wars and the military, in 1959 Art began refusing to pay or even file federal income taxes.
      When about 30, he moved to Raymond, New Hampshire, to caretake a mansion and started picking apples to make money. Gradually others from the peace movement joined him. When the number of crews grew to four, the federal government said the crew organizers were in violation of the Farm Laborers Contractor Act. The judge found them guilty under the law but added, “This is the same, mindless, petty bureaucracy that led to the American Revolution.”
      About the same time, he published a newsletter – called The Greenleaf – about peace activities in New Hampshire. He hitched around the state and handed it out on street corners as well as at high schools and colleges.
      Arthur participated in the Committee for Nonviolent Action’s Quebec to Washington to Guantanamo Walk for Peace (1963-1964), an integrated walk that focused on nuclear disarmament and reconciliation between Cuba and the United States.
      In the early 1960s he set up Greenleaf Books to distribute books by and about Gandhi as well as produce publications for the peace movement. These books included the Peacemakers’ Handbook for the Nonpayment of War Taxes published in 1963, which was the first book on war tax resistance.
      During the mid-1970s, he joined the Clamshell Alliance’s direct-action campaign to stop the building of the Seabrook nuclear power plant in New Hampshire.
      In 1976 he married Elizabeth Gravalos and they had three children. In the late 1980s the family moved to Maine and bought a fixer-upper for $8,000. Soon after, he was appointed to the planning board as the town was about to lose its only public beach in a real estate deal by Patten Corporation. Unintimidated by big corporations or the federal government, Arthur along with others fought and secured 980 feet of beach and 2 acres for the town.
      Thirty years ago — on April 4, 1996 — Art and Elizabeth were visited by the IRS who served them with a notice of seizure for their house, two wood lots, and a blueberry field. The IRS claimed that they owed $62,000 in taxes and penalties from 1987 to 1992. Opposed to taxes for war (neither had filed tax returns for decades), they along with supporters organized a campaign of actions in the days leading up to the auction. This campaign garnered national attention and attracted people throughout Maine and New England.
      No bids were received at that auction, so the IRS scheduled another. The day before the second auction over 30 supporters participated in a four-mile march to the Lewiston IRS office, leafleting along the way about increased military spending and cutbacks in low-income housing. Proceeds from the march plus those from an earlier “mock sale” were donated to groups providing housing in Maine.
      On July 16, 1996, the date of the second auction, Arthur and Elizabeth remained adamant about their refusal to pay for war, so were prepared to accept whatever happened. Despite asking for no bidding, some sympathetic supporters (including Elizabeth’s mother) bid to make sure the family wouldn’t lose their home.
      Incidentally, through this whole process, the family’s accountant discovered the IRS had overbilled them, which resulted in a $4,000 refund. Also, the IRS uncovered (but couldn’t seize because of a technicality) a long-forgotten bank account of Elizabeth’s with $5,000, which facilitated her new career in massage therapy. (For additional details, see War Tax Resistance [2025], p. 155, as well as the June, August, October 1996 issues of More Than a Paycheck.)
      While serving on the boards of Habitat for Humanity and Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), Arthur discovered that the USDA was not enforcing the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. Consequently, MOFGA) sued the USDA, which involved Arthur undertaking 10 years of research, attending conferences, and traveling to Washington DC.
      Last November Arthur was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He died at home two months later on January 17, 2026 during a snowstorm, surrounded by family. He is survived by Elizabeth, daughter Emily, son Max, and four grandchildren.

      [Adapted by Ed Hedemann from an initial draft by Elizabeth and Emily]

      A memorial is set for Saturday, June 6, 2026 at noon at the Hartford Town Hall, 1196 Main Street, Hartford, Maine. A potluck will follow. 
The family requests that attendees come prepared to take home at least one or even 1,000 books by and about Gandhi, which Art distributed through his now shuttered Greenleaf Books publishing business.

      [Return to List of Headlines]

      Working on a World

      By Ruth Benn

      Not long ago, the administration was going to seek $50 billion in supplementary funding for the US-Israel war on Iran. Now that number is up to $200 billion, and Trump’s man in the Pentagon Pete Hegseth presented that request saying, “Obviously, it takes money to kill bad guys.”
      A lot of those “bad guys” look like the children pictured here…
      At a “No War” vigil on March 19, a woman originally from Iran came up to us and told us how happy she is that the US is going to get rid of the regime in Iran, which has also killed so many people. She fully supports the US-Israel war even though she has close family members living in harm’s way. We didn’t get a chance to point out the utter failure of similar goals in Afghanistan. Thousands of lives lost, millions of refugees, and billions of dollars that only increased terrorism there and beyond, and brought the Taliban back to power.
      Perhaps she would be touched by watching a video clip of a mother talking to her children about the Iranian schoolgirls killed by a US missile. CodePink NYC called for an International Women’s Day rally in midtown Manhattan to remember the girls and cry out against war. Children’s shoes and rubble represented the destroyed elementary school where more than 170 died on the first day of the attack on Iran.
      War tax resistance gets us talking about the money a lot, but, of course, at the heart of it is the human toll — the deaths, the injuries, the refugees, and the resources stolen from so many other needs.
      A WTR counseling request came by email the other day with the subject, “I am agonizing over tax objection.” The 79-year-old woman, who had a long career working to prevent violence against women, has fragile finances and poor health now. She wrote of her distress about owing taxes and her “unwillingness to participate in the wanton violence happening in the world I expected to make better.”
      “The world I expected to make better.” That’s a phrase I’ve been wrestling with a lot lately. After decades of antiwar, peace and justice activism, not to mention millions in resisted war taxes and direct-action arrests, how did we end up here?
      While we wrestle with the answer to that question, the thousands of people who are “agonizing over tax objection” — or just doing it, damn the consequences — is absolutely heartening. The next generations of activists are out there picking up the mantle and bringing new energy and creativity to the struggle. Somehow we do have to continue to believe that the arc really does “bend toward justice,” not forgetting the other part of that <abbr=”Martin Luther King, Junior”>MLK Jr. quote about the arc being long.
      Still, we are allowed to be very, very angry that it is one helluva lot longer than we hoped.
      Speaking of <abbr=”Martin Luther King, Junior”>MLK Jr, I’m reading Until the Last Gun Is Silent by Matthew F. Delmont. It’s about the intersection of the civil rights and Vietnam antiwar movements with a focus on racism in the military and for Black soldiers as they returned home. Delmont also writes about the anti-Vietnam War activism of Coretta Scott King and how her activism pushed Martin to speak out against the war. The backlash they both encountered is a reminder of what we are up against in this continuing struggle for a priority of people and planet over power and profiteering.
      And, while it’s hard to keep the faces of so many children — the ones lost to war and the ones trying to understand it — in front of us, perhaps it does help give us the strength and determination to carry on with the struggle another day.

      [Return to List of Headlines] [Return to NWTRCC home ]

      Editor Lincoln Rice
      Production Rick Bickhart

      More Than a Paycheck: Refusing to Pay for War is a bimonthly publication of the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee, a clearinghouse and resource center for the conscientious war tax resistance movement in the United States. NWTRCC is a coalition of local, regional and national affiliate groups working on war tax related issues.

      NWTRCC sees poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia, economic exploitation, environmental destruction and militarization of law enforcement as integrally linked with the militarism which we abhor. Through the redirection of our tax dollars, NWTRCC members contribute directly to the struggle for peace and justice for all.

      Paper Subscriptions are $25 per year. Digital subscriptions are free.

      NWTRCC
      P.O. Box 5616, Milwaukee, WI 53205
      (800) 269‒7464
      (262) 399‒8217
      nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org
      social media: socialmedia@nwtrcc.org
      newsletter: wartaxresister@nwtrcc.org
      www.nwtrcc.org