Starting to Live by My Own Rules
By Angie Morben I’ve always been such a rule-follower. As I look back on life, I realize how much I blindly followed the rules simply because they had been established by some higher “authority.” I was that way throughout childhood and all the way into adulthood. This rule-following behavior included unquestionably paying my taxes without… Continue reading
Funding a Livable Future
By Sue Barnhart We woke up to black smoky air the day after Labor Day 2020. It was challenging to breathe outside, even with a N95 mask. We could not see the sun. The air quality index was over 500— the extremely hazardous range. Our beautiful Oregon was burning up. The trails we love hiking… Continue reading
Letter to IRS: Former State Department Worker Refuses to Pay for Killing Civilians
Dear friends at the IRS, I am withholding 20% of my taxes this year as I cannot morally or legally support the U.S. military’s indiscriminate killing of many thousands of innocent civilians, including several U.S. citizens, in recent years. The intentional killing of U.S. civilians (three in Yemen in Sept. 2011) “without due process of… Continue reading
War Tax Resistance, Self-Employment, and Health Insurance
By Ilene Roizman – December 2020 Decisions, Decisions It’s a thorny problem when the complications of obtaining health insurance intersect with the desire to remain a nonfiling tax resister. This is exactly where I found myself when my luck ran out on the premium tax credit. As a self-employed freelancer, I have to purchase my… Continue reading
Taxes, Relationships, and Competing Priorities
By Lindsey Britt – October 2021 Since I began thinking about war tax resistance I’ve been struggling with the desire to reduce my income to avoid paying taxes for things I find abhorrent and, simultaneously, wanting to transfer more of my power (in the form of money) to organizations and individuals doing good. My mind… Continue reading
I Act Out my Prayers by Saying “NO” to Paying for War
By Sylvia Shirk – August 2020 Tax Day, April 15, has become one of my favorite annual events. It is a day of peacemaker empowerment. I smile as I write checks and send online donations to support peace and justice organizations that I care about. I hum on my way to mail the United States… Continue reading
A Visit with IRS Revenue Officers Justin and Ryan
By Paula Rogge – December 2019 During the Vietnam War, I joined Friends (Quakers) and other peace activists at the Post Office on tax day to pass out War Resister League pie charts showing how much of our national budget was spent on war. In the late 1970’s, I heard Richard Catlett and Bruce Chrisman… Continue reading
An Interview with Suzanne Belote Shanley & Brayton Shanley
August, 2019. Earlier this year, Suzanne Belote Shanley & Brayton Shanley published a book about the history of the Agape Community, which they cofounded in 1982 in Ware, Massachusetts. The community is dedicated to prayer, voluntary simplicity, and gospel-centered nonviolent witness. War tax resistance has been a core aspect of the community from its founding…. Continue reading
War Tax Resister Profile: Howard Waitzkin and Mi Ra Lee
Statement from Howard Waitzkin to the IRS for Tax Year 2017: I am a Conscientious Objector (CO) to war, based on religious and ethical beliefs, as recognized and certified 36 years ago by the U.S. Selective Service System. My beliefs as a CO have prevented me from participating in military service. However, I have devoted… Continue reading
Redirection Reflection
By redmoonsong – April 2019 I call myself redmoonsong (having chosen that name 22 years ago). Not supporting the fed with my money has been a way of life for 50 years or so. Back in the 80s, I began to realize that as a European-American, I was a thief. I lived on indigenous land… Continue reading
It’s Definitely More than a Paycheck
By Chrissy Kirchhoefer – February 2019 I am incredibly excited to have this opportunity to work with NWTRCC in the role of Outreach Consultant. The position involves strengthening and publicizing War Tax Resistance through social media and field organizing. I wanted to introduce myself before I start reaching out to all of you! War Tax… Continue reading
However Small It May Seem
By Joshua Weresch – December 2018 To the War Resisters’ League, Erica Leigh at NWTRCC, Cale Weissman, who wrote a great article on war resistance for The New Republic, the good folks over at Popular Resistance, and, across the Pond, the same at Conscience Online: Good evening. I hope this finds you all keeping well…. Continue reading
