A couple of weeks ago, as we were eating lunch on the porch of Casa Maria Catholic Worker, Ruth talked about meeting her mentor in activism, Frances Crowe, in Western Massachusetts. When Frances saw Ruth wearing an anti-nuclear T-shirt, Frances, ever the organizer, came up and introduced herself immediately. Frances was a long-time staff member for… Continue reading
Real Life Stories
Not Paying for Nukes
Thousands marched to and rallied at the United Nations Sunday, April 26, to protest nuclear weapons. Two days later 22 were arrested blockading the U.S. Mission to the UN demanding disarmament not more talk. The United Nations holds a review of the Nuclear Weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty every five years. Hundreds of Japanese — including still… Continue reading
“I just can’t pay for murdering other people” – Post-Tax Day News Roundup
Despite the media focus on the Fight for 15 minimum wage protests around the country on April 15, it seemed to me to be a good media day for war tax resistance too. New resisters announced their commitment, while long-time resisters continued to speak up in opposition to military spending, in support of redirecting tax… Continue reading
This Tax Day, A 23-Year-Old Refuses to Pay for War
by Sam Koplinka-Loehr, Philadelphia, PA Since I was born in 1991, the U.S. Government has been in a non-stop state of war, and has spent trillions of dollars on killing people overseas. As a young person growing up in the United States, I saw our schools faltering. I saw income inequality growing. I saw communities… Continue reading
“All they have to do is draft our dollars”: A Pre-Tax Day News Roundup
As Tax Day approaches, war tax resisters are making the news: Elizabeth Boardman’s case against the IRS was rejected by the 9th Circuit. Read Peter J. Reilly’s report in Forbes. Later that week, Mr. Reilly published another piece, discussing the types of people who don’t pay taxes: evaders, protesters, and resisters. Longtime war tax resister,… Continue reading
A Transition is Inevitable
A Transition is Inevitable: A Review of David Hartsough’s Waging Peace: The Global Adventures of a Lifelong Activist by Jason Rawn David Hartsough’s Waging Peace: The Global Adventures of a Lifelong Activist delivers the best of what the title promises, with emphasis on the Waging and the Adventures. Beginning with a racist’s shaking knife at… Continue reading
Today in History: Adams v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Sixteen years ago, the 3rd Circuit of the US Court of Appeals ruled against Priscilla Adams. She asserted that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) should accommodate her refusal to pay taxes that would go to war. However, the court maintained that mandating universal compliance with the tax law was the “least restrictive means” under… Continue reading
“One of the most important spiritual directors in my life has been the Internal Revenue Service”
Kathy Kelly is a long-time peace activist and the co-founder of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, a NWTRCC affiliate. She has been a war tax resister since 1980, and while she hasn’t gone to jail for her war tax refusal, she has been arrested dozens of times for civil disobedience actions. Through her work, she has… Continue reading
Update on the Affordable Care Act as War Tax Redirection
by Robert Randall Note: This is a follow-up to Robert’s previous post from June 2014. Having now had a chance to further experience the Affordable Care Act (ACA, often called Obamacare) and see how it really works tax-wise, I wish to both correct some errors in my previous post and further expand on its potential… Continue reading
Individual Choices and Movement Building: Shall the Twain Meet?
War tax resisters do not tend toward weeping over the latest news that the IRS budget is declining, that it is short staffed and has lots more work to do thanks to the Affordable Care Act. As a resister with ten years of tax debt myself, I’m not in a big rush for them to… Continue reading
David Zarembka on US Militarization of East Africa
Listen to an audio recording (opens a new tab) of a workshop presented by David Zarembka, Coordinator of the African Great Lakes Initiative of the Friends Peace Teams in East Africa. David spoke at the war tax resistance gathering at Earlham College School of Religion, November 8, 2014. While you are listening to his talk,… Continue reading
The Road to Social Change: Theory to Practice
“War Tax Objection for Peace and Justice Conference” was held over the weekend of November 7-9, at the Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana. NWTRCC sponsors twice-yearly gatherings (May and November) with local hosts to convene the National War Tax Resistance “Coordinating Committee” for a business meeting, but over the years the weekends have… Continue reading
