via : PeaceWork Magazine
Authors: Ruth Benn
Ruth Benn is the coordinator of the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee.
Over the past five years, we have voted, lobbied, marched, and taken direct action to end the war in Iraq. Courageous soldiers have refused to fight the war, and many of their family members have demanded an end to the war. But the Administration and Congress continue to appropriate money to carry on this illegal, immoral war, and a military attack on Iran - unthinkable to most of us - could happen in the coming months.
It's time for taxpayers - who bankroll these militaristic policies - to join together in nonviolent civil disobedience and show Congress how to cut off the funds for war and redirect resources to the pressing needs of people.
The Withhold from War/Pay for Peace: 2008 War Tax Boycott is a new campaign launched by the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC) and endorsed by Voices for Creative Nonviolence, the War Resisters League, the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance, and the Nonviolent Direct Action Working Group of United for Peace and Justice. Veterans for Peace has agreed to promote the campaign, we're partnering with CODEPINK's “Don't Buy Bush's War" campaign, and other groups are encouraged to sign on.
The idea for the boycott developed out of a survey of peace activists conducted by NWTRCC over the last couple years. More than 60% of the respondents indicated that they would join a tax boycott if it were part of a larger campaign. The 2008 War Tax Boycott encourages people who may never have considered war tax resistance before to do it this one time, during the next tax season, at a level that feels comfortable to them. People could choose to resist $100, or they could resist a percentage, such as 7%, representing the percentage of the federal budget that is going to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. People who reduce their income to refuse to pay for war can also sign on to the campaign.
In addition to the power of saying "no!" the boycott campaign is encouraging participants to redirect tax resisted money to one or two projects: Electronic Iraq's Direct Aid Initiative (DAI) providing health care among Iraqi refugees in Jordan and Syria; and the Common Ground Heath Clinic in New Orleans providing care to survivors of Katrina. Some may choose to give to a humanitarian project of their own choosing.
Money talks. Refusing to willingly turn over 100% of your tax dollars is a protest the government will notice - especially if it is linked with the refusal of hundreds or thousands of others. Numbers and names (when approved) of signers will be announced publicly through the internet, ads, and press conferences in the coming months as the boycott builds.
To Get involved
Register and prepare for the April 2008 boycott:
Visit www.WarTaxBoycott.org
Contact the campaign at:
National War Tax ResistanceCoordinating Committee
PO Box 150553
Brooklyn, NY 11215
800/269-7464, nwtrcc@nwtrcc.org
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