Staff Sgt. William Kone Praises War Tax Resistance

William Kone wrote me about this recurring fantasy I have that if 10% of the people who are of the opinion that the government is doing rotten in their name backed up their opinion by withdrawing their support, that it might usher in a change. I reproduce his letter below (with permission):

You’re very right, “maybe it still wouldn’t make much of a difference” if they kept quiet about it.

But if 10% “dropped out” even as you have, and then ran their own blog, wrote letters to the editors, protested the support taxes bring in front of the IRS buildings once a month, it would draw attention to this silent opposition.

Out side of a few areas, most people think that the anti-war people are just a few crazy anti-american college kids. I got called up on this year and moved from Ithaca NY to Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland. Protests were a weekly event in Ithaca when the students were in town, died down to monthly in with a lot of “no war in iraq” yard signs. I got down here (and noted in the trip down) and have not seen any signs, only “Support Bush and the Troops”.

Now that is expected right near a base, but as I travel about the state of Maryland and into PA on weekends to see the sights, I still don’t see them. I talk to people and asked about the anti-war effort and they either don’t care or heard about them in NYC and DC. Nothing local.

While I do feel that the war was unjustified (as well as the last 9 combat actions) I still serve. I don’t have any rationale that can explain why, but I do. As a side note, my being called up has cut my pay below taxable levels also after I give to my IRA. So Uncle Sam created his own tax free person. (I know I am still receiving tax dollars.)

Keep up your end of the bargain and I will keep standing where I can give my life so you can talk free.

SSG Kone, William
Home Mac, (10.2.x)
http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/wk17
http://atc.army.mil
ATC APG MD 21005