Miscellaneous tax resisters → individual war tax resisters → Kristine & Michael Sonnleitner

Some bits and pieces from here and there:

• Tonight in New York City, the local chapter of Anarchist Black Cross is holding a letter-writing dinner focusing on imprisoned war tax resister Carlos Steward.
• You don’t have to be an American to file for a fraudulent tax refund with the IRS. You don’t even have to be in America. I’m imagining huge overseas sweatshops filled with children with stubby pencils and poor lighting conditions filling out 1040 forms all day long as their bosses make millions mining the U.S. Treasury.
• War tax resisters Michael and Kristine Sonnleitner reflect on the state of the world as the new year begins.
• The Spanish group Ecologists in Action is promoting war tax resistance as part of its ecological activism program.

Michael Sonnleitner reflects on war tax resistance at his blog, A Pinch of Salt (excerpts):

Another reunion of sorts this month was with those in the Portland metro area with whom I share a common commitment to War Tax Resistance. I had not seen most of these folks since my return from all of the Fulbright experiences of last year. We met to first organize, then carry out, a protest and educational event for Tax Day (typically April 15^th though the 18^th this year). In the morning, I joined in by holding signs on a busy downtown Portland bridge that spans the Willamette River. In the evening, I played moderator for an event involving speakers and the showing of the film Death not Taxes. The point of the film was that while death is certain for us all, voluntarily paying taxes for War is not. We can refuse, as I have done using one strategy or another since 1969. In my comments I encouraged everyone to set aside whatever fears we have of personal loss or what others may say — and just do our best to “sleep well at night”. I know that if my own actions (or lack of action) is too much at odds with my basic values, I do not sleep well. My conscience affects me. Odd as it may seem, war tax resistance for me has nearly no courage associated with it. It is ultimately and quite primarily about sleep!