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The Peace Tax

            The article "Peace Tax would provide war objectors with choice" by Kerry Walters discusses the funding for the war with Iraq and states that we as taxpayers do not at present time have a choice in paying for the war. Walters contends that those who have strong religious and moral objections to war should have the choice as to whether they contribute to the funding of the military. This article is effective in that he uses facts to support his opinion that there are basic First Amendment rights being infringed upon by not giving taxpayers the choice in participating in the funding of war.
             The author points out that the largest expense of the U.S. government is the military. He states that 40 percent of the federal budget in 2002 was spent on the military and in 2004 that spending will jump from $587 billion to $804 billion. Walters suggests that by forcing religious and moral objectors to pay for these military costs through taxes is violating their conscience. He also states that by "forcing them to become economic accomplices in the research and development of weapons whose only purpose is to kill and maim people." He says these weapons are causing harm even when they are not being used because of the funding they divert away from other social programs.
             Walters, a founding member of the Center for Nonviolent Living, discusses the different measures some citizens take to resist the military tax. He mentions those who intentionally live below the taxable income level because their convictions are so strong they would rather live in poverty than pay the tax. He also mentions others who withhold the military percentage of their taxes and denote that amount to private and public charities. He cites yet another group that refuses to pay the 3% federal excise tax that appears on their phone bill which he states is almost exclusively earmarked for the military. He does, however, point out that these acts of conscience do have a price.


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