I Am A Patriot

Allow me to pose a question to you.

For the last 5 plus years, America has been the invading force in Iraq that has cost taxpayers and future taxpayers unaccounted trillions of dollars despite the very vocal and vehement objections of the American citizens. The cost in lives, American, Iraqi and others affected by the occupation of a foreign land is equally as repulsive, but that will be the subject of another article.

This article is about the financial toll the Iraq war has had on the American taxpayer.

A recent study has found that 71% of Americans believe that the funding of the Iraq war is hurting our struggling economy. (source) That is 7 out of every 10 Americans object to what their country is doing in Iraq, to which Bush and the Republicans thumb their noses at us saying “So what. Do something about it”

Which is my question: What can we do about it?

The answer to that is really quite simple. Daring, but simple.

Refuse to pay for it. That is actually your patriotic duty as an American to not pay for it. More than half of the federal income tax collected by the U.S. Government goes to fund military operations with $200 Billion estimated for 2009. (source) Helping pay this makes you an accessory to the crimes being committed. Do you want to take part in criminal activity?

More and more, people are protesting this government by refusing to pay all or part of their federal income tax, and the numbers increase with every passing day. But there are certain steps you must take to prevent you from getting in hot water. You can do this legally, even with the guidance of the IRS using laws that they have written.

You must take the following steps:

• Decide what proportion of your taxes you will refuse to pay. This decision will impact your further choices.


• Reduce the federal tax money that is withheld from you during the year. Make adjustments so that you owe money at the end of the tax year and can then choose to refuse.


• File your Form 1040, including a letter to the IRS that explains why you chose to hold back some taxes.


• Decide how you wish to redirect your refused taxes. There are many options.


• Examine the risks and consequences for refusing to pay war tax. Some of them are potentially negative, and many are definitely positive.
  (An explanation of these steps, along with other good information about this subject can be found at: http://www.nwtrcc.org/ )

In order for a movement like this to succeed depends on how many people are doing (refusing to pay federal income tax) it. The more people that protest in this manner, the better. There is strength in numbers, as the old saying goes. This becomes evident when you see any gathering in protest of illegal immigrants. Seldom, if ever, is any arrest made.

Become courageous and take a stand for your country. Become a patriot.

Think of Paul Revere, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. If they would have just sat idly by and did nothing, America would be a far different nation than it is today. We would be under British rule and bow down to a King.

I, for one, will fight for the America that I love. What about you?