“We convert, if we do at all, by being something irresistible, not by demanding the impossible.” Those words by May Sarton were posted in a Catholic Worker farm’s office. The sign originated at the homestead of Wally and Quanita Nelson who were early pioneers of the modern war tax resistance movement.
After the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagaski, people including Ammon Hennacy, an early member of the Catholic Worker, organized actions around tax day in 1946 with their refusal to pay for war and to raise awareness of the enormous amounts of taxpayer money going to war annually.
What drew me into the Catholic Worker and war tax resistance was the irrepressible joy of the people in these movements. They were able to look at the heaviness of militarism while also addressing the needs within their communities. My introduction to the Catholic Worker coincided with becoming a war tax resister. I was blessed by a community of support who instructed me in the Catholic Worker tradition of opposing the preparation and practice of war as it robs our communities of resources needed for health care, housing and other basic needs.
The practice of war tax refusal has helped center many of the values or aims of the Catholic Worker, communities of mutual aid that celebrate our interdependence. Both of these movements have provided a means to live out some of our deepest life enhancing values. They dispel the myth of scarcity and strengthen networks of solidarity to systemic injustice. The movements have deep roots in opposition to war and prioritizing the Works of Mercy. This life work celebrates abundance, by being intentional about how we invest our talents and gifts, sharing resources with others and embracing a way of simple living rich in possibility.
Recently we held three events in St. Louis around Tax Day and were bolstered by each other in taking action and the overwhelming positive response of those in the streets. We are currently making plans to do more. So many of us have been challenged over the past few years, in knowing how to be engaged in the issues of the day. I have felt supported in this work through my community, NWTRCC (see below) and the Catholic Worker movement. Former St. Louis Catholic Worker Carl Kabat’s words come to mind, “Do what you can, then sing and dance.” Sometimes it’s easier to do with others.
Chrissy Kirchhoefer is a St. Louis Catholic Worker and serves as Outreach Consultant with the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC) For more info: www.nwtrcc.org
This article was originally published in the first issue of The Shell of The Old.
“We must set ourselves with all the force we possess, against war, and the making of instruments of war, and our means are prayer and fasting, and the non-payment of federal income tax which goes for war.” - Dorothy Day