The American Friends Service Committee, also known as the anti-American Frauds for Saddam Committee, is on record as advocating sanctions against Israel in support of Palestinian terrorists while also supporting Iraqi terrorists against the United States. For example, here is but one of AFSC’s “America baaaaaaaaaad, Islamofascists goooooooooood” bleatings:

http://www.afsc.org/iraq/guide/board-statement.htm

Statement of the American Friends Service Committee on the Immediate Withdrawal of U.S. Troops from Iraq

December 22, 2004

…We are convinced that the presence of U.S. troops is a destabilizing force in the region and contributes to the increasing loss of life.

…We believe it is now clear that the continuing U.S. military presence in Iraq is counter-productive and wrong. The occupation has lost the trust of the Iraqi people. We abhor the violence—each day Iraq becomes less safe for the occupied, the occupiers, and those who seek to relieve the suffering.

…The AFSC believes that the United States has lost the moral standing to achieve the necessary healing, but remains responsible to support financially those institutions and agencies which can do so.

The AFSC’s PeaceWork Magazine has gone so far as to recommend (while using 501(c)(3) tax-exempt money for the purpose) that people refuse to pay the portion of their income taxes that supports the Armed Forces. Although many of the Web pages in question include the disclaimer, “Views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of the AFSC,” they appear on AFSC’s Web site in the apparently-official publication of PeaceWork Magazine.

http://www.afsc.org/pwork/0203/020309A.htm

“If you are no longer willing to pay your taxes for programs you find wasteful and morally offensive, you can be a war tax resister. There are many ways to do it, and it is more effective and empowering to do it with others. Information is available on the how-to’s and the consequences by writing to the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee, PO Box 6512, Ithaca NY 14851; 800/269-7464;

http://afsc.org/central/Peacebuilding/War_Tax.htm.

“How do I learn more about War Tax Resistance?” “Contact the CO AFSC office and find out about an upcoming War Tax Resistance Workshop and how to get War tax resistance materials. We can also put you in contact with other local war tax resisters who are willing to share their stories. Check out the War tax resistance website.”

http://www.afsc.org/pwork/0412/041220.htm, “Prospects for War Tax Resistance”

“The chances of going to jail for war tax resistance are really quite low — fewer than two dozen people in the last 60 years have been sent to jail for some charge related to their tax resistance. Contempt of court for refusing to follow a judge’s order is the most likely scenario, but the last time the IRS took an individual to court was in 1999. He did not go to jail and continues to resist. If you want to go to jail, don’t be a war tax resister!”

Now the above statement is really interesting: “If you want to go to jail, don’t be a war tax resister!” Now we are certainly not going to advise anyone to break United States tax laws by refusing to pay taxes nor are we going to try this ourselves, but the American Friends Service Committee’s PeaceWorks group says you can probably get away with it. Furthermore, the AFSC’s 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status has not even suffered any known reprecussions for advising people to flout the country’s tax laws.

Now if these statements apply to people who don’t want to pay for war, they should apply equally to people (especially in the Southwest) who don’t want to pay for schools, welfare, or medical treatment for the illegal aliens who are going on “strike” next week.

Under rule of law, the law must apply equally and consistently to everyone or it is no law at all. If it is really as easy to get away with “tax resistance” as AFSC’s Peaceworks group says it is, people can find all kinds of excuses for refusing to pay their taxes– and refusing to pay for illegal aliens’ health care and other social benefits is a far more worthy cause than refusing to pay for the Armed Forces that defend our country. The Internal Revenue Service should take a close look at dealing with the problem. A good start might be reassessment of AFSC’s own 501(c)(3) tax exempt status per Rev Rule 75-384, “Activities that are illegal or contrary to public policy” (which might include advocating tax resistance).

* A legal immigrant is a welcome guest under our roof and, unless we are Native Americans, we are all immigrants or descendents of immigrants. An illegal immigrant is an invader whose actions infringe on the rights not only of citizens but also legal immigrants who play by the rules.