Letter to Rep. McCollum from the Anti-War Committee
12/17/09
Dear Representative McCollum,
According to the most recent AP poll, the majority of Americans do not believe the war in Afghanistan is worth fighting, and are opposed to President Obama’s plan to send 30,000 more troops there. Your decision to support this escalation does not reflect the will of the people. And your proposal to raise the income tax on every American in order to pay for this war is unjust and outrageous.
We oppose the “Share the Sacrifice Act of 2010” because the war in Afghanistan is not worth the lives lost and the billions wasted. Too many Afghans and Americans have already died in this 8-year-old war. 2009 has been the deadliest year yet for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, with a soldier dying every 14 hours. At the same time, civilian casulaties are at their highest level since the aerial bombings at the start of the war. President Obama’s decision to send 30,000 more troops will dramatically increase casualties for civilians and soliders alike.
The war has already cost American taxpayers $232 billion. The US spends $100 million a day on military operations in Afghanistan, and every additional soldier will add $1 million a year. You just voted to spend $638 billion more on the war in Afghanistan, a bill that will not even cover the 30,000 troop increase. We want our tax dollars spent on meeting human needs, not funding unjust wars. And we do not support a 1% tax increase on hardworking Americans, many of whom lack health insurance and are facing foreclosure.
We do not want to “share the sacrifice” and we will not shoulder the burden of a failed foreign policy that has created a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Your constituents do not support this war! We demand that you withdraw your sponsorship of the “Share the Sacrifice Act of 2010,” and we urge you to support an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
Sincerely,
Anti-War Committee
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