Death And Taxes

On June 3, 1983, tax evader and protester Gordon Kahl was shot to death in a fiery gunfight at a remote Arkansas farmhouse. Several months earlier, Kahl had fled North Dakota after engaging in a shootout at a roadblock where U.S. marshals were attempting to serve a warrant on Kahl for parole violations. Two marshals were killed, and Kahl's son Yorie and several others were arrested. At that moment, a hero and a controversy was born. This film is an investigation of what led Kahl, retired farmer and decorated WWII veteran, to join a growing fringe of violent tax resisters called Posse Comitatus. Kahl's case is supported by his tape-recorded remarks, and testimony given by his widow, son (speaking from prison), and friends and associates. Numerous interviews with tax and law enforcement officials are also included. Unfortunately, Kahl is never very clear on why he thought the income tax was immoral or why he chose violence as a means to resist it. The filmmakers also soft-pedal Kahl's anti-Semitic and racist views (see James Corcoran's book Bitter Harvest). With all the wrangling over who shot first, how Kahl was killed, and whether it's really Kahl's body in the cemetery plot, several important points get lost. How far can a citizen go in resisting what he considers unjust and immoral laws? How can government maintain free speech and other freedoms, yet deal with wrongheaded, possibly violent dissent? In spite of its evasions and cheap shots, the film is compelling stuff. In the aftermath of Waco, Ruby Ridge, and Oklahoma City, this documentary should spark intense debate in discussion groups. Note: the video shows Kahl's charred corpse; too, a portion of the purchase price will go to a defense fund for Kahl's son--so if you're squeamish about such things, you've been warned. Recommended, with reservations. (S. Rees)