Punk-Rock Bands Seek to Register Voters

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"If you don't find yourself in the voting booth you may find yourself in combat boots in the desert," said Justin Sane, guitarist and singer for Anti-Flag, one of Punk Voter's most vocal members.

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PUNK_VOTER?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=POLITICS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Punk listeners are pretty well informed (if I may toot my own horn :) ),but the younger ones dont see how they can really make a difference.People like Fat Mike and Jello can definately give them some direction...while playing some kickin tunes too!

It's still trendy, so the numbers will be good.

a lot of skin-headed punkers were big time Reagan supporters: now some of them have families with children who would be of draft-age in four years time! They are singing a different tune this time around - one of them was bemoaning the whole Dixie Chicks bashing to me about a year ago.

The present crop of punkers hopefully will be more forward thinking and support a candidate who can rid us of this evil!

Tut-tut

they were a very small,yet vocal,minority.And they got stomped regularly at shows.(Trust me on that one :) )

I'm an old punk rocker (pushing 40) who was very involved in the punk scene in Boston. Many of the punks I knew were political and actively protested the Reagan and Bush I administrations. Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys and many other punk bands were decidedly left of center.

Hey I'm 36 and in the Boston area,we probably moshed together :D

Remember SSD, Jerry's Kids, the FU's, Slapshot? I was more into the regular punk scene, but my sisters were friends with a lot of the kids in the hardcore scene.

The FU's (later the Straw Dogs) were great! I saw Slapshot countless times.The last time I was at the Rat was maybe 93 or so to see the band Ed Hall (not punk,more a post punk band.They were on the Trance label started by the Butthole Surfers drummer...whathisname :) ).

Ahhh,those were the green mohawked days :D

So we can talk about the bad old days!

:hi:

At the moment I'm carless,but hopefully that will change before too long.

I'm an OP (original punk) and I'll be 49 in three days.

We wrote some very political songs in those days and rejected both Carter and Reagan.

Punks are always on the cutting edge.

Hahaha...is that the only conservative "punk" they could find? Some nobody who was hired to basically do Kararoke for a once classic band? Laughable. Highly laughable.

and replace Glen Danzig who had moved on to new things.

I have an odd feeling that people like Henry Rollins and Jello Biafra would get quite a chuckle out of "conservative" and "punk" being mentioned in the same sentence.

The whole time I was into punk, the mentality was WAY left of center. Hell you only have to listen to the Dead Kennedys for a few minutes to hear what they thought of Reagan :).

We've Got a Bigger Problem Now

Last call for alcohol.
Last call for your freedom of speech.
Drink up. Happy hour is now enforced by law.
Don't forget our house special, it's called a Trickie Dickie Screwdriver.
It's got one part Jack Daniels, two parts purple Kool-Aid,
and a jigger of formaldehyde
from the jar with Hitler's brain in it we got in the back storeroom.
Happy trails to you. Happy trails to you.

I am Emperor Ronald Reagan
Born again with fascist cravings
Still, you made me president

Human rights will soon go 'way
I am now your Shah today
Now I command all of you
Now you're going to pray in school
I'll make sure they're Christian too

California Uber alles
Uber alles California

Ku Klux Klan will control you
Still you think it's natural
Nigger knockin' for the master race
Still you wear the happy face

You closed your eyes, can't happen here
Alexander Haig is near
Vietnam won't come back you say
Join the army or you will pay

California Uber alles
Uber alles California

Yeah, that's it. Just relax.
Have another drink, few more pretzels, little more MSG.
Turn on those Dallas Cowboys on your TV.
Lock your doors. Close your mind.
It's time for the two-minute warning.

Welcome to 1984
Are you ready for the third world war?!?
You too will meet the secret police
They'll draft you and they'll jail your niece

You'll go quietly to boot camp
They'll shoot you dead, make you a man
Don't you worry, it's for a cause
Feeding global corporations' claws

Die on our brand new poison gas
El Salvador or Afghanistan
Making money for President Reagan
And all the friends of President Reagan

California Uber alles
Uber alles California

with lyrics about arnold.

Isn't that like a self-hating Jew?

www.punxfordean.org

Fat Records has been supporting PunkVoter.com since 2002! As the election gets closer, they are becoming even more visible.

Good for the Dean punks too, but credit to Fat Mike!

It's probably the lamest thing I've ever seen.

Michael Graves, there's a man who made a huge impact on the punk scene.

Not much content yet. The site was just turned on this month.

Jello is still active. I remember seeing the Dead Kennedys in the early 80's in Philly on a bill with a local band called Electric Love Muffin. One of the best shows I've ever seen.

Party w/ Greg Palast, Tom Tomorrow,and others! CD release party and launch of the Greg Palast non-profit Investigative Foundation. Open to the public. CBs Gallery (next to CBGBs in NYC). February 27, 2004 - Starting @ 8:30pm $20 tax deductible donation.

Greg has gone and done it again. Somehow Jello Biafra and his label (Alternative Tentacles) is letting Greg sneak under the corporate media’s electronic Berlin Wall and report to you on this one hour, twenty-two track, CD - Live and Uncensored.

http://www.gregpalast.com/store.htm

both music wise and politics wise.

with
Jello
NOFX
Against Me!
and others

March 19th at Emo's

He invited the League of Womens Voters to set up shop in the lobbies during his shows. Frank would encourage people to go register during the intermission.

Cheers
Drifer

Way to go Punk rockers :D

(and NO I'm not being sarcastic!)

When disaffecetd, previously apathetic (or mostly apathetic) subgroup begin taking part in things, it can only be a good sign.

Hope springs eternal!

nihilism maybe but not apathy

Some primetime video showing overly pierced punks rooting for Democrats. Real smart.

..or Bush?

What is your main point?

I'm wondering what middle America, you know...the swing voters that watch TV and see punks with holes in every dangling body part promoting Dems will think. Ya know what I mean?

What an asinine, elitist statement. The article is promoting registering to vote. Punks with holes in their body ARE swing voters! The article is about REGISTERING to VOTE, not promoting any particular party.

Do you also have no problem with hispanics? What will "middle America..you know the swing voters" that watch tv think if they see brown skinned Hispanics such as myself promoting dems? Where should I take MY vote?

VOTING Middle America does...not me. Back off ok?

Since I SAID I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH PUNKERS where do you get off on a stupid statement like: "Do you also have no problem with hispanics?"

That was totally uncalled for and I suggest you explain and prove it or take it back.

I meant that you are implying that "Middle America" should view democratic voters as a specific stereotype. You are implying (whatever your personal taste) that if voting swing voters see disenfranchised youth with body piercings actually registering and voting for democrats, that will some how make "Middle America" wish to vote for Bush. If your "Middle America" is so concerned with white, middle brow images, my question is what will they think of Hispanic Voters, Muslim Voters, etc etc????

I see and hear comments from OUR middle America everyday and none of them accept heavily pierced punks. Not my fault dude.

At what point does "Our" middle America accept democratic voters? By the way, I am a female, not a dude.

I just know that the ones I work with have nothing good to say about massive holes.

that you work with to grow the hell up. You sure when you talk about "middle America" you're not just talking about yourself? Because many of those kids are from "middle America" (wherever that is)

:hi:

I wouldn't worry about that too much.

After all, doesn't middle America have kids that shop at Hot Topic and would love to identify with the kids on TV "and see punks with holes in every dangling body part promoting Dems?"

To those kids, punk is just about shocking your parents. There will be worse things those kids will have to face than growing up and voting Democratic. :)

The messenger has spoken.

But campaigns like this one do sometimes drag out a few more young voters than would otherwise have bothered. I say that is a good thing. I really don't believe that the vast majority of "Middle America" have any notion whatsoever what punk bands endorse nor do they care.

They showed ears with holes bigger than my credit line and other anti-Middle America scenes. That's what I'm talking about.

What television network? I missed the program you are concerned about.

I was online and my spouse was flipping through the channels and I saw punks against bush with some really big holes. Looked bad for the queasy.

I'm not into punk, but as a young, pierced member of another deeply misunderstood subculture that grew out of punk (that would be Goths), I can say that marginalizing these young people is not going to help them vote more. Seriously.

I applaud the efforts of the bands, they are showing young people that they *can* make a difference, by showing them how they can get involved in the process. Of course Middle America is going to have a problem with mohawked, pierced kids--but you know what? It's their country too. Last time I checked, the phrase went "We the People", not "We the Muggles".

I understand what you're saying, because stuff like that is why I haven't been involved in anything but college or Pagan activist groups since I've been old enough to vote. People complain that young people don't vote and are apathetic, and yet if we don't look like College Republicans nobody wants anything to do with us. And these are the same people that probably got yelled at in the 60s for having long hair. I don't get it. I wasn't aware the "Big Tent" had a dress code.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I see some deeply thoughtful people trying to get people who feel marginalized into the process. I don't see anything negative about that.

--C.

Check out their video for "Turncoat." It's about Bush.
http://fatwreck.com/new.php3?sd=P89zntHRMXIAAG7AxS0&sNum=5
Second section.