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lyrics

The government brings suit against your property
Accusing your goods of the crime
They don’t have to charge you with anything
They do it less than a quarter of the time (1)

Your property is guilty until proven innocent
You don’t get an attorney, but you get a lot of fees
They put you through a bureaucratic nightmare
So long and time-consuming, it’ll bring you to your knees

Civil forfeiture
Civil forfeiture
Civil forfeiture
STATE THEFT!

And who do you think gets the money?
The same people who take your rights from you
You know people respond to incentives
What did we really think they would do?

The prosecutors, they get their cut
The police departments get theirs too
Sometimes it’s used to pay salaries
The one who’s missing out is you!

What do these legal brigands do best?
They shaft the poor!
Cops turned into highway robbers
Funding their departments more and more (2)

Who do you think
Can’t afford a lawyer?
Who do you think
Still carries cash?
Who do you think
Doesn’t have time for kangaroo court?
Who do you think
Can’t afford to lose her car?

"Justice being taken away, then, what are kingdoms but great robberies?" -- St. Augustine (3)

Notes
1. Eighty percent of people from whom the federal government seized property for forfeiture were never even charged with a crime.” http://endforfeiture.com/
2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/2014/10/11/cash-seizures-fuel-police-spending/
3. City of God, Chapter 4: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/120104.htm

General References
http://endforfeiture.com/
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/08/12/taken

credits

from Protect and Serve EP, released November 24, 2017
Lyrics by Walker Mulley and Walter Peterson
Music by Blasted Athwart

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Blasted Athwart Hillsdale, Michigan

Inspired by classic punk bands such as The Dead Kennedys and Agent Orange, Blasted Athwart takes quite literally National Review’s motto of “Standing athwart history, yelling ‘STOP!’”

Their music combines aggressive instrumentation with biting sarcasm to rail against those who would oppress the citizenry and exploit the least fortunate.
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