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WEEKEND MAGAZINE
The night before we're scheduled to talk about "Die For The Government," Justin Sane of Anti-Flag tells me he's noticed that writers are always asking his views on political issues. And then when he flips through the fanzine, the folks in the other bands seem to be answering questions as thought-provoking as "What's your favorite movie?" or "What do you look for in a chick?"
Well, let's figure this out.
It could be the band name.
Or maybe the "Die For The Government" part of the title.
The lyrics to "Red White and Brainwashed" and "I'm Being Watched By The CIA" would certainly point to a person who's comfortable spouting political views.
And then there's the outraged political banter that fills in the blanks between songs in the set list.
He and his blindfolded bandmates appear to be facing a firing squad on the cover of "Die For the Government," standing in front of an upturned American flag, by the way.
As Sane explains the political nature of punk, "When they say `Shut up and quit your whining,' well, there's still a lot to whine about."
So I ask the political questions.
The song about cops hitting punks in the head with their guns was inspired by something that happened one night at a Queers show in Pittsburgh.
"This cop actually pulled a gun on me," says Sane (which isn't, as you may have guessed, the name you'd find on his birth certificate). "The cops were, like, bashing this kid for no reason and people were trying to break it up and this one cop actually pulled out a gun."
In the...