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Song for Michael Reinoehl

from Say Their Names by David Rovics

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On September 3rd, 2020, a combination of federal and local police descended upon an apartment complex outside of Lacey, Washington and murdered Michael Reinoehl in a hail of 40 bullets. None of them had their body cams on.

lyrics

Song for Michael Reinoehl

For years the right's been growing
Fabric tearing at the seams
Stark divides showing
Made worse by shattered dreams
For years gangs of armed men
Come with rifles and bear mace
To terrorize towns again
Pointing guns all over the place
An enemy must be found
Oh how history repeats
With the bodies on the ground
Blame their families and their allies marching in the streets

I've lost track of how many protesters now
Have been run over or shot
So there's nothing very surprising how
We've got to where we've got
For years now they've been coming here
And by August 29
Across the spectrum it was clear
What was coming down the line
On this particular night
The man who'd take the fall
Was a member of the far right
Who had answered his president's call

For years it was predicted someday
Someone would retaliate
With all those weapons on display
With that much fear and hate
Michael Reinoehl he was sought
For murder, the alleged crime
But he was never caught
Or given a chance for prison time
The cops came to the property
From local deputies to feds
They came to kill their enemy
They wanted this anarchist's head

For so long it's been true
Justice has multiple tracks
One for those who back the blue
Another for the Brown and Black
Or for people like Michael Reinoehl
Who just can't stay safe and hide
Who see the rising fatal toll
And have to take a side
If his executioners had bodycams
None of them were on
They fired forty rounds for Uncle Sam
One more antifascist gone

For years the right's been growing
Fabric tearing at the seams
Stark divides showing
Amid the shattered American dreams

credits

from Say Their Names, released October 3, 2020

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David Rovics Portland, Oregon

Singer/songwriter, writer, podcaster (on Spotify, Substack & Patreon), anarchist, dad, lover of life.

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