Lindy: "No Knock Raid" - a song about the drug war's deadliest tactic.

Note: This video contains graphic images of violence and mature language. Viewer discretion is advised.

"No Knock Raid," written and performed by Toronto-based musician Lindy, is a searing indictment of one of the most aggressive, ubiquitous, and mistaken tactics in the War on Drugs.

Consider only the most recent raid to cause a national outrage: On May 5, 2011, 26-year-old Jose Guerena, who survived two tours in the Iraq War, was shot and killed during a raid on his house by a Pima County, Arizona SWAT team that fired dozens of bullets through his front door. Guerena, married and a father of two, had just finished a 12-hour shift at a local mine. Law enforcement sources claim he was involved in narco-trafficking but have yet to produce any evidence supporting that claim. Officers involved in the death have been cleared of wrongdoing.

Guerena's death is not an isolated incident. As USA Today reports, an astonishing 70,000 to 80,000 militarized police raids take place on a annual basis in America, many of them on mistaken suspects and many of them ending with injury or death for police and citizens alike.

As Reason Contributing Editor Radley Balko and others have documented, the militarization of standard police practice is a direct consequence of the modern-day War on Drugs, started 40 years ago by President Richard Nixon - and perpetuated by every administration since. (For a comprehensive report on the failure of the drug war to achieve any of its stated goals, read "Ending the Drug War: A Dream Deferred," by Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.)

For supporting links to all stats cited above, longer clips of raid footage, and more, go to http://reason.tv/video/show/swat-no-knock-raid-lindy

"No Knock Raid" written and performed by Lindy.

Produced and directed by Hawk Jensen.

Performance footage directed by Victor Tavares and Zachary Koski

About 4.50 minutes.

Go to http://reason.tv for downloadable versions of the video and mp3 and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• reason.com
• reason.org
• reason.tv
• reason magazine
• reason foundation
• libertarian
• war on drugs
• no knock warrant
• paramilitary
• richard nixon
• hawk jensen
• Lindy Vopnfjord
• Victor Tavares
• Zachary Koski
• todd blair
• Jose Guerena
• Cheye Calvo
• Kenneth Wright
• SWAT

[IdeasWorthSharing87]

Prohibition enforcement is devastating and terrible, completely unlike the plant cannabis. Decriminalize it. Legalize it.

[antipop73]

So all people should follow whatever laws their government lays down, no matter how prejudiced, oppressive, or cruel? So if our government passed a law stopping free speech, outlawing religion, negating the need for search warrants, abolishing our right to vote, or intruding on any other of our god given and constitutional rights, we should just follow it for fear of punishment? Wow, then I guess men like MLK and Gandhi were really just criminals according to you.

[GhOsTlYaPaRaTiS]

if such a thing was done this country would no longer be a democratic country, it would be a tyranical country. and alot of people tend to forget tht a democracy means the power lies within the people FOR THE PEOPLE! not the govt. keep fighting it man!! spread the word people need to realize our govt is turning into a king over peasants type of govt. our forefathers would be ashamed to call themselves American. this needs to end the people need to control the govt not the other way around.

[TheKoga42]

They work to uphold the law it does not put them above it and doesn't make them the law they should not be held to a standard which makes them harder to prosecute them but instead they should be held to a stricter set of laws they are supposed to be our protecters there supposed to imbody all that is good and nobel about or planet and the societys we live in

[TheKoga42]

Trust me through my own studying of martial science it gives u confidence a sense of honor gives u they ability to handle dangerous situations i also believe they should be put through strict and rigorous mental and emotional evaluations to see if they have the predisposition towards violence if u had more extringent recruiting polices it would cut down on corruption and police brutality law enforcement officers have long since forgotten there origins they were created to uphold and enforce laws

[TheKoga42]

I love how cops use and love dogs think there an integral part of there force but they shoot suspects dogs in raid or if they cant catch a straw dog whats the difference between there dogs and the publics its just a chance to fire there weapons if a tazer works on a person y cant they just taze the dog at least it has a chance to live its just cowardice i believe cops should not be issued guns but instead taught martial arts

[jayson1986celtic]

Fucking PIGS!!!!



[vicious7524]

i hate this country. we police ourselves and wage war against ourselves for profit then think its ok to do it to other countries.

[Lovebeecharmer]

I thought the war was in the Middle East...WTF are they doing in the last video clip? They have fucking full-body armor and still feel the need to plow down any completely vulnerable unarmed citizens?!?!?! There's a lot wrong in this world.

[kaitlindanielledyke]

wow, that last video where they all have to get their shots in... what fucking losers.

[xsweetvenomx]

Does anyone know where I can find "Picture of You" by Lindy? I first heard it on the movie The Kate Logan Affair and I absolutely cannot find it anywhere!

[AsavageMIND]

trolls galore! infragard anyone? think your neighbors are not spying? think again! people actually get paid to post online and cause division. and then there are just the sleepers as i call them. those that stay blissfully ignorant of th world around them.