STRAIGHT-EDGE
What does straight-edge mean?
Straight Edge is a more philosophical offshoot of the punk movement, a
The basic tenet of the philosophy centres around the issue of
self-control. The goal is to regain as much personal control over your
own life as possible. sXe is the only youth counter-culture to actively
discourage drug use, alcohol use, and casual sex.
Straight edge is a lifestyle centred around personal development and
well being, while encouraging fun and togetherness. sXe is not just
about being into contemporary punk music acts and being against drugs.
It goes deeper than this. The movement wishes to attract people away
from dependancy lifestyles centred around drug habits (legal or
illegal) and unhealthy and exploitative eating and general living
habits common in modern cultures. sXe is not dogmatic, there are no
hard rules, these are for you to decide. Nobody should dictate like
the police, or preach an ideology like the church or state.
Where does the name straight-edge come from?
According to legend, the drummer for Minor Threat [Jeff Nelson], one of
the first bands to preach the "stay punk, stay clean" ethos, …was
drawing a poster for a show using a wood ruler. He commented to his
bandmates that the ruler’s straight edge was a metaphor for their
lifestyle.
Straight Edge
by Minor Threat, 1981
I’m a person just like you
But I’ve got better things to do
Than sit around and fuck my head
Hang out with the living dead
Snort white shit up my nose
Pass out at the shows
I don’t even think about speed
That’s something I just don’t need
I’ve got the straight edge
I’m a person just like you
But I’ve got better things to do
Than sit around and smoke dope
‘Cause I know I can cope
Laugh at the thought of eating ludes
Laugh at the thought of sniffing glue
Always gonna keep in touch
Never want to use a crutch
I’ve got the straight edge
A common practice at all-ages punk shows was to mark minors with an "X"
on their hands so they couldn’t buy alcohol. As the straight-edge
philosophy grew popular, punkers who were older than 18 but didn’t
drink for ideological reasons started to mark themselves with the X in
a show of solidarity.
No. Although sXe embraces some of the moral values held by most major
religions, sXe’ers don’t necessarily believe in a God. There is no
organised church or worship service. However, some sXe’ers are members
of organised churches, temples or mosques where they feel that the sXe
beliefs fit in.
Why do kids get into straight-edge?
Some common reasons people decide to become sXe include: 1. wanting to
control their own lives 2. seeing what damage drugs can do to others
3. being raised in an alcoholic family 4. identifying with the sXe
values and 5. being with people who have the same values.
Ruth Horner said "There’s just such a TREMENDOUS social pressure to
drink, do drugs, and so on. Society says ‘just say no’ but what does it
matter, once you turn 21? Or at least become an adult. Then it’s just
an accepted form of ‘recreation.’ By then it has become an accepted
‘addiction’ as well. Look at how prevalent alcohol and tobacco and
negative sexuality are in the media, not just commercials. it’s a big
part of our culture, particularly youth culture. Where does it end you
up?
"That’s right. No where fast. I just don’t understand. From what I have
heard, hangovers suck. Watching your life fall apart sucks. It’s just
not fair o yourself, or anyone else around you that loves you to take
such a risk and purposely deny yourself the privilege of being healthy.
Health isn’t a privilege, it’s a given. It doesn’t FEEL good to have
hangovers. It doesn’t FEEL good to OD. It doesn’t FEEL good to go
through withdrawal and it most certainly doesn’t FEEL good to have
AIDS! So why don’t today’s youth learn from example? I did. A lot of
others out there have too. But for some reason, the ignorant are still
out there.
"You just have to learn to stand strong against it all. Stay true to
yourself. Find alternatives. Personally I find that I get a high from
going to hows. Just the ROAR of the guitar, and the RUSH of the drums
feeling he sweat drip from my face, being squashed by the others around
me. I find THAT exciting!!
"I don’t think I’m any better than anyone else, I just think I’m being
smart. And if you have a problem with that then tough."
How do I join the straight-edge?
You don’t join straight-edge, you become straight-edge. To do that you
just get involved in the scene and start thinking for yourself.
The idea is to closely examine your own life, identify what factors
influence your thoughts and behaviours, assess what impact they are
having on your life and rid yourself of those factors which you deem to
have a negative impact on your life.
Straight-edge grew out of the hardcore/punk scene and the music plays
an important role. The music is fast, powerful, with angry and
thoughtful lyrics. It forms a a vital outlet for rage and sadness
against abusive and/or dysfunctional political, societal and family
structures.
"Hardcore is the style that began in the early 80s, often applied to
bands such as Black Flag, Minor Threat, Sick of It All, Bad Brains,
Rollins Band, Fugazi, etc.–sort of "2nd wave" punk bands. They were
sloppy punk bands that played with more intensity and heaviness than
earlier ones like the Sex Pistols, The Clash, etc. Today’s hardcore
bands are tighter and much heavier, and can be divided into two general
types (usually called East Coast or West Coast, for where the band is,
but it’s not always consistent). The first type are smoother, with
heavy grooves that flow, with a vocalist that sings (or at least tries
to) or shouts. The second type is heavier, with tight, stop-and-go
rhythms and harsh vocals that are a cross between shouts and low
screams."
hopefully with the current popularity of punk rock more kids
will discover that the world ain’t exactly a great place, and work for
positive change despite the many evil forces in this world. And that is
the best definition of hardcore I can imagine."
Straight-edge isn’t about rules. It’s a philosophy about being in
control of your own actions and making decisions for yourself. As a
result you’ll choose not to smoke, drink, sleep around, eat meat but
these choices may be different to different people. The hallmarks of
straight-edge remain hardcore/punk music and don’t smoke, don’t drink,
don’t fuck.
Is straight-edge about politics?
Although sXe is not inherently political, politics are a logical
extension of an sXe lifestyle. Once you have regained control over your
life, the desire to help others and to make a positive contribution to
your culture, society, community by addressing issues of social justice
is a very natural thing to do. Many sXe’ers join organisations like
Greenpeace, Amnesty International, and SADD (Students Against Drunk
Drivers). They also encourage friends to give up drugs, alcohol, and
smoking.
Do I have to be vegan/vegetarian to be straight-edge?
"vegetarianism is not part of sxe, only a natural progression."
Veganism has little to do with sXe pure life ideals. People generally
aren’t addicted to animal products. But it seems logical to look at
everything you put into your body once you start examining external
factors, and so many sXe folk logically choose to adopt a vegan life.
A vegan excludes animal flesh (meat, poultry, fish and seafood),
animal products (eggs and dairy), and usually excludes honey and the
wearing and use of animal products (leather, silk, wool, lanolin,
gelatin…). The major vegan societies all disallow honey, but some
"vegans" still use it. Some "vegans" also refuse to eat yeast
products.
Can I take medications if I’m straight-edge?
Some kids say you shouldn’t take any drugs. "Straight Edger’s exclude
all forms of drugs from their lives, including alcohol, cigarettes,
illegal drugs and often other drugs such as aspirin. Most sXe’ers don’t
even "use" caffeine."
However, it would be stupid not to take medications for serious
illnesses. How can you take control of your life if you’re delirious
or dead!
How much does pro-life feature in sXe?
This is quite a heated topic as you can imagine. I’ll take the
liberty to define some of the terms since there is a lot of different
meanings being used - I’ll take the obvious ones. Pro-life is the
belief that life (especially human) is always valuable and should be
supported and defended. It is not however anti-choice, just like
pro-choice is not anti-life. Pro-choice is the belief that people
should be able to make life choices by themselves, and in particular
whether they choose to have an abortion performed on their unborn
child.
Given the definitions above most who’ve got the straight-edge are
pro-life and pro-choice. That is, they will take responsibility for
their actions (which is the reason for being straight) and will not
take the easy option of aborting an unexpected child. However, they
will not presume to force the same ethic on others.
Those who are hardline will also be anti-choice.
All my friends drink, does this mean I have to find new friends?
No! Be a good influence for them. You can be a better friend by
being straight.
What is hardline straight-edge?
"Hardline is a very specific political eco-defense movement that
believes they have the one truth of natural living, including
abstinence from drugs, veganism, and pro-life beliefs. They also claim
to believe in direct action, but it remains to be seen if they’ll do
anything."
From the Hardline Creed:
"The time has come for an ideology and for a movement, that is both
physically and morally strong enough, to do battle against the forces
of evil that are destroying the earth (and all life upon it). …
"That ideology, that movement, is Hardline. A belief system, and a way
of life that lives by one ethos - that all innocent life is sacred, and
must have the right to live out it’s natural state of existance in
peace, without interference. … Any action that does interfere with
such rights shall not be considered a "right" in itself, and therefore
shall not be tolerated. Those who hurt or destroy life around them, or
create a situation in which that life or the quality of it is
threatened shall from then on no longer be considered innocent life,
and in turn will no longer have rights.
"Adherents to the hardline will abide by these proncilpes in daily
life. They shall live at one with the laws of nature, and shall not
forsake them for the desire of pleasure - from deviant sexual acts
and/or abortion, to drug use of any kind (and all other cases where
one harms all life around them under the pretext that they are just
harming themselves). And, in following with the belief that one shall
not infringe on an innocent’s life - no animal product shall be
consumed (be it flesh, milk or egg). Along with this purity of
everyday life, the true hardliner must strive to liberate the rest of
the world from it’s chains - saving lives in some cases, and in others,
dealing out justice to those guilty of destoying it."
