be straight edge!

Yes this is from another website.

What is straight edge? Straight edge is what people who choose not to consume alcohol, use tabacco or any drugs call themselves. A non-premiscious sex life is also favoured by most straight edge people. Straight edge ethics are a choice made on a personal level, for instance some people choose a vegan life style aswell, some choose to not ingest caffeine, some abstain from as many legal medicalized drugs as possible, ie, Asprin. Another choice many straight edge people in turn opt for is that of environmental awareness, which in effect could be, involving yourself in recycling in your neighbourhood, awareness of power usage in their homes, involvement in environmental organizations like Green Peace, primarily any kind of environmental aid. Straight edge is in effect a non-violent movment, usually built on self preservation or self abstinence. It is for some a dicipline, and for others a simple choice with no interest from the products in question. This really depends on why you become straight edge.

Why straight edge? The reasions behind people choosing a straight edge lifestyle, can be traced to many different reasions. Becasue being straight edge is a personal choice it is hard to say why poeple go straight edge in an over all way, but here are a handfull of reasions.

Growing up with alcoholic's in the family and being scared that the same will occur in your life, also alcohol induced agression, the two can go hand in hand. Its also possible that people have seen the affects of drugs on family members or freinds, and have learnt from others mistakes.

To further their own personal health, well being and productivity. Basicly to acomplish what they wish, to be everything they can and want.

They want to be an individual, taking the path less traveled down, not wanting to follow peer presure. More often then not these people never have an interest in self destructive drugs, and have a drug free life. They probably dont even know about the straight edge movment until later in their lives.

Overall most people choose to go straight edge to promote their own personal health, or that has a percentage of the final reasion for their choice. Becasue of this there are alot of vegans straight edge people around. In effect the vegan lifestyle doesnt have a lot to do with being straight edge, there are masses of straight edge people around that have nothing to do with veganism. But becasue the straight edge of society usually have alot more thought for their personal and environmental futures, veganism seems a apropriate affiliation to the overal ethic.

The history of where straight edge came from is an interesting one, there are a few different stories as to were the name was derived from but most people believe that it came from a band called minor threat. Or at least thats what i remember it to be, of the top of my head. But anyway the band had a song called "straight edge", its also said that the X on poeples hands is signified by the X's which are drawn on under age kids hands before they go into a show that has alcohol. This technique is still used in american shows, in australia people are asked if they are going to drink at the door, then they are givin a plastic braclet which is required to get alcohol from the bar.

Another part of the straight edge ethic is the music, primarily hardcore ... the occasional punk band also gets a bit serious in the lyrical undertone from time to time. That's not to say that being straight edge has anything to do with being a hardcore fan, although it does have some nice sides to it. Mainly the fact that you are listening to music which is encouraging your life style, this is never really a bad thing. One of the best known vegan straight edge bands around is earth crisis, their songs are among some of the best written as far as ethics are concerned, another band of interest is better then a thousand. But to be honest iam not a really big hardcore fan so i couldn't tell you a whole lot about hardcore bands. I know a fair few that are vegan or straight edge or both, their are allot around. an interesting band on ethics is blood for blood, a band that base their lyrics around the destruction of modern day society.

There are allot of abbreviations and other ways of saying straight edge then actually writing straight edge, here is a list of the most common.

sXe - this is common on the internet, also on straight edge cd compilations, etc.

XXX - this is a favourite of t-shirts and other clothing.

X-X - the - becomes what ever word that is desired i.e. XcultureX.

X - on the back of someone's hands, usually at a concert to show your straight edgeness.

If you wear straight edge clothes in public chances are you have been given looks from people. When i first wore my straight edge t-shirt in public i was really suprised by the general animosity of people in my hone city, Adelaide. I didn't realise that the general public awareness of what straight edge is was so wide spread, i certainly didn't realize there would be so much animosity. Some people will look at you weird, some will look at you happily some will look at you as if they to want hit you. Ive had people actually yell things at me for wearing an straight edge t-shirt in public.

I think its really cool when people look at you with a happy glance, its really encouraging. That's not to say that people who look at me with disbelief or anger discourage me; far from it. That kind of attitude just makes me feel as if there is a greater need for a straight edge presence in society to communicate the real meaning of what being straight edge is. Unfortunatly there will always be people who wont want to accept straight edge ethics, and find it easier to hate then to learn. But at the growing rate of straight edge poeple in modern day society, attitudes can only change for the better if the straight edge lifestyle is lived for the right reasons.

People who choose an straight edge lifestyle primarily for what i consder the right reasions, they will eventualy opt for for a vegan lifestyle also. This is becasue i stronlgy belive that there is alot more to being straight edge then simply choosing a alcohol, cigarette and drug free path in life. The straight edge lifestyle is based on a strong base of ethical social princables. To some poeple this is understood before they even realise that they are labeled straight edge, ie they have been straight edge for a time, before they actually know that there is a straight edge following. Some poeple discover straight edge and the ethics which follow some time into their lives, which is the same.