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 VEGAN
Usually when a vegan becomes involved in veganism she/he will intern become involved in animal rights issues in some way, to further their beliefs in their principles. In all intergrity veganism is in a sense boycotting the use of animal produce to an extent. Alought this really depends on how far the individual takes the veganism process in their lives. Many vegans will take veganism to a far extent if they intend to take the ethic to a serious level, as most do. This usually involves the absaination of all animal products and products which are tested on animals, from the vegans life, including clothes, footwear, cosmetics, everything. In effect this is actualy alot easier then it sounds, The main reasion vegans will tend to push the boundries of veganism if they are serious is becasue it becomes hypicritical to stop eating meat, but still use cosmetics which are tested on animals. This is especially relevant to vegans which turn vegan primarily for animal rights focused principles. The environmental issues of the vegan ethic, lie in the under tones of the overall straight edge ethic. Self presevation; which is the ethical relationship between the two lifestyles in my opioion, and also another of the reasions the two ethics work together.
One of the worst drugs that many straight edge people do not recognise as a drug and therefore dont abstain from it in their daily lives, is caffine. You may be thinking whats so bad about coffee or Coke?. It has an addictive affect, it also has a load of other bad side effects; here a just a few.
- Caffine helps to aid the loss of sodium, potassium, calcium and other essential vitamin's from your body including vitamin B, this intern increases your bodies need for vitamins from other sources, such as supplements.
- Caffine greatly increases your risks of gaining bladder cancer, especially in women.
- There are high risks that large daily consumtion of caffine (7 cups + per day) in pregnant women can increase the risks of miscarriages, still births or fetal deaths.
THE 'X' THINGS
The history of were 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.
