This was just on the news, this was about the best link I could find:
http://www.sprawlmagazine.com/articles/ ... Sober.htmlStraight Edge sober
by Kelly Rubert // Illustration: Diego Gomez
Kelly, 16, is a contributor to Sprawl Magazine.
March 1, 2003
Suburban LIFE AIN'T what it seems
If you've been to local punk or hardcore shows, you?re bound to see a group of kids with the symbol, "sXe" on the back of their hands and are more than likely dressed in Dickies and canvas shoes. For those who don't know, the symbol stands for Straight Edge, which means kids who bear it, stay clear of drugs and alcohol. Most Straight Edge kids are in their early teens to late 20s and prefer the sound of hard-core. They also consist of young adults who want to convert to Straight Edge after a history with alcohol and drugs.
Here's a little background: Straight Edge was originally started in the early '80s in Washington, D.C. by bands like Minor Threat, SDD and others who advocated to their listeners that keeping sober was much more beneficial than getting drunk or high. It became a reaction to the hedonism and self-destruction that characterized punk. It?s all about self-control. Straight Edge is the only youth counter-culture to actively discourage drug use, alcohol use and casual sex.
The message was carried through the '90s and up to the present day with bands like the Nerve Agents. Their music evolved into a more hard-core sound instead of punk. The philosophy has also grown to include vegetarianism/veganism and awareness of environmental and political issues. The movement is constantly growing and becoming more obvious to other concert-goers. I've even seen a few bands like Earth Crisis on TV with the sXe drawn on their hands. And Dublin, CA is filled with kids that have the symbol written with permanent ink on their backpacks or on their shoes.
No problem, right? Unfortunately, with every movement there is always a group of extremists, who portray a sort of holier-than-thou attitude. I've seen Straight Edge kids lash out at another kid who was drunk or noticeably high. This is their "method" of stopping other audience members from smoking and drinking.
At a show early last summer at the Danville Vets' Hall, I noticed a group of Straight Edge guys and girls out in the parking lot. I didn't pay much attention to them until a girl in her late teens stumbled out of the building, obviously high or drunk.
A few girls from the Straight Edge group approached the girl and started calling her names. They soon kicked her to the ground in a rage, and proceeded to beat her up till a few onlookers ran over and broke up the fight. I was horrified and so were the rest of the non-Straight Edge kids.
I wanted to know why they would treat another human being like that, so I asked my Straight Edge friend, Jerome, a junior from Livermore, and he told me, "Sometimes violence is the only way to make someone listen."
Along with the dedicated radicals, there are also hypocrites: the type who goes to shows with the Straight Edge symbol, but a week later goes to a different show piss-drunk. There are also types who will stay Straight Edge till they hit 18 or 21, because then they can drink and smoke all they want.
The lifestyle doesn't leave any room for experimentation. Regrettably, most kids don't realize the meaning behind it when they first put the symbol on their hand, and often treat it as a mere fashion statement. At school I've approached a few kids with the symbol, and most of them didn't realize that Straight Edge is not only a type of music, but a constant commitment to stay sober.
Of course, Straight Edge is also about the music. If you like Straight Edge bands, you should check out a band from Vancouver called Burden.
