| straight edge 3 |
Straight Edge Violence
Theres been alot of talk about militant straight edge "beatings" and general violence, and i think to alot of people this has been clouding their image of what straight edge is. I mean; i get all these emails from people saying your definitions of straight edge are some of the best i have ever read etc. To an extent i like the feedback, but i also wonder why so many people are only just discovering SXE, and i mean i dont conisder my site to be a really important to the overall lifestyle. So i take notice of the emails i do get, and poeple keep asking me about "straight edge militancy" or "straight edge beatings" and i think this is becoming more of a problem then it ever was if so many people are talking about it.
Based on everything i ever knew about straight edge history this was always more of a problem in the States, at least more so then it is here. I mean the first time i ever heard about it was from a member of a US based straight edge crew. Dont get me wrong, iam not saying straight edge Americans are more violent then Australians, its just based on the facts ive had to work with. Ive never even witnessed it in person, and we do have a large base of straight edgers here in my home town. even thou its not quite as big as it once was, most of our local crew i havent seen in a while. But my point is i would hate to see that kinda thing happen here, i think its totaly pointless. I have never, and will never see the point in beating people up for not being straight egde, if you do have a reasion or you belive in it alot i would be very interested in hearing from you, why you belive in it.
I strongly belive in "direct action" when animal rights are concerened, thou thats only becasue animals do not have much choice in being processed for food or experiments. I have always belived that everyone should at least be vegetarian, but iam not going to beat someone up for eating meat, i might lecture you if your a freind or someone i know i can do it too. But i would never inflict violence on anyone for what i belive in, for the simple fact they dont hold the same belifes. Becasue thats all your doing in effect, its just as bad as racism or sexism you just violently forcing your belifes on someone eles. Sometimes its importat to verbaly force your belief on someone, but its almost always better to try and educate them in a freindly way. People will always accept what your saying more if you talk to them in a nice way, its just human nature.
Although sometimes it is easy to get fustrated when your talking to someone who really belives they are right, when every fact is telling them they are not. I frequently get into arguments with people about eating meat or not drinking, but its always worth a try. I think somepoeple just listen in different ways, like stuborn people just like to argue their point, doesnt mean they arent listining. My point is if no one ever talked about straight edge people or vegans, you wouldnt be reading this now.
I dont know if its just me, but it seems like there are less straight edge people around these days. I mean when i first found out about SXE there were so many local people X'ing up at shows, and walking around "looking" straight edge. But nowdays every one i knew from back then is drinking or not local anymore, alot of people from the net i used to talk to are not edgers anymore.
Maybe some of it is due to a lowering of the whole "coolness" of the straight edge lifestyle. I dont mean to say that being straight edge is lame, just that i think we are seeing the ending of a popularity surge. I think for a long time alot of people were jumping on the SXE lifestyle without really beliving in it. Iam not saying everyone who stoped being SXE latly was fronting either, iam just saying alot of people left the scene in a big way over the last 6 months or so. Or have here anyway, i cant speak so much for other countries i havent spoken to many edgers from other countries for a while. Most of the people i knew who were international straight edgers are either no longer straight edge or dont have the net anymore. So for the most part iam talking about the Australian scene.
If you are SXE or vegan and have icq and want to chat, add me! lemi know whats going on out there!
