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.
 

   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 LINK

   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.
 

   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.
 

   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.

CREWS

   Another purpose of the straight edge ethic is aimed at the entire culture as it interacts with the community in which it is based. These interactions are usually based within a group usualy known in straight edge terminoligy as a crew. Crew's are primarily a base of freinds, sometimes all straight edge, but usualy more often then not they are based on an imparital group of freinds. Some crew's may consist of primarily straight edge members, or even primarily straight edge vegan members, but due to the fact that a crew is mainly based on freindship, these member bases could be considered rare. This is mainly becasue there usualy are not a lot of straight edge freinds in the usual straight edge persons freinds base. Unfortunatly this is becasue there are not a great deal of straight edge people around, so straight edge people usually either have un-straight edge freinds, or no freinds at all.

   To combat this crew's have been born into the straight edge culture. Its obvious that without unity of straight edge people it wouldnt last very long as an overall movment. That is why straight edge crew's are essential for the overall life of the scene. This is even more relevant when to comes to straight edge ethics being put into practice, becasue when you want to socialise its practicly impossible, especialy in Australia. Now dont get me wrong, iam not saying that if your not in a crew of some kind your straight edge solidarity will be instantly comprimised, but it is to say that a crew makes it easier.

   The reasion crew's interact with the surounding communities comes from a variety of different purposes. This may come down to introducing other straight edge people to the crew, or other straight edge activities within their area. This may be to increase straight edge awareness in their area to people who have no idea on the straight edge movment. This may also include straight edge positive actions, the supporting of human rights or animal rights organisations for instance. In general they try to interact with their surounding society for its own benifit.

   Overall the straight edge movment is based on positive actions towards all involved or surounding, to an extent this may involve a great deal of differing principales. But in an overall effect it is always for the better of society. If more people were straight edge the world would be an incredibly better place to live or bring up children in. There would be virtualy no AIDS in the world, no drug abuse, no worry of stepping on a hypodermic needle becasue your walking down a beach with no shoes on. There would be no drunk drivers, or alcoholics, no drug addicts at all Of course this is the most ethical aproach for the world, yet people view all of the worlds problems as inane to an extent. Problems which will in effect directly interact with the lives of their children, if not in the prime of their childrens lives, then the way their children are forced to make the changes in their lives to save what little environment they have left.

   The aproach of people who choose the more travled path of self induced unhealthiness, are simply paving their own destruction in a sense. To ignore the social decay which we are inducing on ourselves in in effect the worst choice you can make with your life. To recognise that we have a problem in any way and choose the straight edge life is a start. At least then you can actualy realise that their is a problem, and their is another option. Unfortunatly the less travled option, but that can only change for the better, in the future. Dont let the overall lack of social support for the straight edge lifestyle at its current stage curve your ethical choices.