The new Straight Edge Manifesto

(Note: I found this on my computer the other day, after having saved it from some site a few months back. So, props to the writer of this and thanks for letting me use it. If you are the writer of this, please send me an email telling me to either: take it down, or an email with your details so I can properly give you credit, thanks!)

As some of you may have noticed, whether from just being around me, or by reading a certain section of my Webpage, I consider myself Straight Edge. However, often times I have gotten comments regarding the section of my Webpage that discusses this, and many of the people writing those comments were put off by the tone I used. In that rant I was pretty harsh and straightforward, because I was pretty angry at a situation that I had been put in, and needed to vent. So basically I wanted to clear some things up, and lay out the way I feel about Straight Edge and what it means to me in a more reasonable way.

First of all, I'd like to state one thing that is very important: I do not avoid hanging out with people or being around people who smoke, drink, or do drugs. Perhaps the case may be that I do not have many friends that have these habits, but this is generally due to other character traits of those people, and not the habit itself. Another reason that it can be noted that I do not have many friends that use is that I have trouble spending a lot of time with those people, because generally they'll want to be using their drug of choice. That's their choice of course, and I don't have a problem with someone stepping outside to have a cigarette, but I do have a problem if they're blowing smoke in my face. Regarding alcohol, I just don't want to be exposed to someone who is drinking, at least not more than a very small amount. I really don't have a desire to baby-sit teenagers who have impaired themselves to the point that they cannot walk on their own two feet, and they're vomiting everywhere. That's NOT my idea of a good time. The same can be applied to pretty much all other drugs… if someone can keep themselves under control, that's fine, but I don't want to be in the least responsible if something goes wrong. They can shoot Clorox in their veins for all I care just so long as they keep themselves under control (i.e. NOT getting me arrested) and so long as they can walk on their own two feet. What I am trying to say is that I won't shun someone because they use, but I may choose to avoid being around them at times due to the consequences which their habit brings on.

Also, for me, abstention from promiscuous sex is an important part of Straight Edge. All Straight Edgers do not adhere to this, but it is very important personally to me. I guess regarding this, if someone is exhibiting THIS behavior in front of me, I'd have a BIG problem hanging out with them, although I have never experienced this and I'm willing to bet it's not TOO big of a problem.

The next issue I'd like to cover is WHY I choose this way of life over that of boozing and smoking and bingeing on drugs and having lots of sex with anonymous partners. The number one reason regarding alcohol and drugs is that I can hardly trust myself to face everyday situations sober, and I'd hate to even begin to imagine what my behavior would be like when I was impaired by an illicit substance. Some theories have been formulated by friends of mine as to what might happen if I got drunk or used drugs. The first of which is that I would cure some disease that was previously thought to be chronic, and be a world-renowned hero. People that wanted me to experiment, whom I declined, formulated this. The next is that I would go on a multi-state killing spree. This is more plausible than the first, and might be pretty close to accurate if I managed to get my hands on a deadly weapon like a bag of croutons. Another theory is that my head would simply explode. I think this too would be rather accurate, and since I am a big fan of my skull staying in one piece, I will be sure not to put myself in a situation where this might happen.

Next, why not Tobacco and Promiscuous sex? Well, I abstain from both of these simply for health reasons… and the disgustingness factor. When it comes to tobacco, you get NO positive effects, and a ton of health problems, like throat cancer, lung cancer, browned teeth, dead taste buds, and the list goes on. Regarding promiscuous sex, no matter how careful you are, if you have enough partners you will get a STD (I was told recently that this has been changed to STI, for Sexually Transmitted Infection, who knows). Chances are you will also get pregnant if you are female or end up impregnating someone if you are male. If you're the type to be having promiscuous sex, I assure you you're NOT ready for parenthood, and other options are up to you, but you still have to live with whatever it is you choose. Unfortunately this burden falls much more on females than males, and I think this is horribly twisted since more often than not males initiate sexual encounters. I'd love to see more responsibility amongst the male sect of the population regarding issues like pregnancy, because too often males take the easiest route when they find out that they've impregnated someone, and that route is to leave. They don't seem to care or even realize the trail of pain and heartbreak they're leaving behind. Both Promiscuous sex and Tobacco have many social tripping blocks involved with them as well. For tobacco, you must smoke practically always if you're an addict, and people that do not smoke certainly don't want to have smoke blown in their face. On top of that, you're breath is horribly, and after a long enough time your teeth become horribly discolored. Regarding promiscuous sex, if you want to be referred to as a slut or labeled a whore, be my guest, but most people don't want a tag like that attached to them. This also brings expectations for anyone you would hope to engage in a relationship with, because chances are they're going in thinking they're getting sex out of you, and that may be ALL they're looking for from you. Even after you've decided to stop your promiscuous ways, the tag still follows you. When you want something serious, most people that know of your tagging as the town slut (this term needs to be applied way more to guys, because god knows more guys are sluts then there will ever be girls that are) will not take you seriously at all, and they'll just expect a little action out of you.

Something else I'd like to state is the following: Being Straight Edge does not make me better than anyone else, and I don't harbor any such although. This is a decision, just as choosing to partake in any of the things that Straight Edge opposes is a decision. I don't force my views on people, although I have been known to point out consequences to people, but never in a condescending way. If someone says, "Man, I was REALLY sick last night", and I ask "Why?" and they say, "Because I had gotten SOO plastered the night before", then my response will be "Maybe you shouldn't do that". But I don't say "You need to stop drinking, you are going to die today if you don't, and I'm watching you… so be careful" or anything to that extent in the least. It is not my job to force my lifestyle on others, and I don't try to, but I do want to do my best to spread awareness. It seems all too common that people use because they don't see another way, it's what they know, and they can't imagine life without it. I want people to have proof that you can be happy without any of the vices that plague their life. I wear a Straight Edge button, and if someone asks I tell them, but I certainly don't walk up to a group of people and start preaching.

To summarize, Straight Edge is the way I choose to live my life, because I want to be healthy and happy, and free of poisons that could jeopardize my happiness or my future. Life is hard enough to begin with, and I cannot possibly justify making it any harder with choices like that of using drugs. I used to miss going to social events, because literally I was not told about any party or event that wasn't being held with the sole purpose of getting drunk, stoned, high, or otherwise. Now, however, I have found others that are Straight Edge or very close to it, and we manage to have more fun than I could possibly imagine having under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

I can live my life completely free of drugs, alcohol, tobacco and promiscuous sex. I'm Straight Edge. This is my choice, and I'm proud of it