Softline,
a new Straight Edge ethic
Note:
This article is not finished yet. I published it quite early,
so I can incoporate comments and suggestions in this article.
Please visit this site regularly for updates.
Ever since its creation there are many people who like the hardline
ethics, but do not like its violent/illegal attitude. Therefore
it is time for a new ethic discouraging violence and promoting
non-violent direct action. I am not trying to oppose hardline
or 'traditional straight-edge' in this article, but to formulate
a new ethic, based on both ethics, but also philosophies (Buddhism,
Christianity, etc.), lyrics by bands, and in general many opinions
(including my own). In the rest of this article I will be referring
to this ethic by the name "softline".
What
is softline?
Basically softline combines the straight-edge ethics with some
hard-line ethics with one major difference: softline is all about
non-violent direct action. This means softliners do not smoke,
drink alcohol, use drugs or have casual sex. Besides that softliners
believe in equality of race and gender, animal rights (meaning
softliners are vegetarian or vegan) and complete abstainance from
violence.
The
media
Despite hardline's good intention it got really bad media coverage,
which in some extend also harmed straight-edge. Their opponents
(like the meat industry) used hardline's violent attitude to blacken
their reputation. Softline has a much stronger weapon, named non-violence,
making it a lot more difficult to destroy its reputation. Non-violent
actions result in positive media attention, which in turn results
in awareness of society.
Forms of non-violent action
- Spread
pamphlets.
- Educate
other people about certain issues (only if they are interested!).
- Stop
buying products that might harm animals/the environment/etc.
- Wear
clothes spreading an important message.
Any
comments? Please send them to d.j.a.de.kok@wolmail.nl.
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