History of Straight Edge & Punk & The Spread of Straight Edge into a Worldwide Philosophy

This is a college paper submitted by Angela , it was added to the site on Tuesday the 20th of May, 2003.

A 15-year-old skater in a confrontational and sparring spirit approached an older punk ... The young one spoke, apparently meeting this guy for the first time in a scrutinizing manner with a twist of an East Coast surfer dialect, “Are you or aren't you?” “Am I or am not what?” the older punk said, sort of smugly but puzzled... “Straight edge!” he answered in a matter-of-fact way. “Well,” said the punk, “I don't drink, and I really don't smoke or smoke pot or anything, but I don't know ...I really don't label myself as ‘straight edge',” he said a little righteously and maturely. “That's way lame!” said the skater, abruptly ending the inquisition and laughing at himself while walking off. “This”, I thought, “is what killed straight edge, and at the same time, this is what made it grow into an enormous subculture worldwide- a punk attitude with conservative principles” (Ray Cappo, Forward).

The punk lifestyle and Straight Edge beliefs seem so different, like opposite ends of the spectrum but they're not. Straight Edge is a belief stemmed from a group of punk kids though already in a rebellious lifestyle, wanting to go one step farther.

What is Straight Edge? What is Punk?” The Straight Edge life [was] originally defined by the Washington, D.C. hardcore band Minor Threat” (Batsell Online 1) and “Ian MacKaye, lead singer of the band Minor Threat, is identified as the ‘founder' of Straight Edge” (Irwin Online 2). The term Straight Edge was first defined as the title of a Minor Threat song “(I) Don't smoke, Don't Drink, Don't F*** ” (Minor Threat).
In my paper I will be giving the history of Straight Edge (sXe) and punk and what they have to do with each other. I'll also be telling how sXe spread into a worldwide philosophy and the bad reputation it has developed over time. Finally I'll explain were I take part in all this and what sXe means to me.

The history of sXe is well documented in punk music. Punk music originated in the late 1970's by The Ramones (a US band) and Sex Pistols (a UK band), no one is sure who started punk music but everyone knows it will never die. Punk music was not only a new sound but it was new lifestyle for youth that was tired of following the actions mainstream society had forced upon them. As rebellion grew in the punk community alcohol and drugs were commonplace. “At its conception, Straight Edge was a reaction to the self-destruction of punk rockers. Artists like Sid Vicious [Bassist of Sex Pistols], infamous for his fatal use of drugs and alcohol, stood for everything a straight punk would be against. Straight Edge provided the hardcore/punk scene an alternative to the calamitous ‘drunk punk' .... In essence, it became a counterculture within a counter-culture“ (Helton Online 4-5).

“In the early 1980s the term ‘straight edge' was coined to describe a youth subculture within the punk rock scene, a subculture that chose a lifestyle that abstained from alcohol, tobacco and drugs as well as promiscuous sex” (Helton Online 1). Straight Edge is the ultimate form of rebellion. Many people see sXe as a form of reverse rebellion (Batsell Online 4) because the way of life mainstream had forced upon the youth was being challenged. The rebellion against society is what created Straight Edge. Vegetarianism (the absence of meat in one's diet) and animal rights has become closely related to sXe. “Earth Crisis [a hardcore band], for example, has led to the development of vegan [absence of all animal by-products from one's diet and absence of using products made with or tested on animals] straight edge, with its evangelistic vegan lifestyle and strong association with animal rights” (Helton Online 6).

“At first, it had no name, only a symbol” (McClelland Online 2). “Xs are applied on the back of hands by a magic maker. Straight Edge youths say they ‘X up' for a show. ‘X' became a symbol for Straight Edge participation in the 1980s in Washington, D.C. ‘hardcore' scene after bouncers marked underage concertgoers. Straight Edge youth marked themselves to signify they would not drink and were dr[u]g free. [The ‘X'] often appear[s] as a part of the elaborate tattoos sported by Straight Edge youths” (Irwin Online 17).

One Straight Edger said, “I love tattoos and I think sXe is like a tattoo in your mindset, so why not get it inscribed on you for life” (Helton Online 8). Becoming sXe is thought to be a life long commitment (Helton Online 8) “True Till Death”. Singer Bif Naked states, “It's a commitment not to do these things [drugs, alcohol, & promiscuous sex] for the rest of my life. Every passing year I have Straight Edge under my belt, I have more conviction about it” (McClelland Online 1). Many people don't take sXe as serious as it needs to be taken and many people “lose the edge” as it's called. When people break the edge it is considered a disgrace and a term has been coined in making fun of people that stop being Straight Edge, “Straight Edge until 21” (Irwin Online 13).

Straight Edge has developed a bad name with help of the media. “Consequently, all of these media reports were widely criticized by those within the straight edge movement as biased, distorted and wrong” (Helton Online 2). In some places Straight Edge is known as a dangerous and violent movement.

“That is in reaction to the fact that a few Edgers are militantly intolerant of non-believers. Andrew Moench, a 19-year-old from Salt Lake City, has been charged with murdering a 15-year-old youth who, police allege, did not respect Moench's Straight Edge point of view. “I've got to die some time,” Moench told the U.S. network TV show 20/20. “I might as well be dying standing up for what I believe in. If it resorts to violence, yeah, then I don't have a problem with that” (McClelland Online 3).

I myself, have only been Straight Edge for a few months now, but I've known of the movement for the last 7 years. When I was younger, as many youth think, that I would never do drugs, drink, or have promiscuous sex. I was sure of it! But as time rolled on and I got older my views changed and I followed the path of my peers. Most of my teen years were spent in an intoxicated state of bare consciousness. My life was heading down hill and when almost failing to graduate high school, I knew I had hit bottom. I had to turn my life around, so half-hearted, I began my new life.

The vass amount of drug use, drinking and sex has slowed but never fully stopped. I just drifted along through life, not making an impact on anything, until I met the love of my life, Jay. Jay was amazing and the most moralistic person I had ever met. He knew what he wanted in life and knew he couldn't do it with out being “straight” minded. After many falls in my life I had finally found my lift! In Jay I found everything and he showed me that even a small amount of wrongs was life crushing. I thought long and hard and quit using drugs and committed myself to only one person.

I still felt the pull of my past and finally found Straight Edge to be my guide. Many people see sXe as a label, just another way for people to stereotype, but I see sXe as a life long goal. Straight Edge is not something a person just becomes one day. sXe takes a lifetime to achieve, and it is something I can positively look to, to give me strength and courage to stand up for myself and what I believe is right.

Cappo, Ray. Forward . All Ages Reflections on Straight Edge. Ed. Beth Lahickey. California: Revelation Records, 1997.

Batsell, Jake . “Straight Edge: Kids Who Look Wild, Live Clean.” Knight-Ridder Newspapers Online ( July 21, 1996).
EBSCOhost CD-ROM. [October 24, 2002]

Irwin, Darrell D . “The Straight Edge Subculture: Examining the Youths' Drug-Free Way.” Journal of Drug Issues Online ( Spring 1999).
EBSCOhost CD-ROM. [October 24, 2002]

McClelland, Susan . “ Straight, But With an Edge: A Philosophy Born of Punk Rock Has Some Young Adults Choosing to Live Without Sex, Booze and Drugs.” Maclean's Online (May 17, 1999). EBSCOhost CD-ROM.
[October 24, 2002]

Helton, Jesse J., and William J. Staudenmeir Jr . “ Re-imagining Being ‘Straight' in Straight Edge .” Contemporary Drug Problems Online (Summer 2002).
InfoTrac Web: InfoTrac Onefile CD-ROM. [October 24,2002]