Straight Edge - The Discipline (writen in 1995 by me, Daniel Zander) Put very simply, Straight Edge (sXe) is a youth movement closely aligned with the hardcore/punk music scene, but with a fundamental difference. sXe is generally refers to a person who doesn't use illicit drugs, smoke or drink. A hardliner, will also include being a vegetarian or a vegan. Being vegan refers to not eating meat, dairy, or any other animal products. Another BIG part of sXe is putting some thing into the sXe community by "doing a zine" (writing an underground magazine), being in a band, working in a collective or just doing something for someone besides yourself to make the world a better place. The reason you don't do inhibiting substances is they interfere with your values. sXe'ers don't want to be complacent or ignorant so educating and sharing ideas is also be a big part of being sXe. Thus, a lot of sXe'ers are politically active in some form or another. Casual sex is generally not accepted because sXe'ers do not want to pollute their bodies, and it's pretty evident that people who in this day and age choose to have casual sex are asking to get an sexually transmitted disease that is possibly death inducing. Straight Edger's exclude all forms of drugs from their lives, including alcohol, cigarettes,illegal drugs and often other drugs such as aspirin. Most sXe'ers don't even "use" caffeine. Many sXe'ers become active in trying to save the environment, or fighting for animal rights. Since many sXe'ers are vegetarian or vegan, they adopt a cruelty free lifestyle which is good for them, the environment and the animals themselves. Straight Edge is a more philosophical offshoot of the punk movement, a reaction to the hedonism and self-destruction that characterized punk. The basic tenet of the philosophy centers around the issue of self-control. The idea is to closely examine your own life, identify what factors influence your thoughts and behaviors, assess what impact they are having on your life and rid yourself of those factors which you deem to have a negative impact on your life. The goal is to regain as much personal control over your own life as possible. This goal is often achieved through the denial of gratifications, similar to the Spartans or many religious orders, especially in Buddhism and Hinduisms. sXe is the only youth counterculture to actively discourage drug use, alcohol use, and casual sex. Why/Where did it begin? The term Straight Edge was coined by Ian Mackaye in a song called "Straight Edge" which he wrote when in a band called in the early to mid eighties. Their music is fast, powerful, with angry and thoughtful lyrics. Minor Threat was a part of the intense eighties hardcore/punk scene in Washington D.C. I believe, despite some of the conversations on the computer chat bulletin boards recently, that sXe is generally accepted to have come from D.C., and that Minor Threat was the first band to visibly use the term "sXe" and use the X as a symbol. The black cross became a symbol that sXe'ers would draw on their hand to indicate that they were Straight Edge. This symbol is still used today. It is believed that is has its origins from the under age shows, where people under 18 (or 21) had the cross drawn on their hand so the bartender could see if they could buy alcohol. Why are people sXe? Some common reasons people decide to become sXe include 1.) wanting to control their own lives 2.) seeing what damage drugs can do to others 3.) being raised in an alcoholic family 4.) identifying with the sXe values and 5.) being with people who have the same values. Straight Edge music follows a ethic that excludes the corporate money making machine. They believe music is for music sake, not for greed and profit. The basis behind sXe is to remove all kinds of distractions to allow you to concentrate on the things that are important to yourself, and to think for yourself, rejecting the false messages we are bombarded with everyday from peers, elders and all forms of media. sXe Bands currently around is Earth Crisis, Snapcase, Final Exit, Shelter, Abhinanda and Strife. Is sXe a religion? No. Although sXe embraces some of the moral values held by most major religions, sXe'ers don't necessarily believe in a God. There is no organized church or worship service. However, some sXe'ers are members of organized churches, temples or mosques where they feel that the sXe belief's fit in.? Where does veganism fit in? Veganism has little to do with sXe pure life ideals. People generally aren't addicted to animal products. But it seems logical to look at everything you put into your body once you start examining external factors, and so many sXe folk logically choose to adopt a vegan life. What is the political impact of sXe? Although sXe is not inherently political, politics are a logical extension of an sXe lifestyle. Once you have regained control over your life, the desire to help others and to make a positive contribution to your culture, society, community by addressing issues of social justice is a very natural thing to do. Many sXe'ers join organizations like Greenpeace, Amnesty International, and SADD (Students Against Drunk Drivers). They also encourage friends to give up drugs, alcohol, and smoking. The fact is sXe will never be a majority movement because the lifestyle is too demanding for a lot of people. Many don't want to question the status quo of their lives, or the crutches they use to get through the day. Generally, I find when there are a few sXe'ers who lead very positive lifestyles (don't judge other people's lives, and don't preach) soon many other people get the edge and follow their example. Feel free to use the text as much as you like but be sure to give me credit for it.