My son (19) is Straight Edge

[qwertyMike]

I hadn't a clue what that meant until....

" The short answer is that it is a subculture centered around hardcore music. People who are straight edge do not smoke, do drugs or consume alcohol. There are no dietary or religious beliefs tied to straight edge contrary to media coverage.

The long answer requires a bit of a history lesson

In the late 1970s and early 1980s a group of bands and kids began something that grew into a movement. It would become a movement that would outlive many of their involvement in the music and the scene. They didn't know what they were doing. They knew they didn't like what was going on around them, the self destruction, the self hatred, the pain and suffering caused by the punk mentality. The fuck you and fuck the world attitude didn't make sense to them. They took a symbol that was originally used to identify them as being too young to drink so that the bartenders would know not to serve them and they made it their own. So they started setting themselves apart by wearing X's on their hands and by singing angry songs proclaiming:

"I'm a person just like you
But I've got better things to do
Than sit around and fuck my head
Hang out with the living dead
Snort white shit up my nose
Pass out at the shows
I don't even think about speed
That's something I just don't need

I've got the straight edge"

Minor Threat wrote this song in 1980 and a name was given to what would become a movement. The basic beliefs that drugs and alcohol were not needed and should be rejected. That one should live against the grain of popular society and live by rules and standards from themselves and not the ones dictated by society.

Influenced by Minor Threat and other Washington DC bands like the Teen Idles and SOA, the Boston bands SS Decontrol and DYS took the words to heart and expanded on them and expanding Straight Edge's presence within the growing hardcore music genre."

See also Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_edge

He's 19 - proud of him = he won't evn drink coffee

[ghostsofgiants]

1. I'm straight edge as well.

I don't cut out caffeine completely though, as I don't consider it a recreational drug. I still try to avoid it, but I have a soft spot for tea, haha.

[Neoma]

6. Same with me I guess.

Green tea rocks.

[Drunken Irishman]

2. I hope he isn't like the ones here in Utah.

The ones that'll kick the shit out of someone for smoking in line, or drinking. They'll fire bomb smoke shops and liquor stores, while spitting on people that might happen to be smoking. The straight edge culture in Salt Lake has changed a bit, but there still lies a violent side.

Hopefully your son sees above that and doesn't resort to violent ways to spread his beliefs.

[ghostsofgiants]

3. Hardliners just get more media coverage.

There are dickheads in every group.

[Drunken Irishman]

5. I agree, but here in Utah, they were a big part of it.

I doubt it's the same outside of this state, but in Salt Lake, it was really bad in the 90s and though it's toned down a bit, you still hear of cases where someone is attacked because they were drinking or smoking at a party. I respect not smoking or drinking and in Utah that is a big moral issue with the LDS Church. It's just a bitch some people have to take it to the next level.

[BurtWorm]

13. According to an article in the Rolling Stone last summer, the FSU movement

you're talking about started in Boston and spread nationwide. It's not just a few assholes but a movement of assholes apparently who like to "fuck shit up." I don't know whether to believe it's a real "danger" or hype. I'd never heard of it till I read the article.

[qwertyMike]

8. He's not

He decries the extremists - much like the Animal activists who turn to extreme/violent measures.

He's a good boy

[Drunken Irishman]

10. Good for him and good for you!

As you can see from my name, I don't have the will power to not drink. ;)

[kwassa]

4. But does he measure up?

straight-edgewise, of course.

[harmonicon]

7. hopefully he'll grow out of it

Don't get me wrong, he shouldn't be doing drugs or drinking (at least not to excess like some do), but I think self-identifying with a cultural/group identity is a very negative thing in the long run. I had friends who were straight edge, but grew out of it. I can tell you, I really like going to get a beer with one of my oldest friends now that we're in our 20's/30's instead of a soda like I had to when he was straight edge. I don't think it's good for people to condemn others for doing something legal that doesn't hurt anyone else. I feel the same way about the militant atheists.... yeah, I don't dig church and this "god" thing, but I think it's better to just leave people be. We all want what's best for the world (ok, not the crazies who blow shit up and shoot people and stuff), and I think it's best to just let everyone do their own thing. That being said, Minor Threat were totally awesome.... those songs are incredible and really inspiring.

[ghostsofgiants]

11. Not all straight edgers condemn people for drinking or using drugs.

Some do, some don't.

[harmonicon]

16. oh, I know

I was taking the example to the extreme. It's just that labeling yourself as a member of a group I find to be limiting. I just don't think people should put themselves into one group, because it tends to limit social interactions. I did all of that stuff when I was a teenager too - it's fine and normal, and I've got nothing against it - but when you see these full grown adults who will only associate with one social group which is defined by something as silly as a a certain type of music or hobby I get creeped out.

[ghostsofgiants]

17. One mistake there is assuming that straight edge is a "group" per se...

At least for me it's simply a personal philosophy and lifestyle choice. I don't limit my social interactions because of it at all, nor do I try to force it upon other people. Granted not all people are like me, but not all people are the way you're describing either and it has little to do, in my opinion, with whether or not they're straight edge. If it wasn't straight edge they'd probably latch onto some other concept and use that to define themselves and their social interactions.

[harmonicon]

18. good

when I was younger I definitely lost some friends over the straight edge or not thing, though some of them I'm friends with again now.

[qwertyMike]

30. Like the Dems???

"but I think self-identifying with a cultural/group identity is a very negative thing in the long run"

[harmonicon]

31. I don't think of it as a group identity

Do you ever see someone in the street and think "they're dems" by the way they dress, what tattoos they have, etc.? When you're talking about tens or hundreds of millions of people being "dems" it's different - like being Christian or Muslim I also wouldn't count, unless someone's militant about it. I have friends who don't vote or vote for other parties (not republicans though... ew - I can't be friends with people who would seek to destroy me).

I think of straight-edge, hardcore, etc. as a subculture. Being involved in a subculture is good to an extent, but when people are involved in a subculture to the exclusion of others, I get worried, the same way I would when people would criticize a member of some subculture and make assumptions just because of the way they look, etc.

[jonnyblitz]

9. SS Decontrol was a good band. I saw them in the 80's open

for Public Image Limited (who I am quite sure was NOT a straight edge band :crazy:) in Boston when I was home on leave from the navy. :thumbsup:

Many sXe types don't have promiscuous sex either I do believe.

[ghostsofgiants]

12. Haha, I think most of PIL's budget for their first album was spent on drugs.

Or so I've heard.

And yeah, you're right, a lot of straight edge folk don't do casual sex/one night stands/whatever.

[jonnyblitz]

14. I had never heard of SSD before that show but I always

remembered them after it because I liked them and now their name pops up in the various punk histories/documentaries I come across. I didn't know at the time they were even straight edge. I thought they were some unknown local band I would have to endure while waiting to see punk god johnny rotten.

I admire the non extreme straight edge folk such as yourself and the OP's son. I think it is much cooler to abstain then to give in to all of that. I never could.

[ghostsofgiants]

15. SSD is one band I've heard of but have never checked out...

Maybe I should download some.

My basic perspective is that people in general tend to be dickheads, so of course some straight edgers are gonna be dickheads. Don't write off everyone who identifies as straight edge because of the dickheads. And personally, I've seen more anti-straight edge shit from non-straight edge people (I've had "friends" spike my drinks on a few occasions and harass me endlessly) than I have anti-drinker/drug user shit from any straight edger I know. I don't instantly write off non-straight edgers because of it, though.

[jonnyblitz]

20. I wonder if you could even find any SSD to download outside

of compilations. I know they are featured on "American Hardcore".
I don't write off whole groups because of a few,btw. For example, I have a few non-racist skinhead friends in NYC and boy I have a hell of a time explaining to others that not all skinheads are neo-nazis. some are even gay...:P

I don't understand why people have this need to fuck with you or anybody just because you have no interest in altering your state (spiking your drinks,etc). They must be young. I despise alcohol and refuse to drink no matter who it offends because I won't.I do like to smoke weed though.

[ghostsofgiants]

21. I didn't mean you specifically when I said that, I know you're cool, ahha, I was speaking generally.

They're the same age as me. The people in question are douchebags in every aspect of their being, though. Most people are impressed when they find out I am a fan of sobriety, ahah.

[jonnyblitz]

22. well, it's so much easier to give in, especially with peer pressure,

to all those things. For me, I think it is in my genes to self medicate , peer pressure (at that time) or not. I just hate alcohol and drunk people annoy the FUCK out of me. now drugs on the other hand...sigh. :crazy:

I just did a few quick search on a torrent site search engine for SSD and no luck .

[qwertyMike]

23. Maybe you hate yourself?

"For me, I think it is in my genes to self medicate , peer pressure (at that time) or not. I just hate alcohol and drunk people annoy the FUCK out of me..............."

[jonnyblitz]

25. I don't think it is that .I t actually do believe substance abuse can

be hereditary, it runs in my family big time. I don't think my current enjoyment of a good weed buzz while listening to music a sign of self hate though. There might have been self esteem issues or escape from reality issues when younger perhaps but I don't think it was a self hate thing. I used to get tired of thinking lots of times and wanted to shut my brain down.

ewww I don't mean to get into a discussion of my shit in this lounge. I am not one to do this so publically. BLECH

That is cool about your son though! :thumbsup:

[ghostsofgiants]

24. I found some on Soulseek.

They released two LPs, "The Kids Will Have Their Say" and "Break It Up."

[jonnyblitz]

26. I don't have any software besides torrent anymore. nt

[ghostsofgiants]

27. I'll hook you up tomorrow if you want.

I'm off to bed now though.

[HughBeaumont]

35. I read in this book about their scene and there was a great deal mentioned about SSD.

Supposedly Al and Sciarappa were really straight edge while some of the band . . . er . . . not so much. The vocalist Springa regularly smoked weed.

[Breeze54]

19. My son (19) doesn't smoke, drink or do drugs either and

he listens to a lot of "hard core rock" I guess... lots of screaming ;) He listens to classical music too. But I doubt he belongs to this 'movement'. That's just the way he is... He's a good kid, has nice friends and only a few of them drink on occasion. I know one smoked pot and drinks sometimes but he doesn't hang out with him that much. The rest either work or go to school or both. They play basketball, go bowling, go to concerts, skiing trips and stuff like that, as a group, for fun but they aren't party animals.

[qwertyMike]

28. I think we have the same son :)

Jeez we are lucky

[Breeze54]

29. Very lucky!

Not having to worry is very cool and trusting him is even better. ;)
Not all my sons were like that at that age though. My second
oldest raised bloody hell back then but has settled down now.
My oldest doesn't drink hardly ever but I know he smokes pot
once in awhile. All are employed and doing well, so I can't complain. :D

[seemunkee]

32. My daughter is too

My son was until last year. It does make parenting easier not having to worry about the drugs and drinking/driving thing.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

33. Next he'll be going to raves geeked out on X

or special K

[Phillycat]

36. LOL!

Then the requisite hippy phase with the stupid hemp clothes and all the weed and mushrooms.

Then he'll go to work and be boring like the rest of us. :D

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

39. notice a pattern?

I do

[HughBeaumont]

34. 19 was the age I stopped drinking alcohol completely.

I could call myself one, since I don't smoke or do drugs either, but there's that whole occasional Red Bull thing that prevents it. :)

The ones that are militant about it are frauds. They're just looking for an excuse to beat someone's ass.

[Blarch]

37. I have always loved Minor Threat...

Great energy. Here is the song in question.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tatannze-s8

[LeftyMom]

38. XVX or no?

/random curiosity