Note: Normally, I reserve the front page for Facts, Figures and Stats. Today, I break the mold and go for an editorial. You’ll see, however, that this one has value and merit. Listen up and keep the scene positive.
It was brought to my attention that in the last few weeks and months, a new arm of National Socialism (aka NAZI fucks) has latched onto Straight Edge as one of their key ideologies. There has been a big push in Russia and Germany along this front. In my mind, that is completely fucked. Their concept of “Poison Free” goes AGAINST the non-violent and tolerant ideals of Straight Edge.
Straight Edge is very simple — no booze, no drugs. It’s about keeping a clear mind. End of story. Somewhere along the line, someone thought to tack on a “no promiscuous sex” addendum. Sure, if that’s your thing, go for it, but that has nothing to do with straight edge. Later, someone tacked on vegetarianism and healthy living. I fully support that (I’ve been vegan since 1997) but that is not what straight edge is. And straight edge HAS NEVER and WILL NEVER be about racism, fascism, intolerance or hate.
Ten Yard Fight summed it up nicely, in a tongue in cheek sense, in their song “Pit Of Equality.”
We don’t care if you’re black or white.
We’re all friends in the pit tonight.
I’ll pick you up if you fall on me.
We’ll mosh in the pit of equality.Straight Edge brothers in the pit together.
Singing Straight Edge anthems together.
We’re all friends if you’re not high
No one will go home with a black eye.In the pit we’re all the same
Because hardcore’s just like a big football game.
Ten Yard Fight is here to stay
We won’t tolerate any foul playStraight Edge brothers in the pit together.
Singing Straight Edge anthems together.
We’re all friends if you’re not high
No one will go home with a black eye.
And that’s the truth. You can be black, purple, yellow, amish, jewish, tall, fat, short, awkward, funny, stupid, … The color of your skin or your religious preferences do not factor into straight edge.
If you wish to learn more about what these people are pushing, check this
NSFW article. It’s in German, and is littered with fourteens, eighty-eights and pro-Nazi comments. I strongly suggest you DO NOT view this at work. You may not be able to read the writing, but there are a few videos of “rallies” and “parades” that are enough to make my blood boil.
Here’s where you can contribute. If you are against the Nazi movement, speak out. Make your voice heard. Don’t allow these creeps to ruin a positive ideal, especially in the public’s eye. Stand up and make a difference. It’s OUR scene.
Blogged! I posted a french post on my blog about this.
FG
hey xgregx do you even know the difference between white pride and nazis? obviously not.
Before we make sweeping generalizations, do you care to inform us, mr straHATE edge?
I guess what he says is related to the WhitexPride comment someone’s left on my blog post 😉
Tell me if I am wrong but the “no-no” on casual sex has been there from the beginning…. but I guess alot of males choose to ignore that.
This nazi sxe connection has been going on for quite a few years. Its nothing new.
Sxe is a neutral issue similar to environmentalism and vegetarianism and crosses the whole of the political divide (albeit for different reasons associated with each ideology)from anarcho-primitivists via trotskyite commies to free market rightists to fascists and onto national socialists and onto misanthopists and kids that dont give a shit about anything.
I don’t see a sxe manifesto that says racism is bad just as there is no manifesto for hardcore to say patriotism/nationalism is bad. While I view nazis as my enemy, I’ve seen enough stupid sxe and hardcore kids throughout the whole international scene parading intolerance, homophobia, xenophobia, patriotism, racism and sexism to make me say about the ns sxe thing… so what! It exists.
How far away from all this NS sxe shit do you think YDL, ONE LIFE CREW, WARZONE, PITBOSS, EMPIRE FALLS, AWARE etc were. Just differing shades of flag waving moronity.
Perhaps you’ll think I’m playing devils advocate…………………….
TGB, what you are saying makes perfect sense, but I cannot stress enough that Straight Edge is ABSOLOUTELY in opposition to racism. While you won’t see “love all races” as a general tenet of straight edge, there is a foundation of compassion that underlies keeping a clear mind towards the world around you that has accompanied SxE since the beginning. This is why vegetarianism/veganism was able to become so colosely linked to it.
Also, I hate naming names as celebrity worship sucks, but who springs into mind when I say “Straight Edge”? Ian Mackaye, Ray Cappo, Al Barile, Mike Judge, Pat Dubar? All have spoken out AGAINST racism in their music and in interviews. Straight Edge is about being the best person you can be, and part of that is being clear-minded enough to see beyond prejudice. (Also, I must stress the fact that Warzone was an ANTI-RACIST band. There were nazi skin dudes that liked em, but they were idiots. I agree with you on YDL however…)
I’m black and I’m straight edge, and I have to tell you, I have witnessed first hand how an attitude of compassion and acceptance separates real sxe kids with fire in their hearts from those who are just trying to be part of something that they think is cool at the time.
You cannot be racist and straight edge. The Edge is for the kids that care! XXX
P.S. B Murph, this post really made me smile. I know you enjoyed the “TYF”/Slapshot show in Haverhill as much as I did. It was the closest I’ll ever come to seeing TYF……singing along to Pit of Equality made my life!
I’m pretty sure Straight Edge has been against casual sex from the get go. Someone please explain
Hi dudes, i’m from germany and the whole “NS-Black Bloc” is a relative new thing here.
They just copied the antifascist symbols and ways of actions, so the bad thing is that they’re more violent as the “old” nazis, which wants to be more “legal”.
Most Nazis still drinkin their beer, the minority is really edge.
The article on the “jugendoffensive”(youth offensive)-website is more or less about the demonstration, the shouts(?)[
“Hardline for Russia”
“No to drugs, no to immigration”
“Straight edge: keep your blood clean”], and that this was the first NS-Black Bloc in russia.
In the comment section the german nazis congratulate the russians and give them some tips and hints.
About he straight edge-unpolitical problem:
straight edge is apolitical, and thats shit!
Look and the statements of cappo, mckayne or mike judge.
All of them were against rascim.
But why they can’t have a strong and straight edge stance against fascism and the whole nazi thing?!
Theoretical you can be straight edge and like TGB said anything political, because just say no to drugs is not political.
One of the worst things of the “modern” HC (also the old school style) is that nobody cares about politics, reactioneary fuckers or a better world, everyone just wants that press in this colours or the new air jordans.
Think Again!
BTW:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhInCsHxxmc
nice video about the 1.May in Hamburg, Nazi rally and how we fucked this place and the scum up=)
Abstinence, or at least responsible, sex has been included in the Straight Edge ‘ideology’ since the beginning. Here are the lyrics to a Minor Threat song to prove it:
“i don’t smoke don’t drink don’t fuck at least i can fucking think i can’t keep up can’t
keep up can’t keep up out of step with the world.”
In addition, here are the lyrics to A No For An Answer song, from the You Laugh 7″ from the late eighties:
“You laugh because it’s funny,
You laugh because it’s true,
You never really think about it, do you?
A union for the body,
With nothing for the mind,
You’ll scrape and beg to get it, inside!
Yet still you call them lovers,
When they’re not even friends,
and when they won’t submit to you,
love ends!
It’s done without commitment,
I say it isn’t right,
It’s casual treatment of the act,
that takes lives!
(chorus)
How could you possibly think that it
was safe?
With self induced diseases all over
the place,
Casual sex has taken thousands of lives,
The sense of being used is warping
peoples minds!”
actually, the “no promiscious sex” thing was in the original straight edge movement (ala out of step’s “i don’t drink, i don’t smoke, i don’t FUCK”).
Do you suggest sxe people abstain from golf too?
There are no straight-edge ideals. Nazis,facsists,republicans,etc. are free to interpret the idea as they please, contrary to what you misguided "purists" claim. Ian McKaye never wanted to start an ideology. Silly of you to quote him. Fuck your moralizing…none of you have the cajones to drop the three X's while maintaining poison free ideals.
When you define crust punk listeners or anyone who use drugs or doesn’t follow your useless rules as scumfucks maybe you’re not nationalist but you’re the same as nazis in a much more deep meaning because you despise and degrade to a lower state of humanity people who’s exactly as good as you, probably most of them are more free minded and this let them do a lot of more useful things for the world than avoiding drinking and fucking! I’m from Italy and you remember me the old grannies you can see here every moment in the churches…totally blind to everything that’s real…