What being 'Straight Edge' is all about What being 'Straight Edge' is all about (May 07, 2004)

Punk rockers say no to drugs

By Monique Kenney

Many teens are joining an increasingly popular movement that came out of the subculture of punk rock music. It is one of the biggest anti-drug movements in the United States, but I bet you don't know what it is, and you might not have ever heard about it. I'm talking about Straight Edge.

Straight Edge is a lifestyle choice that is practiced individually rather than in a large group. A Straight Edger does not consume any sort of alcoholic beverages, use recreational drugs, smoke tobacco, or have promiscuous or casual sex. Some people choose to become vegan as well. Still others choose not to devour caffeine, not because it is considered a mind-altering substance, but because it is so widely accepted by the mainstream society.

I chose to be Straight Edge because I thought it was the best choice for me, and everyone wants what's best for them. Straight Edge doesn't work for everyone, so I don't judge people based on that.

Now that I'm Straight Edge, I know myself better than I would otherwise. I feel confident in all my actions because of all the times when life got tough and I stuck it out all by myself with no drugs or alcohol to guide me through. I know I will reach my dreams because Straight Edge taught me to how to work for what I really want in life.

Other people choose the Straight Edge lifestyle for political reasons, or to encourage and make contributions to the lives of friends, families and communities through Straight Edge's positive message.

Nicole Richardson, a freshman at Los Altos High School, gave a simple explanation of why she is Straight Edge: "I don't see the point in drugs and alcohol. And when you sleep around, you get a reputation. Who wants that?"

Some young people join Straight Edge because they don't want to follow in their parents' footsteps. Trevor Kastrup, another freshman at Los Altos, said, "My parents are recovering alcoholics and have been going to AA meetings for the past 22 years. I became sXe because I've learned from their mistakes."

But in order to fully appreciate Straight Edge, you have to know a little about its history. In the 1980s, there was a huge outbreak of drug use and violence in the inner cities where punk rock music was thriving. Former First Lady Nancy Reagan launched her "Just Say No" anti-drug policy in hopes that it would catch on and decrease illegal drug behavior. Unfortunately, the policy didn't catch on with most inner-city youth, many of whom continued with their self-destructive ways.

Society stereotyped punk rock culture as self-destructive. Young people who liked punk rock music but not violence and drugs couldn't stop being stereotyped that way.

That's when Jeff Nelson, drummer for the punk band Minor Threat, started thinking about how to help stop the drug abuse, according to www.straightedgeonline.org. He heard Reagan's policy and compared it to his own chosen lifestyle of avoiding drugs and alcohol.

While drawing a poster for an upcoming show, Nelson realized that using the straight edge of a ruler to create art was a metaphor for the lifestyle he and his bandmates shared: keeping themselves straight (clean) in order to obtain their goal of creating their lives with as much control as possible.

Nelson encouraged people to not become dependent on substances and to keep their bodies pure -- to live what is now known as Straight Edge.

Soon, "sXe" became the acronym for Straight Edge. The "s" and "e" represent the first letters of the words Straight Edge. The "X" is a reference to an aspect of Straight Edge culture. At all-ages concerts where alcohol was for sale, the door person drew a large "X" with a Sharpie on the hand of each underage attendee. As the Straight Edge movement grew, its proponents, even those who were of legal drinking age, would voluntarily mark their hands with a large "X" before going to concerts. They did this to show their identity and their solidarity in swearing off alcohol.

As with any other type of movement, there are many branches of Straight Edge. The original (and most common) form is to take the Straight Edge pledge for personal well being, including having the desire for a clear mindset, living without being dependent on any outside source and having as much control as possible over one's life.

Monique Kenney is a freshman at Los Altos High School.

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