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Question?

July 26, 2010

Question? How did you learn about Straight Edge?

Let us know and tell us why, post your answer.

Thanxxx.

39 comments:

TadyZ said...

Well... Once, when i was maybe 15 years old, i was in one punk-oriented music fest and my brother talked about some dude which wore "straight edge" tee but later he was seen with the same tee, but only wore inside out and he was drinking beer. Then i asked "whats a big deal?" and my brother explained to me. I thought wow, that's interesting.

p.s. I'm from Lithuania so my English is quite broken. I'm sorry.

xbronxx said...

Back in 1996, MTV did a special on binge drinking which included a segment on straight edge and interviewed Earth Crisis. I wasn't a drinker or drug user and was amazed that there was a whole movement of alcohol and drug free people. I went out and bought all of the Earth Crisis cd's available at the time. I've been straight edge ever since. I'm also vegan. MTV is both fortunately and unfortunately my source.

Jerry Ward said...

When i was a kid in Jr High a bunch of the skater kids had big black X's on their hands. Not sure where they got it from but they were edge!

conscioushours said...

I was reading Davey Havok's wikipedia page and noticed the part that he is straight edge. I had no idea what it meant so I clicked it, read it through and was like "wow, that's just like me". I had just got into some hardcore and punk rock music so it fit me perfectly, since I have always been against alcohol and cigarettes.

xjessex said...

i used to be really fucked up. i was on all sorts of drugs and making some stupid ass decisions. i was heading down a terrible road but fortunately for me my parents moved and it kinda pulled me out of the scene i was hanging around with. i fell into a new group based more around common musical taste as opposed to drug use. one thing led to another and after a rough withdrawal and some good ol' fashioned georgia sxe deathcore i was edge for life.

Unknown said...

Well I never done any drugs or drink and i learned about straight edge from watching my savior cm punk on tv telling how i can have peace and a clear mind by not drinking or taking drugs so ya i now live straight edge from watching wwe and i try recruiting others

Anonymous said...

a poser/fake straight edger introduced me, he could keep up with the lifestyle for only a year or two, whereas i'm drug free for more than 15 years now

so although we dislike the disengenuine ones amongst us, they do spread the word around

Nicolaj said...

Actually throught "Miami Ink" where a band comes in (can't remeber the name), and one of the bandmembers gets a X tattoo on a pair of hans he had tattooed on his neck, claiming he had been straight edge for a couple of years.
Afterwards I came across Minor Threat which made the song "Straight edge" which, as far as I know, started it all.

phreekk said...

@2.25.90: the band was H20 and I think the guy getting the X was Tobey.

Unknown said...

This going to sound lame, but I discovered it about a year ago on wrestling. Since then I've benn studying alot about it and I'm happy I finally found a way to escape the modern day peer pressures with out being conformist.

Anonymous said...

well my older brother was into hardcore, so I in turn got into it, and then I found out about minor threat. I was so happy because I was like "hey! theres actually other people out there like me and my brother!"

Matilda said...

My ex boyfriend told me... I have never smoked or being drunk!

hailey said...

I had heard people say Straight Edge but always thought of it as super punk people covered in tattoos and piercings that always got drunk and high. Then on a Utube video I saw a guy (Martin from the band Abandon all Ships)and in the comments it said he was Edge. He looked nothing like I imagined so I did some research and automatically loved the idea of people just saying no to drugs and alcohol. I became Edge that day and have been so for a couple months :) I wear my X's proudly everyday.

HolyEdge said...

I don't really remember, but I think when I was about 15 or even younger I was learning stuff about music from Wikipedia and when I was reading about hardcore punk I saw words "Straight edge" and I felt like, I must know more about this! :)

Unknown said...

I "learned" about straight edge after a punk show in like 1998 and a edge band opened (cannot recall the name) they were all x`d up and I asked my buddy wtf was with x`s? I did not actually put into practice until 10 years later at age 27 haha

Changed_Man said...

I have a bit of a question for you.
See, back in high school I heard about sxe and it really fit how I was back then. Friends made fun of me and I eventually just quit really claiming I was. I did drink throughout high school and a wee bit in college as well. However, now I'm staying sober as well as staying away from cigarettes. I'm even thinking about becoming a vegetarian. So, can I reclaim edge or would I be labeled as a fake by the edge community? Your thoughts? Also, I am done with my so called "friends".

phreekk said...

@Changed_Man: Reclaiming Edge is one of those topics that some Edgers debate as much as they debate the points of what it means to be Straight Edge. I myself have even grappled a bit with what my own personal opnion on this matter is and I've decided that since Straight Edge to me is as much about being Posi as it is about being Poison Free then the positive thing to do would to be inclusive of those that have decided to reclaim. But keep in mind that not everyone is as posi as they should be and that claiming SxE is not something to be taken lightly. So if you truly feel you want to be Straight Edge then please think hard about making sure this is a commitment you would like to take for life.

Good Luck Changed_Man.

tom said...

I think I was about 14 or 15, my dad was an alcoholic. I was already going to hardcore/punk shows in my area. I had met a girl at one of the shows and we became close friends. She introduced me to Straight Edge because I had told her I don't drink or smoke. I was scared at first because of the judgement (not many kids were edge where I was from) but I eventually decided to do it after thinking for a few days. Even though I was the only Straight Edge person in my entire school, I kept the PMA and have been Straight ever since (I am now 21)

kirill645 said...

From my friend 2 years ago.
Now he's gone off straight edge.
He is drinking and smoking weed. What an awful end! I am so sorry and I miss those times...

Anonymous said...

I'll preface my comment by saying that I'm not a part of the movement. I live a straight life, but honestly I've never heard of the straight edge movement before I stumbled upon the blog.

I grew up pretty rough. I was a weed smoking, alcohol drinking gang banger for many years. I was violent and angry, and poisons only made these things worse.

I had been in trouble many times throughout my teens, and it seemed I'd be a criminal forever. Until one day, for whatever reason, I started to take a hard look at my life and decided that I needed to change. I gave up alcohol, weed, left my gang (and my best friends, whom I grew up with) and set out to change my life. I gave up cigarettes a few years later, once I was straight for a while.

I now am studying for a masters degree, totally focused on important things. I'm happy to say I've been straight for 6 years, now and it was the best decision I've ever made.

The main point of me writing this is to say that I really admire the movement. Anything that reaches out to better the youth is something great.

Nazertotiams said...

I became straight edge the summer of 2010. Before that, I had known about edge but had never taken the time to even try it out. I went through some pretty frustrating stuff last year. Which caused me to resort to smoking and alcohol. It wasn't that intense, but it was enough to make me feel sick. Plus, when this school year started and I saw everyone getting high, it made me feel even more sick.

I'm currently only 14 years old. But it doesn't matter. There are plenty of people who started at this age and are still straight edge.

By the way this blog is really amazing. Thanks for keeping it up. :)

XdiabloX said...

I was a skin in the early 80's.... I had no choice but to know who or what they were.

Pennywise The Clown said...

A few years ago when I was 14 a friend of mine got me into punk. I wanted to know more about punk so I watched the American Hardcore documentary. There was a small section of the documentary when Ian MacKaye started talking about being straight edge. I remember thinking to myself "fuck that's excatly what I am!!!!"

At that point in my life i had made a decision not to use drugs,drink or smoke because so many people in my family are fucking junkies and I refuse to be anything like them.

Thanks to that movie I learned what straight edge was. A couple of years later I got into Youth Of Today,Gorilla Biscuits and early Throwdown. From there I eventually learned more about Vegans in the straight edge movement.

Sage Berg said...

I first heard about it from a friend who said his sister was dating a "straight edge punk." I didn't know what it meant, but I looked it up on Wikipedia several years later and I now claim the Straight Edge lifestyle, even though I'm not into any punk bands.

I wrote an article about sXe on my blog. If you're interested I'd like some feedback from others who are edge, since i'm not sure I'm getting all the facts right. I'm only commenting on what I know from Wikipedia, urban dictionary, and a few other blogs.

I'm the only person I know who's straight edge. I'd like to meet others who are.

peace out

Anonymous said...

It was the summer between my freshman and summer year. See I was one of those shitty tweens/young teens that smoked a lot of weed and drank everything I could get my hands of just to be cool. I walked into my final day of 7th grade hammered.my freshman year of highschool, I was invited to my senior friends birthday party and got all lit up. Nothing I wasn't used to, but when I woke up the next morning, it was different. I felt like shit and was dissapointed in myself. So I stoked drinking and all that stuff. During summer break I started kicking it with some kids that knew some edge kids. I researched it later to find out there was a face to this way I had started living. So I decided to claim. I was straight edge for 2 years until "it" happened. (This is on the subject of reclaiming) I had no edge friends. All my highschool friends were alchys and druggies and peer pressured like crazy. One night I got invited to a party and went to hangout. There was a girl there that I was into, so I let everything get the better of me. I started drinking, broke edge and got drunk to impress her. Turns out she was getting a tattoo done that night so she wasn't even drinking. When I woke up the next morning I looked at myself in the mirror and starting bawling. I had let myself down. I stopped claiming for about a month because of it. But then I realised, I made a mistake out of stupidity. Not because I actually wanted to be a drinker. That's not who I was. So I manned up and started claiming again. And I've been edge ever since. If you don't count the inncident, its been 7 years. I made a moral mistake I failed myself out of stupidity. But I love being edge. And I still concider myself straight edge and always will. I'm the one that has to live with my stupid choice you know? Its a constant reminder of who I am, and what I don't want to be.

-Ian.

HangryVegan said...

I've always been into punk-hardcore orientation music BUT i've heard about straight edge at a party where a friend told me ''oh you dont drink and dont smoke ? are you straight edge ?'' at this time i didnt know what this was. They at 17 years old i've start to call my 'way of life' straight edge.

im sorry my english sucks..

Anonymous said...

My boyfriend is straight edge for 4 years an so he convinced me that being vegan sXe is something good.

derildalz said...

I know the straight edge of my friends initially I did not quite understand what it was straight edge once I looked into, reading comprehension straight edge of a zine I know what it's become the beginning of straight edge straight edge straight edge alone in my opinion it is a healthy lifestyle free from things that cause our bodies broken straight edge can be interpreted in many of the most important word is our commitment to running a healthy lifestyle and now I am very interested in the world of straight edge
and now im 15 years old and ive got straight edge ! xDERILx indonesia

Unknown said...

It was never hard to live Straight Edge, let alone being one without even knowing what it was. I started learning what it meant thanks to my friend K-Dude, who is a hardcore Straight Edge individual.

I started holding to the claim as Straight Edge moreso when I saw that there were fellow Christians who seldom smoke or drink. From there, when people asked me about my beliefs, I told them that I'm a Straight Edge Christian. It was a double whammy for questions but it wasn't hard to break down.

After all these years, let alone discovering that some members of the band Killswitch Engage were Straight Edge, I found it to be of a positive influence and inspiration to live the SxE life and not feel intimidated. Then you throw in CM Punk, WWE's poster boy of Straight Edgedom and I gained a stronger sense of pride and appreciation of what it is to be Straight Edge.

Anonymous said...

I was sXe before I knew that something like that exist, then one of my frend told me. Then, I went to wikipedia and asked some frends and learn more about this. When I came to this blog, I read everything I alredy knew. Now I'm only girl straight edger and second sXe in the city and I'm proud!

kara said...

When I was in highschool, one of my friends told me I was straight edge. lol I was like cool! I had no idea what that meant. And they were like being straight edge isn't a good thing, it means your stuck up and don't do anything. But I liked the name because it sounded cool, so I guess I'm still straight edge since I don't do drugs or drink and whatever else there is.

Abhinav said...

I have been always been straight edge. I never thought there was a term which typified my choice of life until I saw CM Punk and his messages. It was inspiring to say the least and I felt better that I am not alone in this world of people who have this belief that the only way to have fun and enjoy is drinking Alcohol and Smoking and such.

I know I shouldnt try to impose on people but I find it difficult when I see someone whom I care about go about defending usage of these products saying its not a big deal.

Are my feelings valid and justified? I cant tell...

coling said...

I was telling a friend that I was in the army with, that I wanted to be completely free from alcohol, tobacco, drugs and anything physically negative and He told me that I was trying to be like straight edge. About 7 years later I made the commitment and decided to be straight edge, and I still am.

Emily said...

When I was 13, I befriended a bunch of vegan, straight edge anarcha-feminists... enough said. I thought they were all weird at first, but then I heard what they got mad about and listened in on a lot of stuff. They rubbed off. I'm really glad I met all of them. XVX til the day I die!

RazorBladeDream said...

I used to be straight edge. Then I fell off the track. I never actually called myself straight edge during those days. I just said I didn't drink or do drugs, it just wasn't my thing. I fell into the drinking trap and it sort of got out of control. Personal issues and such. And I lost sight of who I really was and after a failed relationship and a few bad choices, I just stopped. I stopped the drinking. Part of it was CM Punk (I'm a life long wrestling fan) and part of it was I just knew this guy that drank to "feel good" was NOT who I was at all! So, I took all the alcohol in my house (and they weren't cheap) and dumped them down the drain and reclaimed who I was once again. It feels good to be free of the toxins. Never again will poison pass into my body.

Anonymous said...

In the late 90s, I met Rob Moran from Unbroken and was intrigued by the lifestyle. It evolved over the years, and here I am many years later, proud to be straight edge.

Unknown said...

I am 45 and have been dry for 10 weeks after drinking since the age of 12. I just wish I had found a movement like this 30 years ago.

stay strong x

Anonymous said...

It was crazy man I was a junkie, squatting in an old music studio where they threw shows here and there but mostly all rappers and shit. I had just gotten out of jail and finished my probation term on october 11th. then the next day, october 12th 2012 they threw edge day fest there and that was my first exposure to straight edge. that shit changed my life man. I had never heard so much passion and pride about being straight edge, living clean of drug and alchohol and also the moral code of ethics and principles that they preach. 2 and a half months later I finally commited to straight edge.

Unknown said...

I was reading through a book in the high-school library on a book of the 80's and early 90's, and I flipped to a few pages with Fanzines labeled PUNK ROCK and I listened to some of the bands in there such as Operation Ivy then Minor-Threat. I was hooked, I already loved metal so it was a soft transition, and I came upon a song simply titled "Straight-Edge" then I began my research and identified with it, because I was in MMA anyway and couldnt drink or do drugs, and hated smoke.