Originally Published: Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Written by: Jerrod Spooner
Understanding the Core of Straightedge: More Than Just a Label
I think it’s important to understand the reasons why you should be straightedge. There are many similarities between what religions teach and what straightedge teaches. If you just go through the motions of what they teach without understanding why you should do what is right, you will falter.
Why Some ‘Sell Out’: The Lack of Understanding in Straightedge
People sell out and start drinking or doing drugs because they don’t understand why they shouldn’t do them. They just got into straightedge because it was something that sounded cool. I understand why I shouldn’t drink, do drugs, smoke, or have promiscuous, etc. It’s a lot easier to not do them. Not because I’m compelled not to do them because then my friends would think I sold out or because I think I’ll go to hell, or whatever. It’s a choice that I made with the full awareness that it makes me truly happier. I might not really be straightedge, because I found out all these things before I really learned about straightedge. So I did things in reverse. I discovered that I shouldn’t drink or smoke or do drugs or have promiscuous sex–and I feel strongly about animal rights, but I did this all through bad experiences and thinking about things on my own.
Then I found out that straightedge stands for these things.
Straightedge as a Trend vs. A Deeply Felt Conviction
I think there’s a lot of kids who are straightedge because it’s a trend they’re following, and then they’ll move on to other ways of thinking when it doesn’t suit them anymore. It’s because they don’t understand the underlying reasons they should follow it. Whether they stay straightedge or move on to something else, those reasons will still be there and the fact that they are the best way to live life won’t change.
Beyond the Trend: Embracing the Enduring Values of Straightedge
If straightedge were completely gone from the earth tomorrow, those reasons would still be there. and people would still find the reasons why you should live your life this way, it would just have a different name. Don’t get caught up in labels. If you want to be labeled straightedge, then great, just remember what it stands for. otherwise, you’re just another mindless drone that could be labeled any number of labels that happen to be cool at the moment.
