Straight Edge

baker in a bad religion interview is asked about this song, he even says himself it was never meant to tell people what to do, and that minor threat don't hate people who do drink or have sex or do drugs, they were sick of being pressured into having that lifestyle because people thought it was cool , the song is about doing whatyou personally believe, look at fat mike he loves minor threat and he loves drinking and drugs, it's about mutual respect, not forcing anything on anybody and being an individual and making individual decisions whatever they are aslong as they don't hurt anybody else. it sucks that the whole hate edge thing started, but it seems to happen to all genres, pop punk for example, if you have the will power and presence of mind to be straight edge i clap my hands to you but anyone that tells you you can't be straight edge or you should be straight edge is a fuckwit

To start this off, I have been straight edge for two years, but it wasn't always that way.

I'm 19 years old and had my first beer when I was 14, first joint when I was 15. When I was 17, a good friend of mine was shot and killed during a drug deal just a month after he graduated high school. At that point in time, I had used drugs and alcohol to "have fun". I was struggling with growing up and trying to fit in and be cool. I wanted to live high school like the movies and I had it all wrong.

I went to a hardcore show in Boston with a friend of mine (who was edge). I went because I loved the music and the passion but that night it finally hit me. I was handicapping myself by relying on drugs and alcohol to have a good time. It took some time before I decided it was the right move for me and to this day I don't regret a thing. I am living the greatest years of my life to the fullest and remembering every friday and saturday night.

I still have friends that drink and smoke and I do my best not to preach the lifestyle I lead (although this may come off as preaching). I comepletely respect everyones choices and I still hangout with a lot of my old friends, now I am just the designated driver.

I am just putting this up here for anyone who is struggling with deciding wether straight edge is the right decision for them. It has been the right choice for me but it may not be the case for everyone.

I'VE GOT sXe!!!! Keeping it alive!!!!

Ian never ment to start a movement. His idea of straight edge was never ment to be absoloutly no drinking, smoking, or drugs. His meaning was staying true to yourself. But it all changed. Oh well, I got sXe.

Dudes, he wanted to put an end to peer pressure and the distractions that are drugs, promiscuous sex, and alcohol abuse. Himself, among others were sick and tired of watching friends burnout on drugs or knock up some ho early on in life. It was a philosophy of taking care of one's body, they believe that the body and mind is pure and unspoiled...they want to keep it that way. Wow Ian drinks now? Hmm oh well being edge for 20 years is pretty impressive unlike kids nowadays who break it after only hours. Being sXe should be a personal choice and not a mob. The only reason kids wore the X's was to unite at shows and show love to their peers.

Definitely one of the most controversial hardcore songs ever (side by side with another hardcore song, Earth Crisis's Firestorm). Although "In My Eyes" is what straight edge kids "abide by", this is the song that created a subculture.

Personally, I decided some time ago that I did not want to consider myself straight edge. However, I think that if someone is straight edge for themself and their own well-being, kudos to them. When it becomes an issue of an attempt at rebellion or a reason to enact violence, it hurts the straight edge label for the rest.

Alternately, I find it pathetic when kids tone down their drug use slightly, call themselves straight edge, and then start everything right back up. Those are the kids only looking for excuses to label themselves in some form or another, whether it is "druggie" or "straight edger". That is when a person really has to be called to question.

Oh, and Ian always drank in quantities, I'm pretty sure. He was just strongly against addictions in any form. One of the other members (I'm thinking Brian Baker, but I could be wrong) smoked marijuana while in Minor Threat, hence the speech on the live "Out of Step" on the discography.

well for the most part you guys are right, but no guys ian does not drink. i saw him at the fort reno show and him with this and he was actually ANGRY that i would say that. he's still as sXe as ever, although i don't know if he's married and had kids or whatever, cuz joe lally had, but whatever. i ditto on every comment to fuck drugs alcohol and permiscuous sex, and finally id like to add that if you guys really want to know THE Minor Threat story check out a book called "Our Band Could Be Your LIfe" at your library or buy it somewhere, its a truly awesome book, the story of 11 (i think) punk and hard core bands from late 70's to early 90's. its really worth anywones time if they want to know the story behind huge indie names like husker du, minutemen, mission of burma, black flag, minor threat, dinosaur jr, sonic youth and a few others. definitly worth a purchase, but if not at least seek it out at the library.

peaces sXe forever...........

i don't understand the straightedge movement. I mean, i think anyone who stands alone and says "I'm staying clean" is fuckin hardcore, but someone who needs a whole movement and a nice little symbol to do it is just there tryin to fit in... even though i quit using drugs and i've been sobre for a year you'll never hear me call myself straightedge. I can do it without wearing an X

I saw Ian MacKaye give a Q + A in some random town in Jersey a couple months ago. This song came out of being angry that there was nothing better to do in Washington besides drink and smoke and fuck. and he just wanted to do something else because he was bored. and people didn't really like that...

true til death.