Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 17, 1995 TAG: 9507180132
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: SYRACUSE, N.Y. LENGTH: Medium
Sell-outs are those who used to be what these youths are - Straight Edgers - and then made a wrong turn. They began to drink beer, maybe took a nibble of beef jerky, perhaps smoked some pot. They strayed. And should be punished.
Once primarily a musical genre, Straight Edge has become a political and life-style movement that has pulled in thousands of young people, most of them high-school students, all around the country.
The defining characteristics of Straight Edgers seem paradoxical at first glance. Adherents listen to hard-core music, but are vehemently against drinking, smoking and all drugs. Their own bodies are often liberally pierced or tattooed, yet they hold sacred the bodies of animals and do not believe in hurting or consuming them.
They speak of peace and freedom but frown on casual sex.
Like most phenomena of the hard-core world, Straight Edge is largely an underground movement, noticed by few and tracked by fewer. Its numbers tend to swell and contract depending on the local music scene. Right now, Syracuse, home of the hot band Earth Crisis, is a hot spot for Straight Edgers.
``I first got into this because I thought the music was really rad,'' said Ryan Canavan, 17, who had gathered with several Straight Edge friends in the apartment of John McKaig, 36, an art teacher at Syracuse University, who books Straight Edge bands at the local pub.
``Then I realized how important it is to be compassionate to animals. You have to face the reality that this is a better way of living.''
The term Straight Edge is derived from a 1983 song ``Straight Edge'' by the Washington band Minor Threat. It is a tune that speaks in somewhat raw language about the evils of drinking, drugs and premarital sex.
Straight Edgers can be identified by the big black Xs they wear on their hands, parodies of the ones plastered by bouncers on the paws of under-age clubgoers to keep them from trying to buy drinks. Many favor baggy pants, Swatch watches with big Xs, and anti-drug T-shirts.
In some ways, Straight Edge grafts the lexicon of 12-Step recovery and positivity onto an environment that is oddly free of addiction.
Although some of the people interviewed said they had experimented with alcohol or drugs, none felt these had been real problems. Rather, they got turned on to the life style after becoming hooked on the hard-edged music.
During an afternoon's discussion, the group talked enthusiastically about ``positive'' living. When asked if they would ever drink again, all gave a defiant ``No.''
``This is not really a phase,'' said Joel Capolongo, 18, who turned Straight Edge in high school. ``People who start drinking later never really got it in the first place, because it is a lifelong commitment.''
In the last few years, the movement has become increasingly ideological, especially about animal rights. ``The only way you can help the suffering animal is if you're sober,'' said Anthony Tornabene, 22, a student at Onondaga Community College.
by CNB