Lately the term “Straight Edge” has been brought to the attention of the nation as articles have been run in national entertainment magazines while news of white middle class gangs defacing McDonald’s and bombing food processing plants has created sensational stories across the United States. The term “Straight Edge” is not new to a large group of underground followers and has been around for more than 20 years, but just recently it has become a term spoken in hushed tones around the dinner tables of America.
Straight Edge began in the early days of hardcore punk as a small group of people who desired to separate themselves from the growing trends of underage drinking, drug abuse, and promiscuous sex that was running rampant in the music scene. Most agree that Ian MacKaye, vocalist for early hardcore punk band Minor Threat, coined the term in the 1981 song “Straight Edge.” He felt that by abstaining from mind altering substances he could live a more productive and positive life and gain an “edge” on those who were bogged down by addiction. This movement soon spread from his hometown of Washington D.C. to Boston and New York.  As the early ‘Edge’ bands such as Minor Threat, 7 Seconds, SSD, and Cause for Alarm began to tour the nation, their beliefs and values began to catch on.
The foundational beliefs of Straight Edge revolve around abstaining from alcohol, drugs and promiscuous sex, but it goes much deeper than that. Along with the absence of those three things, Straight Edger Nick Dempsey explained it as “...staying free of addiction. If you get heavily involved in drugs or alcohol it has the potential to ruin every aspect of your life, friendships and family. [The point is] basically just to live a good, clean, positive life.” 
Straight edge is not a commitment to anyone else, but the individual who decides that this lifestyle is for them. There are several varying degrees of dedication to Straight Edge such as the foundational level of just abstaining from alcohol, drugs and promiscuous sex all the way to abstaining from meat/animal products, caffeine and prescription drugs. There is no right or wrong level of dedication, only what the individual defines as truly “drug-free.”
Over the years many symbols have come to be associated with Straight Edge such as “XXX,” “sXe,”  and “24” (‘X’ is the 24th letter of the alphabet). The ‘X’ symbol is said to have been popularized by the band The Teen Idles. While on tour the band was set to play in a bar one night when the club owner forced them to put large black ‘X’’s on their hands so the bartender would not serve them alcohol. Upon returning home to D.C., The Teen Idles recommended this system to local club owners so underage music fans could see their favorite bands without club owners having to worry about trouble with the law for serving alcohol to minors. Straight Edge kids soon adopted these ‘X’’s as badges of honor and as signifiers to other Straight Edge kids. Even modern Straight Edge bands place ‘X’’s before and after their band name to signify that they are a Straight Edge band. Examples include, X Looking forward X, X Deathstar X, XfilesX, X No Excuses X, and X Red Baron X.
For all who participate in an ‘Edge’ lifestyle it is more than just being drug free, it is also a commitment to brotherhood and unity in the hardcore music scene. Modern day Straight Edge bands such as Casey Jones, Champion, xBishopx, xNo Excusesx, Verse, and Have Heart call for a brotherhood or bond among those who are trying to set themselves apart from the typical heavy music fan. Instead of arguments and fighting among Straight Edge kids, these bands call for a need to look out for and support each other on a local and national level. The straight edge band Throwdown sums up these beliefs in the songs “Slip” and “Raise Your Fist in the Air.”  “Slip” states, “To my friends: I’ll be there for you. Be there for me.” “Raise Your Fist in the Air” says, “Raise your fist in the air drug free. Cleanse yourself.You don’t need it. Despite what they may say. It’s in your head.”
Straight Edge is a nationwide movement which started in the Washington D.C. area then spread like wildfire across the nation. As far as the southern U.S. goes, Florida is the largest concentration of Straight Edge followers centering mainly in Jacksonville and Pensacola. For many people, their introduction to Straight Edge came from hardcore music and older siblings who were ‘Edge.’ Nick , a Valley resident, and Michael Broussard, of Pensacola, Fla., both became straight edge without first trying alcohol or drugs and feel that it is a lasting commitment for them.
“I’ve been without them for 21 years and I strongly believe that it is a lifelong commitment,” Nick said.
Both Nick and Michael have been ‘Edge’ for several years and take their commitment seriously. Michael has been ‘Edge’ for more than three years, but does recognize that to fail is only human.
“It’s human nature to fail and to give up on things,” Michael said. “I have never drank, smoked, or done drugs and I have no motivation at all to do so.”
Many straight edge members are under the age of 21 with a smaller majority being over the legal drinking age.
You may be asking yourself why this movement has gotten such negative press coverage. The violence in hardcore, and specifically Straight Edge, stems from an intense dedication to hardcore beliefs. Many times this is called “militant” or “hard-line” Straight Edge. These believers go to great lengths to be sure that in their immediate surroundings there is nothing that would threaten their beliefs. They are known to jump or beat up kids who may be smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol or taking illegal drugs. Recently in Las Vegas, Straight Edge was branded as an actual gang along with gangs such as West Side, and Crips.  In Vegas it is now illegal to wear any clothing supporting Straight Edge or Straight Edge beliefs, and carries with it the threat of arrest.  In Salt Lake City an extremist group of Straight Edge kids defaced a McDonald’s for serving meat/animal products and one individual attempted to bomb a meat processing plant. These gangs are called “crews,” but carry the same reputation as any other violent gang.
The most popular Straight Edge crews are FSU (Friends Stand United) and Courage Crew, among others. FSU, in particular, is a feared group of hardcore fans who formed together to rid the Boston hardcore scene of Nazi skinheads. Soon they began to absorb other crews into their own and spread across the nation. They are known to travel in groups to hardcore shows to fight non-straight edge kids or members of rival crews. In several cases people were killed at the hands of crews’ fists, knives, baseball bats and hammers. These crew members are the ones giving Straight Edge a bad name and bring a lot of press attention because of their sensationalist acts.
Michael said he believes Straight Edge has been given a false reputation because of these type of crews.
“As a whole I think it has,” he said. “With the kids in Salt Lake City defacing McDonald’s and other places that serve meat. [The media states] nothing about how we abstain from the things that poison our bodies or how we are just trying to make a positive difference in our lives.”
Nick agreed and added that the media sometimes finds ways to portray things in a false light.
“They [crews] don’t represent Straight Edge as a whole,” Nick said. “This is only one individual group of kids in one region of the world.”
Michael said he thinks the violence these crews are partaking in is ridiculous.
“Violence is moronic,” he said. “Let people do what they want to do. It’s not your life. As long as people aren’t pushing it in my face, I’m not pushing my beliefs in theirs.”
Despite being a life commitment for most, some Straight Edge members remove themselves from the lifestyle as a result of several factors. Chris Holmes, of Auburn, formerly Straight Edge, said that he left the straight edge lifestyle because of how hardcore some people were about it.
“Hypocrites and radicals were speaking down to me because I didn’t serve their agenda,” Holmes said. “If I were to eat a hamburger or drink a Mountain Dew I would hear how I wasn’t “true Edge.” That isn’t what ‘Edge’ should be about. It’s about being free and committed, not who’s a sellout for various reasons. I can be addiction free without being ‘Edge.’ ” For many, this radicalism along with the violence is viewed as unacceptable departure from the original beliefs and foundations of Straight Edge.
Straight Edge is centered in hardcore music and a community bonded together by a sense of unity and a common mission. Holmes and friend Blake Peterson, also of Auburn, said it can be a great way to stay pure.
“Straight Edge is a great way to keep your self pure and it is a positive movement as long as it is not taken to the extreme,” they said in agreement.
Nick added that being Straight Edge isn’t about keeping yourself from having a good time.
“Just because we don’t associate ourselves with drinking and smoking doesn’t mean we can’t have a good time,” he said. “I love to hang out with my friends at bars and parties. I’ve had some of the best times traveling the U.S. playing music with my friends and being ‘Edge.’ ”
For more information about Straight Edge, check out the bands listed above or Web sites such as straightedge.com.