Straight Edge is a movement that stems from the Hardcore/Punk scene. The term originated in 1980, and has grown since. It is a personal life choice that anyone can make. Straight Edge is a great way to better your future, and is an idea where anyone can be accepted. There is no membership, groups, or anything like that. Anyone can better there life by having the strength to stay clean. This subject means a lot to me because I am straight edge.

There are many rumors and misunderstandings about the ideology of Straight Edge. I would like abolish the rumors, and teach you what it is really about. First of all, these are the basics of straight edge, refraining from alcohol, recreational drugs, tobacco, and participating in promiscuous sexual activities. A lot of people think that this means if you’re straight edge you can’t ever have sex. That is just idiotic, that would mean we could never reproduce.  What this means is, you can’t sleep around. If you are going to be participating in sexual activities, you are in a committed relationship with your partner. This doesn’t mean that you have to be married, but you are at least in love with them. Another hot topic is the definition of “drugs”. Anything without moderation could be considered a drug. Many people claim that taking ibuprofen with a headache or drinking anything with caffeine would be breaking edge, those people are what we refer to as idiots. What the Straight Edge culture refrains from is recreational drugs such as marijuana, LSD, cocaine, etc. Anything prescribed by a doctor is okay, as long as it is not abused. Some people tie in Veganism with Straight Edge. The founders of Straight Edge were vegans, but they did not claim it as a part of Edge. Once again, the basics of Straight Edge are no recreational drugs, no alcohol or tobacco, and no promiscuous sex. As you can see, these rules are very basic with no gray areas. There are many reasons to embrace the idea of Straight Edge. Many people decide to because of family problems with drugs or alcohol, or wanting to be different than 90% of high school students, to create a better future for you, or just to make a healthier life for yourself. For whatever reason you do it, be proud of it.

Straight Edge was started completely unintentionally. Ian MacKaye was just a young punk who didn’t partake in those activities. He was a just a sober punk in the late 70’s. In 1979, he started going to punk shows in New York City. He knew that punks were more understanding of different lifestyles because they were deviants themselves, but the punks were not accepting of his lifestyle. They gave him a hard time for being the only sober guy in the club. In 1980, he started his first band Minor Threat. He wrote the song Straight Edge. The song’s meaning was that, he’s just the same as every other punk, but he has a little more of an edge because he has a clear mind. The lyric was “I’ve got the straight edge”.  After this song was released, the term “straight edge” spread like wildfire. It was all over the country, punks wanted to be a part of this “straight edge” life. Ian was completely unaware of what he started.  The symbol, “X” came from the X on the back of underage kids who went to bars to watch bands. The X was meant to show that those kids cannot be served alcohol. The straight edge adopted this symbol to represent their abstinence from alcohol. After the term spread, Ray Cappo was inspired and wanted to start the first Straight Edge band. Youth of Today started during the 80’s in New York. Many bands followed after, and the made a group called “Youth Crew”. There were many bands part of the crew, the toured together and spread the word. The hardcore music taught life lessons, it was more than music. But just like every group, there are radicals. Straight Edge gangs started forming in major cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Columbus. The most notable would be the FSU (Friends Stand United) in Boston. These groups would go to all ages shows and physically harm anyone who would smoke or drink at the shows. The FSU also targeted the Neo-Nazi groups. The gang is very serious; they have murdered multiple victims, and have done a great amount of damage to others. They claim to help keep the streets of Boston clean, but they are only creating the same amount of trouble that the drugs do.

      In the 1990’s the scene split into two major groups, the Militant Straight Edge and Krishna Consciousness. The militant ones were very arrogant and violent. They wore a lot of camo clothing, and consisted mostly of skinheads. The Krishna Consciousness was a spiritual Krishna idea that was basically brought to the straight edge by Ray Cappo. Ray had moved to India and became a monk for 6 years before returning back to his hardcore band in New York. The Krishna Consciousness members had similar ideals as the straight edge, but they were no strict. You must be a vegan, and refuse gambling, illicit sex, or intoxication. If you were not a part of either group, you were how Straight Edge is supposed to be, a personal choice. You were not shoving it down anyone’s throat or creating unessicary violence. Straight Edge today has changed. The militancy died out somewhat, yet there are a few gangs still remaining. Today, most straight edge are arrogant, bitter, and they think that they are superior to anyone who is not Straight Edge. They do not understand that it is a personal choice, and I hate to be classified in the same group as these people. But not all straight edge are this way, there are still some of the positive sober bands together. As long as people believe in how it started and understand the meaning of it, I will be happy. Hopefully, this arrogance and ignorance will die out and the original positive-ness will return to the scene.

                As you have already read in the previous paragraphs, the basics of Straight Edge are to keep away from drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and promiscuous sex. Anyone can do it, and there are many reasons for doing it. The idea was started in 1980 by Ian MacKaye, and he accidently made a following out of it. The idea progressed into a long history of violence and culture. Straight edge is a great way to better your own future and anyone can do it, even you. There are no memberships, groups, or organizations, any individual at anytime can become Straight Edge. This topic is very meaningful to me because I am straight edge.

There were many obstacles Hitler endured to obtain power in 1933, in this year he was appointed as Chancellor however the establishment that gave him this title were keen to hold onto their power. Hindenburg, a powerful and prestige president at the time, had support from, and control over the army, Hitler’s hope to consolidate full power was also restrained by the power of institution such as the Reichstag. Hitler was aiming to bring about a Nazi revolution in Germany, and his position as Chancellor would help him to achieve this.

Hitler used violence in order to consolidate power; however he balanced the use of terror with legal means. The Nazis understood that power had to be taken legally in order to get the widespread support from the majority of the German population.  50,000 SA, SS and Stahlhelm members were appointed as auxiliary policemen on the 22nd February in order to intimidate and terrorize Nazi opponents. This led to violence against communist and socialists, who were reluctant to act against Hitler; they misread the situation and believed Hitler’s new role as chancellor would lead to political and economic collapse, and in turn the formation of communist rule in Germany. With members of the Nazi party in the police force this enabled Hitler to order a police raid on the head office of the communist party, KPD. Hermann Goering, then claimed that evidence was found during the raid, communist conspiracy theories to seize power through force were supposedly found. With this new evidence Hitler had an excuse to use violence and terror as he could claim it was merely defensive. The Nazis closed down socialist newspapers, cutting off socialist propaganda, and members of the SA disrupted political meetings damaging any chances of the left side developing an idea on how to stop the increasing power of the Nazis. Violence was an important factor whilst consolidating Nazi power and it is proved to be increasingly important when paired with the strategy of propaganda.

On the 27th February 1933, the Reichstag building was set on fire and the communists were blamed. The use of propaganda meant that the Nazis could take full advantage of the event, and pass all the blame onto the communists who were portrayed as dangerous threats. Terror was used, as the next day 4000 communist were arrested due to the event, weakening the communist threat and proving the power of the Nazi party and Hitler. The Reichstag fire gave the Nazis the opportunity to use legal actions in order to consolidate power as the emergency decree gave the police the power to arrest suspected Nazi opponents without confronting the courts.  Goebbels portrayed the emergency decree as a way to stop the spread of communism, and therefore it was welcomed by the vast majority of the German population as many feared communism. The decree gave Hitler legal reasons to arrest those he saw as a threat; because of propaganda he was able to use the decree to justify the arrest, imprisonment, and torture of many political opponents. By using violence, terror and intimidation Hitler was able to remove his political threats; at the General election in March 1933, all the communist deputies were barred from the Reichstag as a result Hitler gained a political advantage as the Nazis won the 1933 elections. After the elections the Nazis had gained the legal rights once again to destroy political opposition. The leader of the SS, Heimlich Himmler set up a concentration camp at Dachau where political opponents could be help in “protective custody”.

When presenting the Reichstag with the enabling act Hitler used force and intimidation as he brought with him the SA who swarmed the building. Again the presence of the SA put pressure on the government to pass the act, as they were reminded of the true power of the Nazis.  The act granted Hitler four years of power as dictator in order for the act to be granted, the communist deputies were barred from the Reichstag and Goring was able to reduce the required number of votes needed to achieve the overall majority. In February 1933 attacks on churches took place as the Nazis saw organized religion as an enemy.  The churches and religious figures supported the Enabling act as they feared the consequences if they didn’t, as they had seen what had happened to socialists and communists and did not wish to have the same fate.

After the Enabling Act had been passed, Hitler aimed to control all the social and economic aspects of Germany. First he dissolved the local state governments and introduced new state governors who were able to introduce Nazi policies. On May 2nd the offices of the social socialist trade union organization were raided by SA members and the organization was split up. The violence and terror used by the Nazis led to many socialist leaders fleeing the country as many had been killed or arrested and on June 22 the SPD was officially disbanded. The centre party, was the last party to be disbanded, and in June 1933, due to Himmler’s orders the most significant members of the party were arrested; again violence and terror was used to disband a political opponent, proving how important violence was in order for Hitler to consolidate power.

The use of violence was a key part in consolidating power in 1933; Hitler was able to use his position as chancellor to place members of the Nazi army into the police force. The propaganda used to exploit the Reichstag fire meant that Hitler could then use his legal rights to arrest communist and expose their theories of spreading communism worldwide. In order for the terror used to consolidate power to be effective it had to be connected with propaganda and legality, in order for the German people to side with the Nazis despite all the violence that was taking place. Therefore I agree that without violence Hitler wouldn’t have been able to intimidate and force his way to dictatorship as the terror was what caused people to back down and also caused parties to disband, paving the way for Hitler and the Nazi party to consolidate power. 

They sneer and chant with simulated blood smeared signs at anti-war demonstrations,  what some may refer to as the animal act of copulation and the other animal act of war.  Not only that, but they shout that the act of engaging in weaponized conflict with opposing aggressors to safeguard individual rights compares with participating in sex to preserve or regain chastity and purity within the couple involved.  Yet, if this imprecise utterance is viewed in the context of procreation and emphasis is then placed on the development of an embryonic diploid eukaryote, then it is valid and an absolute verity.

Baby-making time

The destructive nature of bombs dropping on sections of cities in some foreign land to promote serenity for some distant day may seem difficult to conceptualize by the time search crews begin to recover human remains. The notion is so far removed from the idea of exchanging bodily fluids in an act of passion and pleasure in the bedroom. On the battlefield, it includes your adversary’s blood squirting into your eyes upon thrusting a spear into his neck, or enjoying watching as he shuffles off the mortal coil, gives up the ghost, and suffers the last blast of the buffets of fate and chance.

It is pertinent to remember that a babe is but a whole, perfect, untouched being.  The ultimate example of virginity lies in the womb of the mother, not the mother herself nor the father, indeed.  But that potential infant carries on the legacy of man as hateful as spite and as brilliant as the halo effect of an atom bomb’s detonation.

Go to sleep little babies.

If you hate these type of attitudes, please share this video for awareness. This mother as well needs help from professionals. no one can judge her, she can be mentally ill and she did not know what she is really done. Watch it know a see with your eyes.

Again if you hate does type of actions just share it for awareness. We need to stop these type of violence. And again do not judge her because this is a video only, it can be edited or real. No one knows what this mother went through. But again it is not an excuse to treat a little bay in that way. There is a great chance that she is mentally ill.

Laban Banyenzaki is said to have been brought up at the home of his grandma, his own mother having abandoned him many years ago. His granny was the very woman who gave him life. Now she is frail and weak and instead of him returning the favor of care, he instead turns around and rapes her.

Prosecution found out beyond any reasonable doubt that Laban Banyenzaki, indeed raped his grandma. He tried to deny the crime because the incident took place at night and the poor old grandmother already has failing eye sight, but her hears were found to be still very sharp. She insisted that she knows her grandson very well by voice and believes the man who raped her that night was her own grandson.

Eye witnesses corroborated the old woman’s testimony when two of them confirmed having seen Laban emerging from  his grandmother’s house and tried to flee into the bushes when she sounded an alarm. The High Court had no choice but to sentence him to jail for life and many Ugandans are happy that his sentence was a just one given the magnitude of his crime.

Its only suppose to be a film, but one sick man decided to turn it into a real life nightmare for his poor victim. This is something I could even have imagined and yet it happened.

Tony Garven pointed a gun at the 16 year old’s head and forced him to take off his clothes. Tony then told the boy to run because he was going to kill him. The Boy was kidnapped from his own home after Tony and his friends kicked the door down.

The teen was then beaten and forced into a car and driven into the wood where the boy spent two hours in fear of his life before being found by a local farmer. Tony Garven or “ Shake” as he’s known as belongs to Rebels Motorcycle Club and the teenager was a victim of their street justice.

But the worst part about this story is that Tony was given just a two-year suspended sentence for his crime, a sentence which obviously the boy and his mother feel isn’t good enough.

I hope this boy one day recovers both physically and mentally from his ordeal and wish him and his mother a bright and happy future. For Tony and his gang however I hope they rot in hell. 

Latino Children Play Swing (Photo credit: epSos.de)

Emerging evidence shows the DNA of ten year-olds who experienced violence in their young lives shows wear and tear that is normally associated with aging, according to Duke University.

The findings suggest a mechanism linking cumulative childhood stress to accelerated aging, even at a young age. 

The new report in Molecular Psychiatry shows that a subset of children with a history of two or more kinds of violent exposures have significantly more telomere loss than other children. Since shorter telomeres have been linked to poorer survival and chronic disease, this may not bode well for those kids.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” said Terrie Moffitt, who is the Knut Schmidt Nielson Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience. “Some of the billions of dollars spent on diseases of aging such as diabetes, heart disease and dementia might be better invested in protecting children from harm.”

Read more: ScienceDaily

Incidents in TV News

For many weeks the public was drowned into the depths of the Oklahoma City Bombing.  They were introduced to ethnic cleaning in Yugoslavia.  They viewed with  alarm the terror of tribal warfare of African nations like Rwanda.  They witnessed upheavals in the Middle East in places like Egypt and Syria.  Everyone knew about the Arab spring and the role of social media in the process.  In our own backyard there was the horrifying memories of September 11th, the Trayvon Martin affair, and killings at Frosburg State on November 6th, 2011.

If there were foreigners from another planet living who came to visit earth they would have quite an impression about us.  It would seem that there was mayhem everywhere.  “Operation Iraqi Freedom” was not mentioned that makes the nightly news, in addition our role in the Afghanistan war with coalition forces.  Yes, it will surely give those foreigners feelings that our earthlings are lacking in control.  There is no peace.  They will be perplexed about the honor-role call for veterans that are killed in action brought to us by PBS and wonder why?

The Beat Goes On

Despite these glaring realities that Americans face.  More and more guns continue to be sold.  There are mental health issues which need to be addressed like in the case of the shooter at Virginia Tech.  Many schools lack security.  Middle school and high school students have been known to bring loaded firearms to school.  The havoc at Columbine High in Colorado was an unprecedented tragedy.  Still the beat goes on, for it is not sure what violence in TV news programs are doing to our kids.  Neither is it sure what is the effects of video games which some students play more than 20 hours per day.  Added to this scenario is the Internet with its questionable fare and pop music which can be most titillating.  

How Do People React To Such News?

It is estimated that 75% of Americans watch TV on a regular basis.  They  may not subscribe to a newspaper nor do they read books nor magazines, but after TV, the best thing going for a younger audience is the Internet.  They see violence.  There has been copycats of crimes committed.  For years there have been examples of such with hijackings.  Some persons are motivated to commit workplace violence.  Others go to supermarkets and engage in product tampering which is a rather serious offense with far reaching consequences.  Then, there are hate crimes.  There have been a number of these on the web.  Some young people have been known to be driven to commit suicides as a result.  Like video games, the average dose of TV can run anywhere from 20 to 30 hours per week.

Warning About Violence

Much of the warnings concerning violence is often centered on the young.  We are however reminded time and  time again about its ill effects on us as a people and our society.  We have heard from the Surgeon General that issues reports of its effects.  We have often seen that the American Medical Association (AMA) criticizing the proliferation of violence in our lives.  The American Psychoanalytical Association (APA) considering the role of violence as it impacts our psyche, and the National PTA, addressing the adverse effects in the lives of children.

Those That Paid The Ultimate Price

Yet, there were those war reporters that have paid the ultimate price in bringing us this fare.  Marie Colvin was one such American who was killed in Syria on February 22, 2012.  On March 28, two other British journalists were also killed there, along with a French reporter Gilles Jacquier who died in Homs.

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An Australian-based Research Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) reported that 80% of TV media reports in the United States about Afghanistan showed nothing more than violence and conflict.  It also noted that many of our broadcast stations devote more than 50% of their worldwide news and current affairs on topics of violence.  Such statistics go to show that the TV news media should seriously consider the amount of violence it brings our way, under what conditions, and with what effects.

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Depending on the version of neighbors, the report was made ​​by at 7:40 pm after an elderly woman discovered the body of the woman, while collecting aluminum cans in the intersection of Route Matamoros and Manzano.

Elements of the State Investigation Agency and the Municipal Police arrived at the scene shortly after 8:00 am to find the woman’s body face down with the tape around the head and apparently hit in the face and the temples.

So far, the woman’s body, wearing blue blouse and white shorts, without shoes, was not identified by authorities or by the residents.

At the site, elements of Expert Services and the agents found no shell casings ministry, so it is suspected that the body has been lying here after death or the woman was attacked on the site in the early morning hours.

Red Cross paramedics arrived after the Metropolitan report , withdrew after proving that she had no vital signs and gave way to the work of the staff of the Service Medical Examiner, who moved the body to the amphitheater of the Hospital Universitario.

So far, research continues to determine the cause of murder and whether it is related to organized crime.

Its a serious problem when the police want to pick up the bad guy but the people won’t talk. Being quiet will not solve the problem, allowing a murderer to walk free is dangerous. The police do understand the fear that the public holds but a little cooperation would go along way. The code of snitching. Its sad that a child is killed and your neighbor saw what happened but decided that he want tell. This is frustrating that man can have so much power over another. Remove the snitching and place it with saving lives. The problem is guns are to easy for criminals to obtain. Its a problem because the guilty are walking around freely threatening the community or communities. Its alright to tell what happened.

Picture Courtesy of policeofficerssalary.com