Straight-Edge - My view

"Listen,
This is no set of rules,
I'm not telling you what to do,
All I'm saying is I'm bringing up three things,
That are like so important to the whole world,
That I don't identify as much importance in,
Because of these things,
Whether they are fucking or playing golf."
-Ian MacKaye

Straight-edge turned from a Minor Threat song into a clusterfuck that has separated the hardcore and punk community for decades.
For those unaware: Straight-Edge is a community within the punk and hardcore culture where the members of the community abstain from drugs (illegal or legal). Other aspects of the community (though not required) are to be vegetarian/vegan, and/or abstinence from sexual promiscuity.
In the eyes of a sane individual, this idea seems pretty good. How could such a simple, wholesome moral idea cause so much anger and infighting that it causes friendships to fall apart? It's the fact that there aren't sane individuals in the world. The fact that the punk and hardcore community tends to make any ideal into a radical one.
Straight-edge gangs beat up non-straight-edge kids outside of shows or just walking down the streets. The movement developed an offshoot that demands vegetarianism, abstinence from all sexual activity (including masturbation), are radical "pro-life" people, are anti-pornography, and many members of the movement are immensely homophobic. Hardliners are the epitome of radical straight-edge, preaching their ideals as being moral and right for all.

I'm not straight-edge. I don't mind if people don't do drugs, or don't have promiscuous sex, or even if they're vegetarian/vegan. I do care if you attack me or my friends for not tattooing large Xs on the back of our hands, or enjoying a beer in a bar. I care if you verbally abuse someone for having an abortion or having sex before marriage. I want your personal life choices to be your personal life choices. If you need a gang (oh I'm sorry, they're not "gangs", they're "crews") to back you up with your personal life choices, they no longer personal life choices. You're part of an atheistic religion (not anti-god, just a religion devoid of a god).

Peace&Luv,
Jawn.