Day 22: Straight Edge My Ass!

I'm a pro wrestling fan, have been since I was a little kid. Last night I saw WWE's Pay Per View which featured CM Punk, a Straight Edge character who has often used his 'lifestyle' to create drama but proposing he is a superior human being to others who don't practice straight edge lifestyles. That's all well and good for entertainment purposes but it got me to thinking about the premise of straight edge.


Straight edge is living a lifestyle refraining from alcohol, tobacco and recreational drugs. Well what are recreational drugs? Recreational drugs are more or less defined by the intent and result of the drug used rather than the drug itself. So...what's a drug then? Drugs are broadly defined as a substance that, when absorbed, alters normal bodily function. There are drugs used for medicine, food and colloquial use. Which drugs fall under which categories is mostly subjective with a little science.


Times change and so does our perceptions of drugs. What used to be a potent medicine is now a narcotic punishable under federal law. What's a potent medicine now can be abused and may be outlawed in the future. Meanwhile, there are drugs in pretty much everything we eat but no one seems to worry about that so much.


Basically, there's no such thing as bad drugs and good drugs, they're only drugs. There are, however, two types of people: drug dealers and drug users. The drug dealer has two goals: attract as many customers as possible; and keep their competition in check. Know what's an effective way to do that? Tell everyone that your drugs are 'good' and the other guys' drugs are 'bad'. That means that everyone trying to judge you for what you consume are either indirectly trying to sell you their drugs or they're brainwashed users.


So, if you're drinking Pepsi or coffee everyday, that's your choice and I won't judge you, but know that they're laced with drugs and they always have been. If you'd rather snort a line of coke in the morning instead of a Red Bull, it's all the same in my book, the only difference between coke and Red Bull is our perception and personal preference and both of those can change. Don't let the dealers make you believe what's good and what's bad. They just want you to stop smoking pot so you can buy their Prozac, it's all the same shit!


Basically, unless you're drinking water and eating home grown produce then you're probably a junkie, and that's perfectly fine if it makes you happy. If you're straight edge you're lying to yourself. I, personally, have no interest in the hardcore psychoactive drugs but I occasionally enjoy a big bacon burger loaded with cheese and BBQ sauce with a Barg's Red Cream Soda. We have enough guilt as human beings without being convinced we're consuming 'evil' substances. Eat, drink, shoot, snort, and be merry...damn it!