Punk Editorials - Here are some punk editorials from the Epitaph Weekly E-mail Newsletter. I thought some poeple may enjoy them like i do! - Personal Homepages - http://maxpages.com/fudgetheworld/Punk

"The State of Blame in this World"
By Joseph Cascardi

There are a lot of messed up things in this world. Racism,
gender bias, prejudice, the Ku Klux Klan, just to name a few.
In this world it is not unexpected that at my age I have seen
these, all of these in one form or another. It has taken me a
long time, 22 years to be precise, to figure out where exactly I
fit in all of this. This is in no way what philosophers would
call the Truth (notice the capital "T"). It in no way applies
to anyone else besides me. I have found through my experiences a
moral standing that I would not have had if it was not for punk
music and the punk ideal. I say this I hear the
commercialization of the Sex Pistols song "(I'm not your)
stepping stone" on a TV commercial. However, I have never
believed that punk means you don't "sell out" as the phrase
goes. As long as you are being truthful with yourself, well,
that is what I consider punk. What does this have to do with
anything I have been talking about lately? Well, everything to
tell the truth. It is my firm belief that if everyone in this
world was truthful with themselves the world would be a much
better place. This is not the case, though. The people of the
world have been spouting off blind rhetoric such as, "Your
ancestors enslaved mine." Or how about "I hate you because you
are black." Now you would think this world would grow up in the
3000 or 4000 years of history we have already gone through.
That is not to say we have not made leaps and bounds in that
time, but we all have a long way to go. The problem, in my mind
anyway, is that not only is prejudice, racial hatred, gender
bias, and all the other afflictions of this type rampant in the
world caused by ignorance. They can also be traced to one
action that people commit themselves to everyday. That word, my
punk brethren, is blame. Anytime anyone says, "I didn't do it,
he did," they are transferring blame onto someone else. This is
a problem because this is in essence what anyone who practices
prejudism in any way shape or form. In saying anything to the
effect of "You are evil because you are
black/male/gay/Jewish/Catholic/etc." you are saying, "It's not
my fault, it's yours." I'm not accusing anyone of this, but if
the shoe fits, wear it. You have one life, one shot to get it
right. Take your chances, and if you will forgive my vulgarity,
grab life by the gonads and shake so someone knows you are
there. However, in all of this remember to be truthful to
yourself, your beliefs, your ideals, and no matter what happens
take responsibility for your actions and your mistakes. No one
is going to criticize you for making a mistake, certainly not
me. God knows I've made more than my share of them. The
problem with this world is that very few people take
responsibility for their actions.
Now what does all of this have to do with the "Punk movement?"
Well, it has been my experience that punks are usually the ones
that will take responsibility for what they have done
themselves. It's a start to a more peaceful world, and a much
better one as well. For as the old saying goes "Even a journey
of a thousand miles begins with the first step." Punks have
taken the first step and though the road may be long, it is
definitely one worth traveling.

===========================================

This week’s editorial really isn’t an editorial at all. It’s me
(Rhinopithecus roxellanaeis) rambling on pointlessly and not
making very valid points again. However, it’ll be interesting
nonetheless.
This week I had the very special opportunity to hangout with the
members of Bad Religion. Although I was there with a video
camera shooting an interview, it was an experience I will never
forget.
I was first exposed to Bad Religion’s music by my older siblings
at about age six, (seriously, age six) and their music has been
with me ever since. I have been listening to their records for
the better part of the last fifteen years and I’m only twenty-
five.
Meeting the current members of the band including Greg Graffin,
Jay Bently, Greg Hetson (Circle Jerks) and Brian Baker (Minor
Threat) was truly an honor and a privilege.
The music these guys have made has been extremely influential in
my life and I’m sure in a lot of yours. Listening to them play
their music, talk amongst themselves, and work a bit on the
upcoming album was very cool. I don’t want to sound like
some “groupie” but these guys are all legends to people like you
and me, even if they don’t want to be. I just thought I would
let you guys in on an incredible night…

========================================

“The Judgments that Isolate” by Owen

Sometimes I get annoyed because I hear and see misguided
kids spouting punk rock rules. Its like you have to qualify in
order to be a real punk sometimes. You can’t care about how you
dress, you have to have an attitude, you have to be pissed off
all the time, you can’t be rich, you have to hate the cops and
politicians. People have the right to their own views but here
are some things that I think people may want to take into
account:
---Dress Code: Why are people judged by how they dress?
Dressing in designer labels doesn’t somehow stop you from being
a good concerned human being. Does a leather jacket, Mohawk and
baggy pants make you think better? It’s not how you dress, its
how you think and act. Don’t you hate it when people judge you
for dressing the way you do?
---Attitude: Why do we need an attitude? I don’t hate other
humans for not caring about fellow man, the environment,
animals, racism and prejudices. People can be and are misguided
but by being an asshole to those people you aren’t going to
change anything. The message of punk doesn’t need to be sent to
the world through abuse and disrespect. I like to think that by
being positive and making people understand is the best way to
make a better world. People listen better when others don’t take
a moral high ground. Anger is a vicious circle leading to hate
and prejudices.
---Wealth: Why are the rich judged by what’s in their
wallets instead of what’s inside their heads and hearts. Some of
the most benevolent, kind and aware people in the world are
wealthy. Your income is not who you are.
---Cops: Why are the cops hated so much? I know that the
cops can be more than unhelpful and unreasonable at times but
they can help and do save lives too. There is a lot wrong with
the policing of the world but it’s a thankless job and one that
most people never want to do. Just remember that they are people
and they are trying to protect the innocent from murders,
rapists and child abusers.
---Politics: Why do we hate politicians? I know that
politicians come across as being all talk and no action.
However, underneath the spin they are the voice of the people.
When it comes down to votes they will do what they are told. We
just need to shout at them enough to make them hear. It takes
time but change does come if we all work together.
This list is by no means a judgment on the whole punk rock
scene. Neither is this an all-encompassing commentary, but its
just some things that I’ve seen and heard. Judgments isolate
people and they hinder the message that many bands and people in
the scene want to spread. Peace and respect, Owen

==================================

This one is more like a statement but it's very observant and
well written. If you think this person is crazy then compose a
retort and send it to webmonkey@epitaph.com

Recently, the Asian Development Bank, yet another group
responsible for the current globalization problem, held their
annual meeting in Honolulu. The meeting was to be held in
Seattle, until the riots that broke out at the '99 WTO meeting
caused them to reschedule it here. There had been huge
preparations for this. Several civil rights groups planned to
march outside of the convention center, to peacefully show their
support for causes such as organized labor, environmental
protection, and preservation of native culture. Originally it
had been estimated that about 5,000 protesters would show up.
After seeing the effects of the Seattle and Quebec City
protests, the state spent millions of dollars to bulk up
security -for extra training, more on-duty officers, and riot
gear. Over 300journalists from all over the world had been
previously registered to cover the event. The demonstration took
place on the afternoon of May9th.
---Is this all coming as news to you? I don't suspect many
of you would have heard about this unless you live in Hawaii,
because in the end, nothing happened. By "nothing," of course, I
mean no riots, no violence, and no arrests. The demonstration
was completely peaceful, just as the organizers said it would
be, and there turned out to be only around 500 protesters. It
was simply a group of people observing their First Amendment
right to free speech. Even the cops were completely calm and
fair, and some even decked themselves in casual Hawaiian attire.
---After hearing about this from the local media, I watched
the national news the next day and heard nothing about it. This
didn't surprise me in the slightest, because the media has a
tendency to report only one side of a topic. In this case, they
only would've covered the event if there was some negative
aspect that occurred. I can compare this to a recent protest I
heard about in New York(correct me if I'm wrong), where although
there was no major violence, some people were arrested.
Apparently that was enough to mention it on national news. The
media is largely responsible for the way these protesters are
viewed by the mass public. The fact is, a vast majority of the
people that show up at these demonstrations are actually there
to support worthy causes and express their distaste for the
operations of these organizations, who are responsible for
poverty in foreign countries and destruction of the environment
(which they claim they are trying reduce). Many of these
protesters are responsible and intelligent people. There are
almost always a few bad apples that show up just for an excuse
to riot and act out their hatred for cops. Because of those few
people, the state really has no choice but to increase security
and be prepared for the worst-case scenario. It's also because
of those few people that the public sees the REAL protesters as
just a crazy mob (even I admit to thinking this before I knew
what the whole issue was about). As a result of all the hype,
they don't get their voices heard. I find it really sad that
people this day and age are so morbidly fascinated with
violence, while there are important global issues that people
should be aware of. This is what leads to events like Columbine -
people know they'll become a household name if they commit a
huge crime. I mostly blame this trend on irresponsible
journalists. The masses are force-fed whatever news the media
thinks is worthy of reporting; if there were anything more we
wanted to know, we would have to investigate it ourselves. So
many reporters came to Hawaii to cover the ADB conference -
almost outnumbering the protesters - simply in HOPES that there
would be rioting. Then it would be the biggest story of the
moment, and every newspaper and TV station would boast that they
were the first ones there, bringing up-to-the-minute headlines.
But no. No violence, therefore no coverage. The main reason I
had hoped for coverage was that it might serve as a good example
for future protests of this type - that not everyone has to be
violent, that people will take you seriously if you exercise
responsibility and common sense. You can stand up for your
rights, but you mustn't abuse them. Otherwise, you will ruin it
for the rest of us. This being a Punk Rock Editorial, you'd
probably assume at the beginning of this story that my complaint
would be with the cops, "silencing" innocent protesters with
tear gas. But that is not the case. Even though cops may abuse
their power in many cases, most often they are just doing their
jobs. Rioters shouldn't complain about being silenced. They
bring it upon themselves. Only when people start taking these
situations more seriously can we improve things for the future.

by Allison
x_defect14@yahoo.com

===============================

THE PUNK ROCK EDITORIAL

This week’s editorial is brought to you by one of our very own
interns Analisa! See what perks you get when you intern here?
Anyhow she’s a great writer and makes some very clear and valid
observations. Check it out for yourselves-

Tonight I had the opportunity to see the Dalai Lama speak and,
although I am not religious, it was certainly an eye-opening and
worthwhile experience. Here is a man who is the head of one of
the world’s largest religions, who has been exiled to a foreign
country by a government that has taken over his home, and his
attitude was so humble and his message so peaceful. More than
being struck by any one particular thing he said, I was in awe
that a man against whom such horrible injustice has been
committed instead used the hour he had with us to speak not of
the Tibetans’ plight, but rather to encourage us to sow seeds of
positivity in our everyday lives instead of answering hatred
with more hatred.

The reason I am bringing this up was that his speech made me
think about how often people choose to spend all their energy
condemning and blaming other people and institutions instead of
taking it upon themselves to try to make a positive change. We
live in a society increasingly comprised of blamers and excuse-
makers. From my perspective, this problem seems to be most
rampant here in the United States, with episodes of “road rage”
popping up in cities all over and people suing each other every
day over trivial things. What bothers me is that these people
seem so eager to place the blame for their misfortune on others
who may or may not deserve the blame. Meanwhile, the world has
major problems that need to be addressed-- injustices being
perpetrated against people and the environment everywhere on a
daily basis--and exerting one’s energy in a quest for a
scapegoat isn’t getting us any closer to solutions for these
problems.

“So how does this all relate to the world of punk rock?” the few
of you still reading may be asking. When I first got into the
punk scene, like most of you, it was for the music alone. It
wasn’t until I started reading the lyrics of a certain now-
defunct band called War Called Peace that stressed unity and
positive change that it really hit me how even the smallest
positive action we perform has the potential to make a
difference. There have been many other punk bands to influence
me since then, but I won’t bore you with a list because I’m sure
you all have your own.

Personal responsibility is a topic that is often downplayed in
this “counterculture” that we all hold dear. The punker’s
perpetual complaint that “The system’s against us!” should never
be used as an excuse for one’s lack of activism; rather, it
should be considered motivation to do one’s part to effect
change. The shitstem may in fact be fucked-up, but that should
be more than enough reason for us to put aside the differences
we have within the punk community and do things that make us
more of a positive force in the world at large. There’s no
point in rebelling against the structures in place unless we do
something to counter those negative forces. To me, the point of
music proclaiming “Down with the system”, etc. should be to act
as a catalyst to get you doing something to improve society.
Sitting on one’s ass complaining about how unfair life is, or
refusing to be respectful to others whose only offense is that
their tastes do not exactly mirror ours, does nothing but
reinforce the stereotype that punks are just a bunch of whiny
young people with no focus and no action to back up their talk.

Striving to be one’s own self amidst a sea of conformity is
something that everyone should strive for, but if we wish to be
respected for doing so, we must realize that with every right
comes a responsibility. How many of us know a place that used
to book punk shows but has stopped doing so as a result of
violence or vandalism that took place during one of them? I can
personally remember countless fights and more than a few broken
beer bottles and broken windows. And yes, cops may never like
punks and vice-versa, but it doesn’t take a genius to realize
that throwing rocks at police cars that show up after a show,
being unnecessarily loud outside if you’re near a residential
area, littering, etc., etc. aren’t actions likely to result in
more punk shows being booked at that venue in the future. While
it’s easy to complain about how discriminated-against punks are
and dwell on how fucked the shitstem is, the fact remains that
some people are still too concerned with looking like they don’t
care at all what others think of them than to bother considering
the possible negative consequences their actions might have on
the scene as a whole.

It would help if we looked inward for solutions more often,
rather than “pointing the finger” at others for the troubles
around us. Instead of bitching about how much your local scene
sucks, do something to improve it. Promote shows, start a zine,
or think of something else that you’d enjoy doing that other
punks in your area might appreciate, too. (And, please, try not
to be an asshole in the pit.) On a global scale with issues
like poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia, the decay of the
environment, etc., don’t think that simple actions are
insignificant. They add up. When you see that guy spare-
changing outside the liquor store, instead of saying, “If I give
him any money, he’s just gonna waste it”, ask him if he’d like a
snack, and then go inside and drop a buck on something for him
to eat. Make an effort to associate with people from different
backgrounds. Walk to a trashcan instead of throwing your
cigarette butts on the ground or tighten a faucet that someone
left leaking in the bathroom.

I’m not naive enough to think that doing any of these things
will eventually solve all the world’s problems. Chances of that
happening are about as good as George W. appearing as a
contestant on Jeopardy! Nor will we always be able to avoid
hypocrisy. Although we should make a constant conscious effort
to “practice what we preach”, everyone says/does/thinks
something hypocritical at some point. The most important thing
is that we recognize this and try to do better in the future.

I once wrote a guy named Henry Rollins a letter after reading
one of his books. Part of his response to me was, “You can
always change yourself. A lot of people don’t make the effort.
I have always tried to better myself and it works.” The
importance lies in the attempt.

Gandhi said, “We must be the change we wish to see in the
world.” The one thing people like Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez,
Mother Teresa, and [fill in any personally inspiring figure you
may have here] who have made major positive impacts on our world
have in common is that they took it upon themselves to take that
step. Instead of believing that one individual is helpless to
effect any worthwhile change, and thus never even trying, they
followed their convictions and ended up permanently altering
some aspect of society.

Find a cause about which you feel passionate and get involved.
Encourage others to do so as well, but don’t attempt to ridicule
or punish them if they don’t see things your way. The best way
to lead is by example, and the sooner we get started, the better
off we’ll all be.

====================================

blink

Pennsylvania

U.S.A

BoardNpunk1@aol.com

Visitors: 00649

Page Updated Sun Jul 1, 2001 7:35pm EDT