Those Who Can Protest An Injustice And Doesn’t Is an Accomplice: The Hypocrisy of the Vegan Straight Edge Scene
Silence is violence. Violence in whatever form it takes must be stopped. I thought the vegan straight edge scene of California would understand this philosophy as part of being a vegan is the ideology to do no harm. This however is not the case. I put out a call to the people I know in the vegan straight edge scene to reprimand a prominent member in their community who wronged me, who was violent towards me with words. I asked him to hang out and he told me to go jump off a cliff. Liberty comes from community. I was trying to be part of the community and he is a part of it too. So, thus, it is a community matter so I took it forth to the others. They sing about peace, community, and unity but their response for my call to action to be given an apology for the injustice has fallen on deaf ears. Those who had an opportunity to respond to my request have answered me with silence. There is violence in their silence and their being an accomplice to the injustice rendered upon me.
Apparently, vegan straight edge scene is called a “scene” for a reason. Instead of accepting people with open arms and open hearts – they want people to prove themselves to become a member of their scene. They won’t give you a chance to be a friend or accept you for who you are even if you are one of their own. I thought that also being vegan and straight edge – I would finally have a place to call home. People who I share common interests and beliefs with. People who share my philosophy of peace, equality, and freedom from oppression for all beings. However, the people within the scene are too busy on oppressing each other to ever achieve anything.
They sing the songs, get the tattoos, but their minds remain unmarked. It’s easy to claim to have a philosophies but actions speak louder than words. It is easy to claim to be an anarchist but most people who claim the title fall short of practice – as the person who obviously didn’t have the correct response to my asking to hang out.
Part of my belief of being an anarchist is to be a fully conscious human being. It’s not needing the law because you would never break universal law to begin with. Part of that is valuing all beings equally and equal opportunity. If I have time to make a cutsey comment for a friend – I’ll also make time to reply to my acquaintance. They spent their valuable time to send me a message and it obviously meant something to them – I’d reply even if it’s a simple “No thanks.” Unless it’s a mass invite/spam thing, etc. I am an all or nothing type of gal, I don’t half ass anything and I believe in equality so I treat all people the same. I was kind of hoping others who claim to be anarchists would have a similar code with being a professed, “Anarchist” and being against all forms of oppression. Ignoring is a form of oppression by not validating another person’s existence/experience/time/effort/worth.
Friendship is a form of hierarchy – as a true anarchist we’re against all hierarchy. Everyone is given an equal chance because we all are equal. However, to not being given a chance, and being told to “jump off a cliff” is how you make enemies out of potential allies.
I am hoping the community responses to the community issue and I get my requested apology. That the vegan straight edge scene really stands for what they profess they stand for. But so far, they have proven themselves to be hypocrites. It is easy to say you are for things but talk is cheap. To allow people who are called “friends” to be disrespectful to another human who’s not of that label is to be hierarchical and to allow oppression of others. I have no need for “friends” like that who don’t have a backbone and who can’t stand up for what’s universal law but instead fall into line. So far, the vegan straightedge scene which I thought had so much potential has proven itself to as conforming to a status quo mirroring mainstream society which they profess to be different from.
I got news for you vegan straight edge kids: You are just the same. A different form of sheep needing a group to validate your existence. I, for one, am not a sheep. So for now, I shall say my good bye because we are nothing alike. Stop pretending to be like me when you can protest an injustice and don’t. When you silently accept cruelty from one of your own to another human being. You’re already dead.
I’m alive. I moved on. I don’t need poseurs like you.
Vegan Lip Balm Review + Vegan Yummies + Punk Stuff
I haven’t written this week because I’ve been busy trying lots and lots of vegan lip balm. Some of it was terrible and some of it was awesome. From my experimenting, the best vegan lip balm is Crazy Rumors. They have a french vanilla flavor (a solid french vanilla without coffee flavor but bold), a banana split (my second favorite – it tastes yummy), chocolate mint (yum!), orange creamsicle (which is awesome if you like orange flavored things), and mocha (my favorite – I usually don’t like coffee flavored things but it’s mostly chocolate with a hint of coffee like a real mocha!) just to name a few. The lip balm goes on like silk, tastes amazing, and leaves your lips really nice. I tried most of the flavors that had any interest to me and the only one that was bad was the Pineapple and Peppermint. The pineapple flavor wasn’t that great and made me gag a little. But, the Pear and Peppermint was good – even if the pear was a little weak and so was the Plum and Peppermint.
I tried most lip balm from Etsy that was in stick form and it didn’t hold a candle to Crazy Rumors. Plus, Crazy Rumors is sweeten with Stevia – a natural alternative sweetener. I tried not to try any lip balm that I couldn’t pronounce the ingredients or anything not natural. Crazy Rumors is all natural and awesome. I was hesitant to try the lip balm because a stick costs 4 dollars with the shipping and handling being 6 dollars. However, I found a website that’s having a special on Crazy Rumors lip balm for this month only with much cheaper shipping called InterNatural Alternative Health. Just do a search for Crazy Rumors on the site to find it.
Or you can always do option B: which is to buy some vegan yum yums from Vegan Essentials and add some Crazy Rumors lip balm to your order. I ordered some tasty vegan treats and had Rocky Road Bark by Sweet and Sara which was so tasty. Plus, I got a vegan s’more which was okay – not as good as the bark in my opinion. I also ordered Vanilla Vegan Marshmallows which are awesome but are pretty expensive for what you get. I am going to look into making my own vegan marshmallows to see if that’s an alternative because it just isn’t worth the cost for such little product but it’s tasty. I was craving marshmallows, can you tell?
Yesterday, was the ultimate test of my veganhood. I was at a buffet-style restaurant and there was a basket full of non-vegan chocolate chip cookies. I love chocolate chip cookies so much – but I didn’t eat one bite. I can’t justify eggs and how the poor chickens are treated. Which reminds me of this really wicked shirt I got this week. Isn’t it awesome? It renders even the most outspoken meateaters speechless.
I needed some new clothes this week. I found a vegan straightedge hoodie that wasn’t too expensive. Looks like they are going fast. I am going to sew a Born/Dead patch on the back. Plus, I picked up a few anarcho-punk themed t-shirts from punkstuff.com. So, I should be set in the clothes department for sometime now.
My attempts at forming an Amnesty International is going slow but still going. We’ll see if I can get this group off the ground.
Movie Reviews + What Music I've been listening to. + Being Queer and Straightedge
I saw the movie last night, “Imagine Me and You” and it was really cute. It was a lesbian romantic comedy. Some of the lines from the film were hilarious. “How are we ever going to have grandchildren?” “The turkey baster was invented for a reason.” Haha.
I also recently watched “Food, Inc.”. I think it’s a really important movie and everyone should watch it to be informed about where their food is coming from. It was more focused on the meat industry but it isn’t veggie propaganda. It just shows how the meat industry is. It lifts the veil of what they don’t want you to know.
It’s been awhile since I’ve mentioned anything about music. I’ve been listening to Mischief Brew – which isn’t usually the type of music I’m into – but it’s pretty awesome folk punk. I also bought Refused, The Shape of Punk to Come, and it’s a pretty solid album. I have also been listening to Fagatron which is awesome queercore.
Apart from that, I’ve been thinking about what it means to be straightedge and queer. The center focus of the queer scene is bars. People go to bars to drink. I don’t drink and people usually take it as a personal offense that I don’t. I don’t go around advertising the fact but when someone asks what I’m drinking, I’m not going to lie. I do get to parties early and leave when people start getting too drunk for my taste. I don’t like being around drunks. I just don’t feel comfortable.
It’s almost like being straightedge is anti-queer. Or maybe, just maybe, the queer scene has it wrong. That it shouldn’t be about supporting evil corporations and poisoning your body. I’ve tried a handful of times to build a queer scene without the booze but it just hasn’t worked. I don’t know if it’s because people lack the confidence to be their true selves without intoxication or if there’s just no interest in being sober. I’ve never need substances to have a “good time.” I don’t understand the appeal, but that’s just me.
I have never met another straightedge vegan queer who wasn’t drug-free without a history of past abuse. I am not really all that interested in people who abuse substances or eat meat for dating. I guess that’s the difference between being drug-free and straightedge: is the dislike of substances. Being drug-free is abstaining, but being straightedge is avoiding all association. I am for the legalization of marijuana because it’s not my choice to make other people’s choices for them. But, I don’t want to be around it. That is my choice.
