Question: Where are the freedom loving punk rockers?
“My father told me “Son it’s futile to resist. You can topple the ideology but not the armies they enlist.†I questioned the intentions of the boy scouts chanting “WAR!†“Well, that’s the sound of freedom, sonâ€, he said (free to say no more). But wait a minute “dadâ€, did you actually say freedom? Well, if you’re dumb enough to vote, you’re fucking dumb enough to believe them. Because if this country is so goddamned free, then I can burn your fucking flag wherever I damn well please.” – Propagandhi
Answer: Most punks are freedom loving. It just depends on your definition of freedom. If you mean the racist, classist, sexist, homophobic society we currently have – you probably won’t find many punks who agree with you. Some punks are apathetic and apolitical. My flavor of punk – anarcho/peace/crust punk are typically very political and care about freedom a lot. We want equality and freedom from oppression for humans and some of us for all beings. We want you to have the freedom to be you and me to have the freedom to be me.
However, most people want their version of freedom. Freedom to be how they want you to be and not true freedom. That isn’t true freedom. True freedom is allowing everyone the right to decide for themselves even if you disagree.
For example, I am straightedge. I have never done drugs nor will I ever. It is a personal choice. It isn’t my right to decide how others should live. Thus, I am for the legalization of marijuana. More harmful substances are legal like alcohol so it doesn’t make sense why marijuana isn’t. It would make the substance, reasonably price, and put an end to crimes. Plus, it will stimulate the economy with the tax money it’d bring and end some horrible drug trafficking. Sure, there might be more stoners, but it’s people’s choice. I don’t think zoning out on pot is any different than being a vegetable watching television.
I am for freedom to do as you please as long as you don’t hurt anyone else or infringe on the freedom of others. For example, hateful ideologies that promote violence against groups of people such as the KKK and Nazis shouldn’t have their freedom to believe what they do because they violate other people’s freedom. I can’t justify giving them their freedom if they won’t give me mine. Fascism, in whatever form it takes, must be stopped. Fascism doesn’t allow for “freedom” to exist. Make sense?
My form of freedom is equality for all beings. That doesn’t mean I think dogs should have the right to vote. I do think they should have the right to life though. Last night, I freaked out because I accidentally stepped on a snail. I really felt like a murderer. It isn’t my right to take the life of another living creature as long as that creature isn’t doing any harm to me. My family didn’t understand what the big deal was. It was just a snail; it was nighttime, and they didn’t have a light on. My stepmother even had a “talk” with me about how a snail is a lower life form who’s emotional experience is limited to eat, poop, and mate. I couldn’t even begin to explain to her how that’s specist. That life is life. That all life is precious and should be respected. That unnecessary taking of life should be avoided to put an end to violence. That specism, sexism, classism, racism, and all other forms of hierarchical oppression are connected. That human liberation is dependent on animal liberation. That it is all connected and must all be stopped for peace to exist. For freedom.
Specism: Meat is Murder
I am going to start work on a new zine/workshop. It’d be about specism and how all forms of oppression are linked. I was asked to give a talk on the topic for a conference. It’s going to be a lot of work to get it together but it should be pretty awesome when done. There isn’t really anything out there about specism/sexism/gender binary/feminism and how they are all connected.
One of the things I am going to focus on his how language controls and oppresses animals. I got someone really upset when I mention my view that “Meat is murder.” Which was odd because they claimed to be against specism; one species being used by another species without consent, but apparently finds nothing wrong with eating flesh. I do have issues with people being flesh eaters and giving the green light that murders lots of animals.
I believe in personal choice – but not when that decision harms another being. I went though counseling training and the only time you would break confidentiality is when someone was going to harm themselves or others. Eating meat falls in the harming others category.
However, how much I dislike meat – I do live in a house of flesh eaters which is a struggle for me. My dad’s preferred diet is Atkins which is heavily meat based. He doesn’t like vegetables. He likes meat. He likes creatures being tortured and killed for his pleasure. He views animals as “animals” and humans as a different sort of animal. He’s a speciesist, as most meat eaters are. It hurts me a lot that he’s closed minded but it’s his choice – even it breaks universal law that murder is wrong.
Just because we have the power to do something doesn’t mean it’s right. No one – when given a survey on veganism found it to be wrong or immoral. No one. However, people do find meat eating to be a problem: for us, the animals, and the environment. This flesh eating obsession is literally killing us.
It’s kind of rough living in a world where the majority of the people are murderers. But, that’s reality. We’re all thieves and murderers here by associating with our capitalistic system. Even veganism isn’t 100% guilt free. But it’s a step in the right direction.
The reason why finding other vegan straightedge people is so important to me is because they are upholding universal law of doing no harm to other beings or themselves. It’s not about having “everyone being the same” because equality and sameness are two different things. However, it’s about respecting all life which is precious. It’s about respecting life and not breaking the code, “harming yourself or others” which I think is key.
That doesn’t mean I don’t befriend people who are meat eaters but I don’t have the same connection as I do with people who respect life. I couldn’t have a long term relationship with a meat eater. I am having a hard enough time coping with accepting the selfishness of my family to not be considerate for other lifeforms. It’s a lack of responsibility and the idea that “my need is greater than yours” that most problems that plague mankind stems from. It is all connected.
Let's Talk Politics! Here's mine, what's yours?
I am an anarcha-feminist. I believe in freedom from all forms of oppression and hierarchies. Peace, love, unity, solidarity, and punk rock. I don’t want to rule and I don’t want to be ruled. I don’t believe in any nasty isms – such as racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, classism, and specism. I am against homophobia, xenophobia, and transphobia. I detest violence. I am a pacifist. I am pretty extreme – I don’t watch violent movies or play violent games. I believe violence creates violence. That any peace held with violence – is a false peace. I believe that health care, food, water, and housing should be a right not a privileged. I don’t pledge allegiance to the flag – I want no nations, no borders. No human is illegal. I want community and people working to help humanity. I believe we have a responsibility to take care of our planet so all species can live in harmony. I believe thou shall not kill. Life is precious and should never be taken for any reason. I can see a world with no war – where people won’t ever want to leave their home because everything they ever need is right there in front of them. A world free of rape, starvation, slavery, and bombs. This world is possible – if you want it. The system is made up of people – with changing yourself, you being a person, you can change the entire world.
With that being said, I took a quiz which I took a couple of years back. When I took the quiz for the first time, my politics were aligned with Gandhi.
Now, Gandhi looks moderate compared to me. See my results here.
What’s your politics? Take the quiz here. Post a comment with your results! I am curious to see what other people are. 🙂
