CHRISTAIN PUNK IS AN IMAGE Posted by ACTIVE INGREDIANTS on August 29, 2002, 2:40 pm SO I SEE EVERY ONE IS STILL RANTING ABOUT WHATS PUNK. PUNK IS A FASIHON, NOW MORE THAN EVER. YOU CAN BUY A STUDDED BELT AT TARGET OR WALMART. IT'S A TREND WHEN THAT HAPPENDS, BUT THAT'S NOT MY CONCERN RIGHT NOW. WHAT COUGHT MY ATTENTION (IS) THE…MESSAGE…(THAT) BEING CHRISTAIN AND BEING INTO THE PUNK SCENE IS AN OXYMORON. HOW IS THAT? SO CAN I BE A CHRISTAIN SKATER? IS IT WRONG FOR ME TO BE SAVED, BELIEVE IN GOD AND SK8? IS IT AN OXYMORRON FOR ME TO WEAR SK8 CLOTHING BECAUSE I SK8? EVERY ONE HAS THERE OWN FASION, SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO HAVE MOHAWKS AND WEAR LEATHER JACKETS & BOOTS. OTHER PEOPLE LIKE TO WEAR LOOSE SHOES AND CLOTHING SO THEY CAN MOVE, AND SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO WEAR SUITS. SO WHAT! IS THERE A CHRISTAIN FASHION I DON'T KNOW ABOUT? REALLY COOL CHRISTAIN FASION (HIDDEN) FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD? JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE BELIEVES IN GOD DOESNT MEAN THEY CAN ONLY LISTEN TO ONE STYLE OF MUSIC OR DRESS ONLY ONE WAY, AND IF SO WHAT MUSIC OR STYLE OF CLOTHING WOULD IT BE? ALL THE REAL CHRISTAIN PUNK BANDS HAVE SONGS GIVING GOD GLORY. THE MUSIC MAY BE FAST AND LOUD BUT THE MESSAGE IS THE SAME. PUNK IS ABOUT TAKING A STAND IN WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN. YOU HAVE STRAIGHT EDGE PUNK, POLITICAL PUNK, NAZI PUNK, DRUNK PUNK, VEGAN PUNK, SURF PUNK, GIRLY POP PUNK, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. SO WHATS SO WRONG WITH CHRISTAIN PUNK? IT HAS A MESSAGE AND CAUSE BEHIND IT. IF CHRISTAIN PUNK IS AN OXYMORON THEN SO IS ALL OTHER STYLES OF PUNK. IF THATS THE CASE THAN THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS PUNK MUSIC AND IT MUST JUST BE A FASION LIKE ALL OTHER FORMS OF CLOTHING AND HAIR CUTS. SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WE HAVE SOME DUDES AND CHICKS THAT LIKE TO DRESS A CERTAIN WAY, THEY ALSO LIKE TO GATHER TOGETHER AND PLAY LOUD FAST WORSHIP MUSIC TO GLORIFY GOD. I DON'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. DO YOU? This message used without permission, modified from its original text. That’s Punk. Vegetarians for a Free Choice by Dan Coyne How can any father look his four-year-old son in the eye and tell him that he cannot be both a practicing vegetarian and a hot dog lover? Why should a working mom, who is deeply committed to the principles of vegetarianism, feel guilty simply for snacking on an occasional beef jerky? How can any movement or organization systematically exclude those who, for medical reasons, must eat a diet rich in poultry and beef? For a long time these questions haunted me until one day I stumbled upon the answer - Vegetarians for a Free Choice. Tossing off the shackles of the traditional vegetarian movement, Vegetarians for a Free Choice seeks to bring "choice" back to eating. For too long, an extremist group of anti-meat ideologues has attempted to dictate what defines vegetarianism. These extremists and their overly legalistic view of vegetarianism have discouraged many of us from joining a movement we might otherwise find appealing. In fact, recent polls indicate that over 72% of those who currently consider themselves non-vegetarians would consider becoming vegetarians if they were simply permitted to retain the right to eat meat. Well, those of us who would like to become a vegetarian while still having an occasional Big Mac now have an option - Vegetarians for a Free Choice. VFC is a nonjudgmental, nondiscriminatory vegetable eating organization open to meat eaters and non-meat eaters alike. VFC respects your personal "right to choose" when it comes to making meat eating decisions. VFC believes it is your right to define what vegetarianism means to you. As expected, the zealots in the anti-meat-eating wing of the vegetarian movement have already risen up to condemn VFC. "This cafeteria style vegetarianism is completely bogus," they claim. "You cannot pick and choose your own rules for being a vegetarian." Aside from being completely undemocratic, these critics ignore numerous inconsistencies already existing in the movement. Some of the so-called leaders eat fish, while others do not. Some of the so-called leaders eat animal products like milk and cheese, while others do not. Who, then, are these hypocrites to tell me I can no longer continue to eat my cheese steaks while still calling myself a vegetarian? No longer should we allow these unelected vegetarian leaders to impose upon us their outmoded notions of vegetarianism. Vegetarianism should be open to all Americans regardless of their eating habits or preferences. Discrimination based upon what one eats is just as pernicious as racism, sexism or homophobia. It is time to set aside our own personal biases when it comes to eating and establish a vegetarian movement we can all be proud of. Now is the time for a more inclusive and tolerant vegetarianism. Thanks to VFC, Americans no longer have to choose between their Vegetarianism and their fried chicken. They can have both. I encourage all of you to sponsor a Vegetarians for Choice Pig Roast in your local community. If interested, you can even e-mail me for my wife's famous Spotted Owl Casserole recipe. This article originally appeared in the March 2002 issue of Gilbert! www.gilbertmagazine.com Daniel P. Coyne is the President of Cleveland Right to Life and the President of the Cleveland-based St. Athanasius Chapter of Catholics United for the Faith. He recently helped co-found Hail Holy Queen Communications, a nonprofit organization committed to bringing Catholic radio to Northeastern Ohio. Dan can be reached at danielpcoyne@aol.com. FurtherNotes: This article was taken from the website Catholicity.com