The utterances of "South Park" character, Mr. Mackey, seem to amount fairly to the beliefs held by some of those who live a Straight Edge lifestyle. That is if we take into account Mr. Mackey's disdain for anyone who thinks contrary to him.
Often I find that when Straight Edge people describe their lifestyle to others, they tend put on a mask of superiority. Such is the case in Kiriakos Vilchez's article, The Straight Edge Lifestyle. From the beginning, Vilchez makes the statement, "I am Straight Edge. Period." The underlying message in these five words is one of defiance to all opposing views. If Vilchez wishes to raise an argument on why his generation would benefit from being Straight Edge, then he should at least provide the opportunity for discussion. His views will be less easily received because he portrayed himself in such a closed manner.
Once Valchez stated the message of the subculture, he follows himself up with, "Unfortunately, my generation fails to hear the message." By focussing on his choice of the words "fails" and "unfortunately" we see that he looks down upon those who live different lifestyles. As stated, we know that Valchez is in a college environment, so he finds himself faced with a more amplified version of the culture he is arguing against, so it is somewhat understandable his argument will be amplified as well. However, in my opinion, placing himself above anyone else is a poor decision. He is asking for a challenge of his authority rather than a constructive challenging of his ideas. If he wishes to obtain the change he desires, he needs to bring himself back down first.
Valchez offers a cut and dry argument for a Straight Edge lifestyle that is strongly supported with facts, but he lacks the ability to create an open environment for discussion. Being Straight Edge does not make you better than anyone, it is simply a lifestyle - something personal that affects no one other than yourself.
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