Top Ten most played out tattoos seen at hardcore shows...

1. The Alleyway Dragon
2. Triple XXX's
3. Last name in old English letters around stomach
4. Sacred Heart/Doves
5. Crucified Skin
6. Anything with the word pride in it, ie. hardcore pride, sXe pride...
7. NYHC
8. AF boots
9. Praying Hands
10. (Insert name) Crew
    

So back to why I think some of the bands I like, that love and create great hardcore, come from Sweden. Like the suburbs of LI, or NJ, or the boroughs of NY, strip mall, lower middle class, life sucks, is uninteresting and there is nothing to do, thus the love of those kids for their hardcore. In Sweden it is pretty dark and cold a lot of the year with most people supporting themselves in blue-collar trade vocations. There are quotas on Vodka because all there is to do is drink at some point. Kids are sick of the lack of things to do and the lack of dreams that seem fulfilled; following in the footsteps of their parents seems like a life they can fucking keep. They discover an outlet, music, or hardcore in some cases. Then some take all that boredom, frustration, and deny their destiny in Sweden by creating something. Music.

**disclaimer – my wife is from Denmark and I go there often. I am making an overwhelming, but what I believe to be based on experience, educated proposal here as to the similarities by which some kids make some great music. Anyone who disagree?

Just North of Chicago an article was printed in January 9th’s Glenview Announcements about the Center for New Community, or CNC, harassing some indie record store owners and managers about stocking “white power” music. The CNC argues that the stores should not stock records by certain artists and records from a certain label because the sale of those records supports groups that have racist agendas. The stores argue back that they can’t stop selling, or stocking every record, or records by an artist, that someone has a problem with. The issues are freedom of speech, freedom of expression and the freedom to choose, to do, pursue and believe whatever the fuck you want. The CNC is harassing the wrong dudes. Let’s harass the racists. Let’s blast the names of the bands and labels all over the place, so everyone knows what their agenda’s of hate are. The CNCs attempt here and this article depresses me. Let’s challenge ourselves and come up with a real plan. The CNC needs to realize their objectives to end racism and expose the organizations that fund racism and have racist agendas. As we work to eliminate racists and racism, it will directly affect how many “white power” bands, labels, and organizations there are and how many records by those bands are stocked in record stores. Let me break it down for you:

1. Make people aware of the groups, the organizations behind them, and the beliefs those people hold. Expose the evil that beliefs like that have led to and any other wrong or horrible things these organizations may be responsible for.
2. Educated, aware people are not susceptible to this evil propaganda, even if it comes in the form of music or is sitting next to another record they want to buy in a record store.
3. If people are aware of who those bands are and their evil plans, people will make other people aware and sales of these records would slow down and in time hopefully cease completely.
4. If they don’t sell records anymore, the ill labels that back these bands will probably stop producing records by those racist bands
5. If records by those racist bands, put out by those racist labels, who are backed by those racist organizations are not produced anymore, those stores, indie or otherwise, won’t have a racist record to stock.

I believe in freedom of speech and expression, even for ignorant bands. I believe record stores should be able to stock any music they want. CNC, the way you attacked this is scary and is dangerously close to compromising freedoms and I am not sure you realize the consequences of what you are asking. Where will it stop? You guys have more work to do than this. You are not embracing the whole challenge. You want to take this battle on. Take it on. I am with you, but understand the indie, record store owner is not the problem. Racism and hate are the problem, among many other problems in our society right now. If the record store takes this c…rap off the shelves, you have accomplished nothing. Except made sure you and your community don’t have to see it. The real way to break this hate down is to educate and make people aware of these groups. It is a whole lot more work, but our goal should be a society full of individuals who make intelligent decisions on their own, individuals who can identify this c…rap and choose not to buy it because they know racism is evil and wrong, in any form.

The worst part about all of this coverage is that there are already victims and consequences. Record stores, lifestyle shops, punk rock music, music and kids in general. How many parents will all of a sudden want to know everything about who their kids are listening to. They will form opinions based on their limited knowledge of punk rock, rock music, record stores and this article. A week later, just like the publics attention span, they will be on to something else.

This is such a slam campaign. A young group and a local paper jerking each other off, a record store owner taking the brunt of the bad publicity, countless stores are shied away from for a minute and kids harassed by there parents all over. And the worst part the racists bands and organizations that put out their records are happy with the press and for the most part are unaffected by bringing this whole thing to light.