Jesus's Middle Name does not stand for "hardcore"

So A few weeks ago, Digg had an article about "punks in the workplace". I can't find the article, but in it, there was a quote from a guy who said something like "yeah, I love casual friday's when I wear a short-sleeved shirt and all my tattoo's show..I love sticking it to the man".

Then, This weekend, I saw a commercial for "One Punk Under God". Apparently Jay Bakker (Jim Bakker's son) is a punk-rock minister.

Now. Seriously. Tattoos DO NOT make you punk, they don't even make you cool. Listening to Punk-music does NOT make you punk.

Trust me, I goto a lot of hardcore and punk music shows, I know a lot of kids that have tattoo's all the way down to their wrists, and most of them are witless shit-heads.

Punk, or rather the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) ethic, is just that, an ethic. Its about Living life yourself, whatever it is. Living outside of the established system, questioning everything about the society, including fashion.

Here's some things that are Punk:

1. Alexander Burkman (he wrote the blast - a crazy anarchist manifesto)

2. GG allin - I find this guy repulsive and his music worthless, but did he do what he wanted? I guess so.

3. Profane Existence - an old Frisco 'zine on the punk ethic, it was about resistance, all things punk, etc...

4. Any band that releases their first 7" without a label...completely punk rock, photo-copied sleeves and a pressing of only 500 records. Trading them at shows, selling them to whoever will buy.

5. DIY labels: there's a shit-ton of them. I can't even list them all.

6. Edward Abbey - A rebel if I ever read one. a real punk.

7. Kids who hand out 'zines. thats punk. no one takes the time to put together an old school 'zine on paper and trade it/give it out at shows. while the overwhelming majority of 'zines are shit, some (like K composite, Jawk, MRR, Profane Existence, etc...) are awesome.

Things that are not punk:

1. being a fucking minister in a predominately white church extolling the same fucking sermons your fucking loser father does for money..then getting tattoos and calling yourself "punk". FUCK YOU. FUCK OFF.

2. Getting tattoos. Then, going to work at Intertech and showing your tattoos on friday is not punk, its what we in the business call "sellout fucking poser". Real punks, real hardcore kids don't work for Office Depot...they work for collectives, or better yet, are gutter-punks, squatters.

3. The "tramp stamp" easily the dumbest tattoo I've ever seen. FUCKING STUPID.

4. Religion. it is physically impossible to be punk and be religious. sorry people, its just not happening. Nihilism, Atheism, etc... thats punk.

So, am I a punk? hell no, I"m a lame sellout.