Red Laces, White laces, Yellow laces! Oh my!

So, what's up with skinheads and laces? Why all the different colours and what do they mean?

A lot has been written into pop culture and the mainstream media about the colour of skinhead laces and what their meanings are. Too much actually.

White Laces : White Pride / White Power
Red Laces : Neo-nazi OR Communist Or Socialist Or Anti-Racist
Yellow Laces : S.H.A.R.P Or Anti-Cop
Green Laces : Homophobic Or Animal Liberation
Purple Laces : Gay Rights
Black Laces : New boots, owner has not bought the proper colour coded laces yet
Grey Laces : Owner has not figured out yet how to keep white laces clean
Suede Laces : Clown Fetish (ok I just made that last one up)

All of the above is total bullshit. Lace colour has NOTHING to do with politics. The only way that the colour of laces in your boots means anything is if you decide they mean something. Red laces could mean you support Manchester United, or even Toronto FC (good on you if you do, let's go catch a game sometime), or your hatred of ketchup. Or they could mean you thought "Hmmm, red laces would look good and stand out against these black boots!"

Anyone trying to tell you that lace colour stands for something is most likely trying to sound like they know something and are trying to impress you, or sell you on a set of politics.

Sometimes a cigar in a dream is just a cigar, and sometimes boot laces are worn to keep your boots on your feet.

White Pride, White Power, White Culture.

Is stupid.

Now I could just end this little blog here like that, and I'm sure there would be people leaving comments saying how I'm right, and a few that might leave a comment like "Why is white power bad but black power good?" and such, so I'll write a little more.

White pride ruins European history. With the number of countries, and cultures in Europe, to forcibly unite them under one big happy banner of "White Pride" and speak of "White Culture" takes away from thousands of years of events. European nations have been at war with each other ever since they got the idea of "mine" in their heads. Peoples have been enslaved and scattered. Ireland, Scotland and Wales (remember Wales? most sadly do not) were, or are under British domination. Germany invaded Poland. France and Spain had a few wars. Italy, back when it was Rome tried to take over everything. Pardon the pun, but to white wash it all like some people seem to be takes away some very important and interesting history.

Culturally, Russia is vastly different than Greece. Both cultures have their own distinct foods, legends, mythologies, music and costumes. France is different from Norway, Ireland is different from Portugal. All of these countries (and a lot more) make up the European cultures.

So when someone speaks about white culture, and how we have to save white culture, which white culture are they talking about? English fish and chips? Scottish bagpipes? Russian Vodka?

"Well Canada is a white country...it was discovered, founded, and settled by white people!" Okay, that's true. Except that the Mnjikaning, Mohawk, Cree, Ojibwe, Neskantaga, Kashechewan and quite a few other First Nation peoples were already here. And there was quite a bit of African slave labour (yes, in Canada too). And the Irish (Who were not considered white at the time) Indentured Servants and Transported Convicts. And all the Asians who came over and helped "settle" the west. That's a lot of very different peoples who helped to create and shape this great nation of ours.

My point is you can have pride in who and what you are, and where you or your family came from, and that is more than fine. I am proud to be Celtic. I have Irish pride. I feel no shame in this, nor should I. But white pride? I might as well feel "Northern Hemisphere Pride", or "Human Pride".

Racial pride, in this day and age, only serves to devide people. If White trailor trash, and Black ghetto trash stood up, and realized that they are basically in the same economic boat, and gave up with calling each other nigger and cracker, they could unite and start working towards getting better health care, better education, higher standards of living, a living pay that actually lets them afford things that they need and want.

This is Canada. You are Canadian. Start acting like it.

Over Power

http://www.myspace.com/overpoweroi
http://www.overpoweroi.blogspot.com/

Check out Toronto's own Over Power, one of the best hardcore/oi bands in town! 4 angry young men who love to drink, and will close any pub you find them in. Boot stomp your way over to their myspace page, watch their videos, add them to your friends list, and send them a nice message telling them to put up some songs, because they are worth it!

100% Toronto SHARP approved!



See ya in the pit!

So you want to join S.H.A.R.P. Toronto

Anyone interested in joining S.H.A.R.P. Toronto should know it's pretty easy. Just contact one of us, hang out a bit, and if we think you are a good fit (aka not a violent psycho, drug dealer or someone who is going to try to convert us all to some odd religion) you are in!

Contacting us is pretty easy. You can find us on Facebook in any S.H.A.R.P. group, you can see us at ska, punk, reggae and oi shows, and find us in the pubs. Or, you can just e-mail TorontoSHARPblogspot *at* gmail.com

Young or old, byrd or boi, black or white, all are welcome. S.H.A.R.P. Toronto is made up of Traditional Skinheads from all backgrounds, and our friends and supporters.

If you do join you get a nifty patch, a pin, some cool friends for life, and the knowledge that you are helping to keep your scene free from ignorant boneheads that will always try to sell you a set of politics, and tell you who you can shag, and who you can be friends with.

So drop us a line, come have a pint, and dance the night away at a show. It beats sitting at home with a bunch of white power fools reading Mein Kampf.

November 11 Rememberance Day.

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month (11:00AM, November 11th) please join the many thousands of Canadians who plan to pause for a moment to commemorate the courage, honor, and sacrifice of the many men and women -- military and civilian -- who have fought and died in service to this country and the ideals it represents the world over.

As Remembrance Day quickly approaches, let us give thanks not only to Canadian soldiers who have died, but also for our veterans and the soldiers of all nations that have died while fighting against tyranny and oppression in the past and present.

This has nothing to do with being pro war. It is a thankless job, and the least we can do is honor those who do it for us.

And just a quick reminder, poppies are to be worn on the left side, over where the heart was traditionally thought to be.

SHARP Toronto Playlist for the week

Skinhead reggae! Oi! Soul! Ska! What more could a skinhead want in a playlist? Here is what some of SHARP Toronto ase listening to this week!


1. The Business - Real Enemy
2. Cock Sparrer - Chip On My Shoulder
3. The Aggrolites - We Came To Score
4. The Jam - The Eton Rifles
5. Judge Dread - Dread Rock
6. The Street Dogs - You Alone
7. The Adjusters - Armstrong
8. The Soul Children - Hearsay
9. Fishbone - Party At Ground Zero
10. Last Resort - Oi Oi Skinhead