Construction Vs. Destruction

There's a lot of negativity surrounding our conversations of Punk. While not unjustified, I think it's worth taking a second look at the constructive side of Punk as well. This argument is of course somewhat subjective, but I don't want to allow myself to only consider one side of any culture, because surely they are all multidimensional. The ways in which punk culture is destructive seem obvious after our readings and discussions. Punks can destroy physical space (think of the aftermath of a punk show, or graffiti), they harm themselves and others through fighting, they might purposely mutilate themselves for a number of reasons, and, on an abstract level, they destroy the ideals of the mainstream. The breaking down of these ideals is arguably also the most constructive aspect of punk culture. Do trees and other plants not need to be cut back in order to grow bigger? For new ways of thinking to emerge, the old must first be done away with. Punks brought an alternative perspective of our society to the forefront of our minds, even if it was shoved, rather aggressively, down the collective throat of mainstream America. From punk culture came the production of independent literature (zines), handmade or recycled clothes, and of course self produced musical recordings and shows. So before we cast off punks as a bunch of angry kids who stand for nothing and destroy anything, maybe we can also say that while yes, they are both angry and predominantly children or adolescents, they stand for quite a bit. They stand for being heard, for being recognized as individuals, for questioning the norm, for creativity, for personal empowerment, for protest, and ultimately, through self production, creation itself.