My aunt, who is the only one of my family members to read all (or even any) of the OKC issues, asked me the following question after finishing issue 3: "What is punk, exactly?"
I was tired, and since I could go on for hours answering that question, I just told her that I'd tell her later. But on the off chance that she visits this website, I'll also try and answer it here.
To me (and you have to start that way because nearly everyone has their own definition of what punk is and isn't), punk is about thinking for yourself and questioning everything. It is about active nonviolent resistance, socio-political awareness, and a desire to assist the oppressed, marginalized, and disenfranchised in this or any society. It is about channeling anger and aggression, alchemizing destructive emotions into constructive actions and solutions.
Obviously, punk rock is also a big component of punk, and the bands I tend to like are those that best exemplify the above philosophy, some examples being: Anti-Flag, Propagandhi, old Bad Religion, Fugazi, Embrace, etc.
Anyway, since I find myself in the unusual position of being a fervent believer in these punk ideals while working a job as a corporate sellout, I've done a bunch of writing and rationalizing, trying to reconcile these seemingly conflicting interests. The following articles are the results of these examinations.
Punk or Corporate Sellout? You Make the Call
Transformer - Punker In Disguise