If it's a style that nearly everyone in the sub-cult is mimicking, I wouldn't call it "different than the norm."  It's established its own norms and from what I see, people adhere to those norms rather loyally...kinda like Republican politicians who know that to stick with Bush is tantamount to suicide, but they do it anyway.

  If we had given up on the world around us...we wouldn't exist.

Not all suicidal individuals are goths. This is not like a game of celebrity heads when wearing black means you are suicidal.

There is a lot of evil going on in the world. Why is it so controversial to express dissatisfaction, anger, sadness..etc... negative feelings are of no lesser value to positive ones. If we didn't have negative feelings we would never know when something is wrong. If anything, in channelling these emotions through art, politics, and fashion are positive results.

Much more positive than throwing stones.

Yes most people think this of us.... it's sad.

We haven't necessarilt given up on the world around us. We are just taking a break from liking it and the people who inhabit it.

Goths are as diversely active as everyone else. Political and environmental activism is not uncommon, nor is community involvement.