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RAVE Act update!!!


weyes

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hey, everyone,

here's the latest on the RAVE act, as reported by the Drug Policy Alliance.

:) weyes

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As you may know, the Drug Policy Alliance led an aggressive campaign this year to stop the federal RAVE Act from becoming law. The Rave Act would have given federal prosecutors new powers to shut down raves or other musical events they didn't like and punish businessmen and women for hosting or promoting them. We are proud to report that, with the help of thousands of supporters like you, we were able to prevent Congress from making the RAVE Act national law. This is a great victory for free speech and drug policy reform, and we want to

thank our supporters for all your help. So, thank you, thank you, and thank you!!!

Make no mistake: The RAVE Act would not have been stopped without your help! Unfortunately, our work is not over. RAVE Act supporters are likely to re-introduce the bill next year and try a second time to make it law. The Drug Policy Alliance will again focus our efforts to block this legislation and we hope to still have you on our side.

In the mean time, you can stay updated on the RAVE Act by visiting our new "Music and the Drug War" Web site at

http://www.nomoredrugwar.org/music/. This site provides you with an opportunity to learn more about the RAVE Act, order a "No More Drug War" electronic music CD for only one dollar, and discuss music and the drug war with people across the country in our discussion forum.

Of course, our main site - http://www.drugpolicy.org - is still the

best source for drug policy reform information on the web.

If you haven't been to these sites, we urge you to check them out. Also, if you're not staying informed through our action alerts or our weekly e-newsletter we encourage you to sign up for them today for free at: http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/managesubscription.asp.

THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE RAVE ACT

When drug warriors introduced the RAVE Act, they thought they had the perfect election year drug war bill. The RAVE Act targeted a musical style and culture that political elites believed no one cared about. It advanced the same-old, tired drug war agenda; addressing public health concerns as criminal justice issues by continuing to throw people in jail. The RAVE Act used fear and prejudice to grant the federal government draconian powers.

The bill was put on a fast track enabling it to pass out of committee only one-week after it was introduced, without debate or recorded vote. Most politicians thought it would soar through Congress and become law in no time. But, they were wrong! The Drug Policy Alliance, which has an office in Washington, DC working full-time to fight draconian drug war legislation and promote drug policy reform, was determined to block the RAVE Act from becoming law.

With the help of people like you, The Alliance launched a major

campaign to defeat the RAVE Act - educating Senators, mobilizing

voters, alerting the media, and building legislative coalitions.

** In conjunction with Dance Safe, the Drug Policy Alliance launched a fax campaign that sent over 35,000 faxes to the Senate in opposition to the RAVE Act. Thousands of voters also called and wrote their Senators urging them to vote against it.

** The Drug Policy Alliance worked with groups around the country - like ROAR (Ravers Organized Against the RAVE Act), Blackkat, AuraSF and Freedom to Dance - to hold organized protests against the RAVE Act in major cities, including protests in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and an actual rave in Congress' backyard on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC!

** We launched an aggressive legislative and media campaign that criticized the RAVE Act in the media and educated Members of Congress about the dangers of the bill. The campaign gained national attention, with news articles across the country, including the Oakland Tribune and the Washington Post. Alliance staff warned voters about the RAVE Act and spurned them to action on radio stations from California to New York.

Our campaign was so successful that two of the original RAVE Act co-sponsors dropped their support for the bill (including the Chair of the Judiciary Committee). The House Subcommittee on Crime refused to hold a vote on the House version of the bill and the Senate leadership did not dare bring the controversial legislation to the full Senate for a vote. The RAVE Act is dead for the year - one of many state and federal legislative victories this year.

We are especially grateful to everyone who faxed, called, and wrote their Members of Congress, forwarded our actions alerts to friends and family, organized at the local level, and gave money to our campaign. We could not have enjoyed this success without your help.

Truth be told, the RAVE Act would probably have become law without your action. Keep up your good work, and again: thank you, thank you, and thank you!!!

Ps. Check out our new "music and the drug war" Web site at:

http://www.nomoredrugwar.org/music/.

Contributions from people like you make it possible for organizations like Drug Policy Alliance to fight the RAVE Act and similar pieces of legislation that threaten free speech and the right to dance!

Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to support our work: http://www.drugpolicy.org/join.

And, don't forget to make sure you are staying informed by going to http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/managesubscription.asp and signing up to receive regular updates.

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