Congress Seeks to Ban Music and Dancing - please get off your asses!

[LavenderMenace]

***CONGRESS SEEKS TO BAN LIVE MUSIC AND DANCING!!

***COULD HAPPEN THIS YEAR; WE NEED YOUR HELP

Congress is considering two pieces of legislation that could

effectively ban live music and dancing, while throwing innocent

people like you in jail. If enacted, either bill could prevent you

from hearing your favorite band or DJ live. Every musical style would be affected, including rock and roll, Hip Hop, country, and

electronic music. Both bills would allow overzealous prosecutors to send innocent people to jail for the crimes of others. The two bills are the RAVE Act (H.R. 718) and the CLEAN-UP Act (H.R. 834). Both could be passed this year without your help. (Links to the Acts text provided below.)

The RAVE Act would make it easier for the federal government to

punish property owners for any drug offense that their customers

commit - even if they work hard to stop such offenses. If enacted,

nightclub and stadium owners would likely stop holding events - such

as rock or Hip Hop concerts - in which even one person might use

drugs. Similarly, the CLEAN-UP Act contains provisions that would

make it a federal crime - punishable by up to nine years in prison -

to promote "any rave, dance, music or other entertainment event" that might attract some attendees that would use or sell drugs. In both cases, it doesn't matter if the concert promoter and property owner try to prevent people from using drugs. Nor does it matter if the vast majority of people attending the event are law-abiding citizens that want to listen to music, not do drugs.

If either the CLEAN-UP Act or the RAVE Act becomes law, Congress could effectively ban live music and dancing, as well as any other event that might attract someone that would use drugs (essentially any event that draws a large crowd). Your help is needed to stop these bills from becoming law!!! Dancing, singing, and playing music should not be a federal crime!

ACTIONS TO TAKE

*** Fax your Representative. Tell him or her to oppose the RAVE Act in its entirety and to oppose Section 305 in the CLEAN-UP Act. You can fax your Representative for free by going to http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=1516.

** Please forward this action alert to your friends and family.

Unless Congress hears from thousands of voters these two bills could easily become law.

BACKGROUND

The RAVE Act was first introduced last year in the Senate by Senator Joe Biden (D-DE). A House version was introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX). Thanks to the support of thousands of voters like you, Drug Policy Alliance and a coalition of friends and activists around the country was able to stop both bills last year. Unfortunately, supporters of the RAVE Act are even more determined to pass it this year. Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) is sponsoring a new RAVE Act in the House. Additionally, Senator Biden has introduced a Senate version entitled the Illicit Drugs Anti-Proliferation Act.

If enacted, both the House RAVE Act and the Senate Anti-Proliferation Act would make it easier for federal prosecutors to fine and imprison business owners that fail to stop drug offenses from occurring. Businessmen and women could be prosecuted even if they were not involved in drugs - and even if they took steps to stop drug use on their property. Although proponents of the bill are seeking to target raves (and DJs, nightclub owners, and rave promoters have the most to fear), the law would apply to any business owner, including bar owners, motel owners, concert promoters, and cruise ship owners. Because of its broad language, the proposed law would even potentially subject people to twenty years in federal prison if one or more of their guests smoked marijuana at their party or barbecue.

For more information on the RAVE Act and Drug Policy Alliance's

campaign to stop it, see: http://www.nomoredrugwar.org/music/rave_act.htm.

A full text of the bill can be viewed at:

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?

dbname=108_cong_bills&docid=f:h718ih.txt.pdf

(Please cut and paste the entire URL into a browser window)

The CLEAN-UP Act was also first introduced last year, but it failed

to make it out of committee. This year's bill already has over 60 co-sponsors and could become law without your help. Sponsored by Rep. Doug Ose (R-CA), the Clean, Learn, Educate, Abolish, and Undermine Production (CLEAN-UP) of Methamphetamines Act is largely an innocuous bill that provides more money and training for the clean up of illegal methamphetamine laboratories. Hidden within the bill, however, is a draconian section that could make dancing and live music federal crimes.

Section 305 of the CLEAN-UP Act stipulates that:

'Whoever, for a commercial purpose, knowingly promotes any rave, dance, music, or other entertainment event, that takes place under circumstances where the promoter knows or reasonably ought to know that a controlled substance will be used or distributed in violation of Federal law or the law of the place where the event is held, shall be fined under title 18, United States Code, or imprisoned for not more than 9 years, or both.'

Under the provision, any concert promoter, nightclub owner and arena or stadium owner could be fined and jailed, since a reasonable person would know some people use drugs at musical events. A full text of the bill can be viewed at:

<http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?

dbname=108_cong_bills&docid=f:h834ih.txt.pdf>

Opponents of the bills fear that both proposed laws would be used by racist or homophobic prosecutors to target Hip Hop and R&B concerts and gay and lesbian nightclubs. Both bills would also eradicate electronic dance music and culture, as we know it.

Fax your Representative. Tell him or her to oppose the RAVE Act in its entirety and to oppose Section 305 in the CLEAN-UP Act. You can fax your Representative for free by going to: http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/index.aspstep=2&item=1516.

:mad:

PLEASE GET OFF YOUR ASSES AND FAX YOUR REPS!!!!!!!!!!

[crobra]

It's great to live in a "free" society!!

Let's go bomb IRAQ!!

[phuturephunk]

Originally posted by crobra

It's great to live in a "free" society!!

Let's go bomb IRAQ!!

You know, I'm feelin so fuckin' free right now .. I think I'll go shoot the neighbors cat and then drink beer and piss on the corpse... Now..some would say thats heartless and in-humane, but truth be told my neighbor is secretly an Al Queda operative from Iraq so its all good...

[Twilo Beauty]

The future looks bleak.

I'm really fucking depressed. There's an article in New York magazine that talks about this shit.

I really wanna do a couple of lines...,......................... :(

I fucking hate this country right now.

-iliana

[girly]

what a bunch of crap:mad:

[pkern]

Turn your frustration into action.

Does that sound cliche?

Maybe. But true nonetheless. Even though it doesn't always seem like it, we do have (at least a certain level of) control over our government.

Write letters. Protest. Scream. Vote. (Does everyone here vote?)

And always, always ALWAYS listen to lavendermenace.

(I faxed my reps, lav)

[LavenderMenace]

Originally posted by pkern

And always, always ALWAYS listen to lavendermenace.

Words of Wisdom from a VERY smart woman.

wassup chica. . . its been way too long!

[mangos]

This is frightening, but I jut don't see it happening. In the next few years you'll probably see a lot of laws/bills passed to change the way venues are run and set up, but I don't see them getting banned all together.

[sdeelite]

Just faxed the representative...

Hopefully none of this bull shit will go through and at least I will know I put in in some effort into trying to prevent these bills from happening.

The US better watch it's back, it's starting to look like other countries with all these fucked up anti-freedom policies. I understand there's a drug problem in this country to deal with but this is NOT the way to do it.

GRRR>>>

[highmay]

this STILL wont go through...the language needs to be worked on...

[Randy]

sillies

buzz took on the last bill, defeated it, and was shut down from their dc club.

if their efforts were listened to, then htere would not be a repeated effort to launch another bill.

there aren't enough people parrtying that vote to make a differnece in the ees of hte politicians.

as lame as it may sound. the only way to fight this shit is to have "dance the vote" type movments at parties and clubs. getting younger people more politically active than reactionary will do more in the long run.

or

revolt. there is enough stupid shit happening that there needs to eb a revolution

[rocksteadyct]

Originally posted by Randy

sillies

or revolt. there is enough stupid shit happening that there needs to eb a revolution

You name the time and place and I'll be ready for action - oh no arrest me!

[ou812]

:laugh:

This is great.....................reminds me of the movie Footloose.

[sassa]

how the hell is this going to pass? how can they ban music and dancing???

i'd rather kill myself than never hear music again...

fucking congressmen! i hope they all choke on their own vomit..

[cintron]

Originally posted by sassa

how the hell is this going to pass? how can they ban music and dancing???

i'd rather kill myself than never hear music again...

fucking congressmen! i hope they all choke on their own vomit..

ditto that.

why don't they just lock us all in our own homes and install cameras.

[dialectics]

done. remember those in power profit when our civil liberties are taken away. Luckily the collective power of 100,000 voices CAN make a difference... unless of course you're dealing with a paranoid megalomaniac with a thirst for conquest like dubya

[Twilo Beauty]

Originally posted by ou812

:laugh:

This is great.....................reminds me of the movie Footloose.

LOLLLOLLOL :laugh:

-iliana

[siceone]

this will never pass violates the right to assemble peacefully, in order for either of these two peices of legislation to pass they would have to a pass an amendment declaring the bill of rights unconstitutional.

[cintron]

but you know what... people are still ignorant, stupid, intolerant and "fearful" enough of us "ravers" to still enact a law like that.

[siceone]

Originally posted by cintron

but you know what... people are still ignorant, stupid, intolerant and "fearful" enough of us "ravers" to still enact a law like that.

I mean lets be honest rave culture has glorified the use of extacy like no other musical culture since the hippies in the 60's the we have to blame ourselves a little bit for not distancing our selves from the drug subculture.

[Randy]

Originally posted by siceone

I mean lets be honest rave culture has glorified the use of extacy like no other musical culture since the hippies in the 60's the we have to blame ourselves a little bit for not distancing our selves from the drug subculture.

oh yes, i forgot that all artists are straightedge.

[donnie]

well u got no smoking in public places , then this , then something else, then something else then something else. Well then just forget about iraq and korea. sooner or later a civil war will break out.

[siceone]

Originally posted by Randy

oh yes, i forgot that all artists are straightedge.

who was talking about the artists I was talking about the sub culture.

big difference.

and There won't be a civil war

plus the ban on smoking has to do with inalienable rights

life liberty and pursuit and happiness

when you smoke you're harming someones life, their liberty to breathe clean air basically.

I may not agree with it personally

but from a constitutional stand point they are right. but I think the law fucks with a culuture of night life which could be bad but who knows lwts see this thing flesh it self out.

[brickhouse]

S.22 is the scary one.....probably won't pass because Daschle is the sponsor, but it's a huge anti-terrorism bill that sneaks in the RAVE act as one of its provisions....essentially, it could end up passing because of the anti-terrorist measures without the crack house amendments getting too much attention...

[pkern]

Originally posted by siceone

and There won't be a civil war

plus the ban on smoking has to do with inalienable rights

life liberty and pursuit and happiness

when you smoke you're harming someones life, their liberty to breathe clean air basically.

Well, yes and no. i can understand the need for separate smoking sections - but i do have a problem with the current ridiculous and disproportionate reaction to smokers - as if we're running around, injecting people with cancer.

I mean, c'mon. Are people really dropping dead from having sat in a smokey bar for a few hours? I bet the nine pints of Guiness they drink cause much more physical harm.

We're turning into a country of puritans, and we keep trying to legislate morality. Lighten up, folks. You're gonna die anyway, even if you never smoke, drop a pill, whatever.