RAVE Act Passes

[DaVe]

Received by Clubplanet:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Members, Subscribers and Friends,

I do not normally use our alert channel to send a personal message.

However, I wanted to let you know that the Illicit Drug Anti- Proliferation Act (also called the "RAVE Act"), which was attached to

the AMBER Alert bill, passed both the House and Senate late yesterday

(April 10).

The RAVE Act threatens free speech and musical expression while

placing at risk any hotel/motel owner, concert promoter, event

organizer, nightclub owner or arena/stadium owner for the drug

violations of 3rd parties - real or alleged - even if the event

promoter and/or property owner made a good-faith effort to keep their

event drug-free. It applies not just to electronic-music parties,

but to any type of public gathering, including theatrical

productions, rock concerts, DJ nights at local bars, and potentially

even political rallies. It gives heightened powers and discretion to

prosecutors, who may use it to target events they personally don't

like - such as Hip-Hop events and gay and lesbian fundraisers.

Sadly, the RAVE Act was added to the AMBER Alert bill conference

report at the very last minute by Senator Biden (D-DE), its original

sponsor. The AMBER Alert bill creates a system for responding to

child abduction. It has nothing to do with drug policy. The RAVE

Act had not passed even a single committee in the House or Senate

this year. One senator's pet issue made a mockery of the Democratic

process - becoming law without any public hearing or opportunity for

input whatsoever.

You should be aware that your letters and faxes clearly had an

effect. (FYI - you sent Congress 13,000 faxes this week alone!!)

For example, the word "rave" was removed from the version of the bill

that passed. Eliminating such blatant discrimination is a victory

for our continued freedom of speech. Also, the original bill

suggested that prosecutors should view the sale of water and the

presence of glowsticks or massage oil as evidence of drug use. These

ludicrous "findings" were completely removed thanks to you.

President Bush will sign this child abduction bill, which means the

RAVE Act will become law as well. We will be working with the

legislators who opposed this provision - such as Senators Durbin,

Kennedy and Leahy and Representatives Conyers and Scott - for its

repeal. In the meantime, however, it is up to all of us to be the

watchdogs of its enforcement.

Attorney General John Ashcroft will have to make decisions about its

enforcement priority among the many public safety issues the

Department of Justice handles. He must be held responsible when he

implements this scheme. We want him to know that he is not free to

shut down our dance clubs, our festivals and our freedoms. We will

be watching the activities of law enforcement and prosecutors, and we

will act when our rights are violated. You can help us by faxing

Attorney General Ashcroft here.

http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=1581

We thank our many partners in this effort for your hard work: EM:DEF,

ROAR, Buzzlife Productions, Davey D., electronic dance and music

organizations throughout the U.S., club owners, hotel organizations,

beverage and licensing groups, the ACLU and many, many others. But

most of all, I want to say thank you personally to our members and

supporters.

You truly deserve credit for reacting so quickly and so forcefully.

It has really been amazing. When Bill McColl, our Director of

National Affairs, told me about this issue last June he said that he

thought the RAVE Act would pass in about 2 weeks. You proved us

wrong. It took 10 months, a change in control of the Senate,

backroom maneuverings and substantial changes to the bill. I'm

proud of the hard work of our members, friends and our coalition.

Rest assured we will continue to work together to mobilize opposition

and advocate to fix this dangerous law.

Sincerely,

Ethan Nadelmann

Executive Director

Drug Policy Alliance

[georgeacasta2]

[vipnerd]

This is soooo sad ... I just hope all of us who care about music will keep on sending their faxes and expressing our opinion ... and being a little bit more active in our political environment ...

For example ... copy paste Dave's post and e-mail to friends ... it takes all of us who care to take action ...

"Union makes strength" ...

[fliptoniaaa]

I HATE REPUBLICANS..........and u guys support this asshole, and everhything he says just cuz hes fighting a so called "war"....i hope people wake up and start realizing this is not a free country,

the only freedom we have is the freedom for big brother to watch whatever we do and tell us what we can and cant do.....vote republican if ur an asshole......not that the dems r any better but at least bubba clinton put a joint in his mouth. which at least makes em more open minded to our struggle!!!!!!!!

[tranzwhore]

This happens so often with high profile bills. No one notices the lil' ole Rave Act piggy-backing the high profile Amber Alert. Mother fucking, slick ass politicians playing games with our rights.

[shroomy]

Originally posted by fliptoniaaa

at least bubba clinton put a joint in his mouth. which at least makes em more open minded to our struggle!!!!!!!!

Damn Bush was the biggest coke head that Harvard had seen, and with the $$$ they see there, that is saying a lot.

[sobeton]

The provision will be as ineffective as the "federal crack-house law". I guarantee the first time its used, it will wind up in front of the Supreme Court.

[pod]

Time for some impeachment. Off with his head!

[Guest saleen351]

its utter bullshit. Not that it passed but it won't make any impact...

If it applies to concerts, why don't the metalicas and rolling stones of the world speak up? Nothing at the grammys? HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

why?

[detbasshead]

Originally posted by fliptoniaaa

I HATE REPUBLICANS

It was re-introduced by a democrat, and sadly was non-partison and more of a generation/cultural gap. It is sad and I will continue to voice my discontent and I am not re-electing a single one of those asses be republican, democrat, or independent. But have to wait and see its effectivness and how much it is used.

DBH

:hat2:

[sobeton]

If President Bush signs this bill he is an idiot. He needs to send this back to the House and Senate, and let them debate the provision.. Signing this bill will make any attempt to turn it over, seem as though it is an attack against the foundation of the bill itself. Which minus the provision is a very important piece of legislation.

Senator Biden makes me embarrassed to be a democrat.

[fliptoniaaa]

i still hate republicans

and thats whats wrong with dems today they have no backbone. especially since all this war stuff started, there is no clear democratic voice just a bunch of pussys....and as for crack head bush....he did it but now hes trying to act all rightous like he had never done it...at least blow job clinton...said hey i put it to my mouth just didnt inhale, but hey i kinda tried it...he doesnt dismiss it, and thats another thing u gotta give it to some1 who has the balls to get his balls licked in the oval office....thats my idol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[funketeer]

This is very bad news, things are obviously much worst than what a lot of us thought they were...I'm going to get serious for a moment and honestly express my opinion about this, because this is bullshit and not just small bullshit...this is SOME BIG BULLSHIT!

I tend to try and understand what goes on today by going back in history to match today's events to those of a time long gone and I find more answers in songs rather than in books.

For example, today...this situation is as serious as it appears to be...just imagine how different it would be to live in a "gestapo-like" infested South Beach, not knowing when a police raid was going to take event and your ass would go to jail because you were talking to someone who had been seen near some other guy who had drugs...it's not only about who carries it...no, no, no, no...you are under authomatic fault by being at a place were it is known that drugs are being used, consider that and don't think otherwise...this is like a military mathematical formula for taking control over an area which is vast and very prophitable...jobs would be lost, places would close...it's simple, if you kill the vibe of south beach, ultimately you'll kill the businesses and jobs our town produces and generates.

As I see it, this means action must be taken inmediately to try to stop this country from becoming what we are supposed to be protecting here, which is freedom...of speech...of association...who the fuck cares freedom of what we want to have...you know what??? If this goes through...I pedict dramatic changes in the way we see things run around here...I don't mean to be pesimistic...this situation is very real and very freaky.

Like I said before, I react to things musicly and this next song I picked for you guys to check out...is by this new guy Bob Dylan, I heard he's going to be huge...personaly, I think he's up to something, enjoy.

read it and you'll see what I mean..

Come gather 'round people

Wherever you roam

And admit that the waters

Around you have grown

And accept it that soon

You'll be drenched to the bone.

If your time to you

Is worth savin'

Then you better start swimmin'

Or you'll sink like a stone

For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics

Who prophesize with your pen

And keep your eyes wide

The chance won't come again

And don't speak too soon

For the wheel's still in spin

And there's no tellin' who

That it's namin'.

For the loser now

Will be later to win

For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen

Please heed the call

Don't stand in the doorway

Don't block up the hall

For he that gets hurt

Will be he who has stalled

There's a battle outside

And it is ragin'.

It'll soon shake your windows

And rattle your walls

For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers

Throughout the land

And don't criticize

What you can't understand

Your sons and your daughters

Are beyond your command

Your old road is

Rapidly agin'.

Please get out of the new one

If you can't lend your hand

For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn

The curse it is cast

The slow one now

Will later be fast

As the present now

Will later be past

The order is

Rapidly fadin'.

And the first one now

Will later be last

For the times they are a-changin'.

[fliptoniaaa]

very well put funketeer....like were not losing enough jobs through this administration.... lets take away a whole industry of jobs, that must had been the light bulbs that popped in there heads.

[southof5th]

Bill or no bill, I believe it's up to the local governments how they want to enforce and push it.

New York has been hard as nails on establishments even before this bill, because of Gulliani and Bloomberg.

Miami has been lax, but we also don't have a 'rave' mentality at clubs. I mean, Exit and SF in New York are like crack houses. Space is the only real afterhours in Miami, and people seem decently well behaved even in the late morning hours

Let's just not give them any reason to strart cracking down. Be safe, don't do too much. Behave normal, and enjoy yourselfs.

If things stay the way they are in Miami, I'll be happy.

[sobeton]

if this bill becomes law. it would become federal law. in which case enforcement ,would be the responsibility of the federal attorney general. thus taking it out of the hands of state.

this is bill undermines peoples rights, and is extremely ambiguous. leaving its interpretation in the hands of the courts. which is why I mentioned previously, that the first time it is applied; it will wind up in Supreme Court.

further this bill will cause promoters, clubs, and any one affected by it. to now have to worry if they will be targeted. this term " exercise reasonable care" will be a focal point, and

eventually will have to be defined by the courts.

[mimid]