Ecstasy Prevention Act of 2001

[dialectics]

Hi all -

Please be aware that the Ecstasy Prevention Act of 2001 has been introduced by a bipartisan committee including our wonderful ms. clinton.

the press releases from ms. clinton and mr. graham's websites:

http://www.senate.gov/~graham/ecstasy.html

http://clinton.senate.gov/news/2001/07/2001723B06.html

tout how widespread ecstasy use is, and how much they're going to stop it.

Now you can read the contents of the bill here:

http://thomas.loc.gov/home/c107query.html

(do a search on "Ecstasy" - the first two results are the recently introduced bills, one in the house and one in the senate)

Here is what you'll find:

Under Section 3:

(A) IN GENERAL- In addition to the priority under paragraph (2), the Administrator shall give priority to communities that have taken measures to combat club drug use, including passing ordinances restricting rave clubs, increasing law enforcement on Ecstasy , and seizing lands under nuisance abatement laws to make new restrictions on an establishment's use.

( STATE PRIORITY- A priority grant may be made to a State under this paragraph on a pass-through basis to an eligible community

In other words, a community which passes laws restricting raves will get priority for federal funding. It is nice to know that a country which was founded on the basis of ending intolerance (towards religion) we are targeting a group of people based on WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC we listen to. God Bless America!

Next what you're going to see is is Section 7, which purports to provide for scientific research, says that they are going to research the ill effects of ecstasy (specifically the ones they mention, and already know about) without ever paying attention to the positives, or without ever stopping to evaluate how bad the side effects of "inability to regulate body temperature" is compared to "you will die of cancer" mentality with smoking cigarettes.

You'll also see that the research arm conducting the experiments is NIDA, which basically is the PR machine for the drug war. They have control over almost all scientific research which goes on about illegal drugs in this country - and have a history of repressing findings which say that drugs are not as bad as they want us to believe. Additionally, their funding is distributed towards ad campaigns against drug use in addition to scientific research. Hence, there is no wonder why their results are so biased.

I understand the need to combat drug abuse. But I have a number of requests from our governement:

1) for god's sake, please investigate alternatives to locking people in jail for committing non-violent crimes such as recreational drug use.

2) Please consider the hypocrisy in allowing nicotine (which is directly responsible for more deaths then ecstasy will ever be) and alcohol (which encourages aggressive behavior) to be sold over the counter while ecstasy is illegal.

3) Please do not think that by stopping raves you will stop drug use. Unfortunately our society dictates that accumulation of material wealth and so-called status in society is a direct marker for your happiness. Those of us who beg to differ can co-exist peacefuly with your society.

4) Rave culture is a valid, interesting and peaceful subculture. We exist not to overthrow the powers that be or to indulge in self-serving hedonism (though both of those would be nice if given the opportunity). Instead we create a niche for ourselves where we can live safely for a few hours, without the pressures and burdens that those who came before us have unneccecarily placed upon us. We celebrate life and freedom and individuality - the same "life liberty and the pursuit of happiness" principle this country was founded on. There are many ravers who party sober, and an increasing amount of those who do are ex-MDMA users who have realized that you can reach the same sense of spiritual awareness without drugs.

Finally,

5) Please adopt the mature attitude that citizens of the United States are generally educated and can be trusted to make informed descisions about their own well being. Please help provide them unbiased information, so that whatever descision they were to make they can be as safe as possible.

End of mission statement.

Rob

[jaxxart]

Thank you for bringing that to my attention. And your review is RIGHT-ON! There are so many things the government just doesn't get. Rave Culture is merely one of them. These "Zero Tolerance" laws just make me crazy!! When will they see that they can't win a WAR ON DRUGS??!!?? Like you said, look at cigarettes & what about alcohol???? These are legal drugs!!! And can be far more devastating then anything else when abused.

There has to be more that we can do...any ideas?????

[aarrrffff]

excellent info!

my .02:

there is a war on drug merely because

drugs aren't taxable.

alcohol kills and maims and injures far more people

than drugs do, yet the government tolerates it

because it profits from it.

[keough]

Its not about taxing drugs, E fuck your head and you up alot more thna alcahol, or anything. Weed should be legal, E, should be outbanned.

[stompy]

war on drugs is a fucking joke

assholes in the government should concentrate on something realistic, this is a waste of money

goodnight

w

[aljedynak]

Well Mrs Clinton is a Democrat so she believes in BIG government. One that interferes in everyones lives because it believes people are incapable of making their own good decisions. Don't trust anything the government says- these are the same people who said Agent Orange and the chemical warfare used in the Gulf War did not cause any harm to its' soldiers. They do devoius things all the time to chip away slowly at our rights- just a little bit here and there so you don't notice. What Mrs Clinton is proposing is just one example.

[rg61]

Couldn't agree with ya more, man! I wrote a couple of letters to New York Times and other publications at the time the city officials cracked down on Twilo (what a surprise - the letters were never published;) and please see my posting on the SF Message Board in the recent topic "E-bust"...

Just in case u r too lazy to go there here's my 2 cents on this end:

As a political correct alternative to substances such as "feel good" etc. we can all adopt the following healthy and harmful life-style of how to spend our free time - 1) get drunk as pigs with buddies on the precinct's parking lot 2) go for a strip-club (harassing go-go girls flashing your badge) 3) run over a pregnant mother... (this week alone there were 3 different accidents involving drunk detectives)

Now, alcohol induced bar brawls, brandishing knives, domestic abuse, beating up ppl - all of these r inherent manifestations of Ecstasy, aren't they? As one readers' letter addressed to Time magazine (about 2 months ago) sharply put it: "Have ya ever seen a single mother of five spending her welfare/disability check on Ecstasy?" Ya all know what I am sayin'....

My only consolation 'n hope - come 'n think of this: in the beginnin' of 1960's Lenny Bruce's balls were busted 24-7 for saying the "F" word in public during his stage appearances, the authorities kept jailing him and shi*, and in 2 years from then the "F" word was all over the media, press, movies, theater, books and stuff...

Let's hope kids that our good vibes will penetrate the brains of dim-witted politicians and new more adequate laws will be introduced to our society ASAP!

Amen - PLUR!

[pkern]

i just shot off a strongly worded letter to ms. Clinton's office (via her web site) and i encourage everyone to do the same. I'm sure she's heard countless stories from mothers who have lost kids to "Ecstasy use" and this is what is propelling the legislation (that, and the general hysteria down on D.C. to keep this ludicrous war on drugs raging). Of course, these cases of overdose are usually related to simply not drinking enough water or mixing narcotics or simply getting a bad pill (though this in itself shouldn't cause death either). The truth is that Ecstasy has been used by thousands of people for at least 20 years, and in the worst possible environments (hot clubs with scarce water...) - yet despite this, there are decidedly few cases of injury. In 1999, 554,000 people ended up in the emergency room for problems related to cocaine, heroin and other drugs. Fewer than 3,000 went to the emergency room because of Ecstasy.

Speak up, clubbers! This sort of legislation can easily be passed and will result in the closure of the few remaining club venues we have left. Phone calls and letters do make a difference. Ms. Clinton and her associates are uneducated about the topic. Let's tell them how it is, from the inside...

[fossor]

Originally posted by keough

Its not about taxing drugs, E fuck your head and you up alot more thna alcahol, or anything. Weed should be legal, E, should be outbanned.

Yes thats why there are so many e caused deaths... oh wait there aren't.

Weed fucks up your head more than tabacco. The level to which it gets you high is not proportional to the physical risk.

Drug use is a matter of personal liberty. And hilary clinton is not supporting this to become big brother. Shes doing it because people think its good and it gets her votes. Don't blame washington, blaim every misinformed votor.

[pkern]

Originally posted by aljedynak

Well Mrs Clinton is a Democrat so she believes in BIG government. One that interferes in everyones lives because it believes people are incapable of making their own good decisions.

Huh?

Okay wait...

And Republicans believe in what, exactly? A government small enough to fit into my bedroom and moralize about my sexual preferences and police my uterus too? And you think it's the Republicans who believe the American people can make their own decisions??? Please. This isn't a partisan issue - unfortunately, this is a bipartisan issue that reflects an across-the-board, imbedded cultural attitude about drug use and rave culture.

Sorry, but I needed to say that (deep sigh). I don't want to start a political tennis match here, but I think we need to be clear on this one...

[barvybe]

Originally posted by pkern

Huh?

Okay wait...

And Republicans believe in what, exactly? A government small enough to fit into my bedroom and moralize about my sexual preferences and police my uterus too? And you think it's the Republicans who believe the American people can make their own decisions??? Please. This isn't a partisan issue - unfortunately, this is a bipartisan issue that reflects an across-the-board, imbedded cultural attitude about drug use and rave culture.

Sorry, but I needed to say that (deep sigh). I don't want to start a political tennis match here, but I think we need to be clear on this one...

Nicely said

there are very few political aspirants who would even think of expressing a position that was drug tolerant, even if they felt that way. There's no chance that such candidates would reach office in given the widespread attitudes you mention of the voting majority.

The logic of which positions are political suicide and which aren't frankly bewilders me sometimes, but there you have it...

[deeprock]

i just shot off a strongly worded letter to ms. Clinton's office (via her web site) and i encourage everyone to do the same. I'm sure she's heard countless stories from mothers who have lost kids to "Ecstasy use" and this is what is propelling the legislation (that, and the general hysteria down on D.C. to keep this ludicrous war on drugs raging).

I did the same. But you know what? It will not help. It's a win-win proposition for her. She's been battered in the media for years. She's finally taking on a cause that's a no-lose proposition for her. Do you really think more than a handful of politicians will oppose such legislation? I surmise they won't. Not because they care about "protecting" us from evil drugs and the persons that peddle them, but because it's a popular issue. It's an issue Republicans and Democrats can agree on, take credit for, and hope that translates into votes. That's what's so fucked up about this country, politicians don't do what's best for the people; they do what's best for their vote tallies irrespective of the other side of the issue. Granted, I'd rather be here than anywhere else, but that doesn't mean I have to like the way the system functions.

[MikeM]

There is NOTHING more dangerous than a group of people rolling in a club. I am VERY glad that Miss Clinton, et al are doing all they can in Washington DC to protect me from myself.

We are only hapless citizens. Politicians know much better than we do what's good for us. That's why they have nice plush offices, cars and drivers, security people, big expense accounts, etc.

I will sleep better tonight, and every night knowing that our prisons are FILLED TO THE MAXIMUM, overflowing with NON-VIOLENT drug offenders.

Drugs are bad. TeeVee says so.

Who am I to decide what I can put into my own body? If I want to ingest drugs, should I be allowed? I mean it is _MY BODY_, right? Maybe not, Miss Clinton is, as we all know, the most intelligent person to EVER walk the face of the Earth. So, when it comes to issues of who should dictate what is done with your body, I say we should leave up to the government.

However, I was under the impression that Miss Clinton was pro-choice. I suppose "choice" does not apply when the "choice" is something Miss Clinton disagrees with. If I ever get pregnant, my body is mine, and I can abort the baby, but if I want to take a tiny pill on Saturday night, my body is the property of the US Government, and I can goto Prison?? Hmmm... maybe I'm thinking too much. What's on TeeVee???

Pro-choice indeed Miss Clinton.

[rg61]

Yeah, kids, right! Tell ya what? It's "not about drugs" - it's what more 'n more ppl in America pondering how much of their personal liberties were taken away, and tell ya something else - I am coming from a totally f***ed up totalitarian country where government, party, and every official holding on to certain power 'n control used to tell ya what books to read and with whom to live (yeah, it's not a typo - for a divorce unauthorized by the State one could simply lose his/her job!)...

Weed is more harmful to one's health and shi*, ya all know that - the point is that (besides of tobacco 'n alcohol lobbying) ppl are not allowed to feel burden- and carefree, the credit bureaus, mortgages and the entire societal atmosphere - all of this BS just help keep ppl in mental slavery and when ppl find their escape - they must be stopped and brought back to their more or less comfortable barracks!

Well, sorry, kids for this political shi* - let's party, it's friggin' Saturday!