The RAVE Act is not just about Ecstasy and Raves. While proponents of the RAVE Act are trying to target the electronic music community, the RAVE Act would allow federal prosecutors to target other events, such as Rock or Hip Hop concerts, country music events, and world music festivals. It could apply to hotel and motel owners, cruise ship operators, stadium owners, landlords, real estate managers, and event promoters. The bill is so broadly written that individuals could potentially face 20-year sentences for using drugs at home. Anyone who used drugs in their own home or threw an event (such as a party or barbecue) in which one or more of their guests used drugs could potentially face a $500,000 fine and up to twenty years in federal prison. If the offense occurred in a hotel room or on a cruise ship, the owner of the property could also be potentially liable.
For those unable to attend the protest in person we strongly recommend writing (preferable), faxing or calling your Senator on September 6th. A fax form, sample letter and senator info is available here.
A link to the petition, the Drug Policy Alliance's analysis of the bill along with the full text of the bill and the introductory statements for the bill from the Congressional Record are also available at that link.
Glenn Reynolds points to another source of opposition to the Act
- Bipartisan stupidity is alive and well in Washington. On June 27, just nine days after its introduction, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported out S. 2633, the "Reducing Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act," or the "RAVE Act." The cute acronym alone should earn this bill a one-way ticket to the legislative dustbin. But when the Senate reconvenes in September, the odds favor consideration and passage of this bill, which should be properly called the "Increasing Americans' Vulnerability to Prosecutorial Abuse Act." Sadly, IAVPA just doesn't sound snappy enough.
The Rave Act is designed to expand the federal "crack-house" statute to cover certain kinds of electronic music concerts, known as raves, on the dubious ground that these particular concerts are prone to drug use among patrons. The bill would make it a federal crime to "knowingly" operate or lease property "permanently or temporarily...for the purpose of unlawfully manufacturing, storing, distributing, or using a controlled substance."
Article comments
1 - Joanne McNeil
There will also be a protest in Washington DC on the West Lawn of the Capital Building. Details are on ROAR's (Raver Organizing Against the RAVE) website
2 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Joanne!
3 - TalkLeft
For more on the reasons to oppose the RAVE Act and on the RAVE protests, visit TalkLeft: The Politics of Crime.
http://www.talkleft.com/archives/000789.html#000789
4 - anna
one more solid coultering of the rave act:
http://archives.annatopia.com/00000211.html
i think a lot of the anti-RAVE posts forget to mention that the law will apply to -all americans- and darn near every peice of property in this country.
5 - Subversive Woofer
Part of the reason this new version of the RAVE act was able to pass is because many of these old conservatives think that this legislation will not affect their music scene. It will only cause trouble for those nasty little ravers, punks and hippies.
Well, I think if this little bit of legislation goes all the way through, then everyone hurt by this act should MAKE it affect their music scenes! In protest, people could sneak joints into opera houses, concert halls, and John Tesh concerts... then LIGHT EM UP!!! YEEHAW!~
It might help to have someone planted who can loudly complain and insist that the venue be held responsible for their actions too.
Then the venue owners for ALL concert halls will have to be tried under the new laws and that will get everyone pissed. This would be sure to get some action happening to repeal this terrible new legislation should it be fully passed instead of just upsetting a bunch of little ravers that no one will listen to.
:D
6 - Kina
the thing is... if you get any random group of ppl together.. a certain percentage of the group will probably use drugs the bigger the group the more ppl using drugs and the younger the group the higher the percentage so i would be willing to bet money some ppl going to the opera halls and john tesh concerts already are going to use drugs : a bored house wife taking non prescribed valum to deal with her husband all night or a rich couple doing a line of coke in their limo before they get there. though i dont mean to stereotype those kinds of events anyways.. i mean i love operas. but your right they need to see how broad and ridiculouse it is. maybe throw them in jail for 20 yrs cause their kid smokes some weed
7 - nima
i think this law is one of the most stupid things i have ever heard. i go to raves and i have never used drugs, i go for the music. now they are telling us to not even listen to electronic music (yeah right!!) if they want to stop people of using or buying and selling drugs, i do not think this is the right way. they need to stop it from where is it starts and find the base of it. have funn stopping raves and raves and the music mofos.