On top of all this, the RAVE Act is a violation of the First Amendment, because it deliberately targets a particular form of musical expression for prosecution based on content. The bill presumes raves are more prone to drug use than other concerts, which is not true (or at least, it hasn't been proven by anyone.) The bill amounts to libel against the thousands of Americans who peacefully enjoy and participate in electronic music concerts without ever using drugs—a group that is clearly a majority of ravegoers. In what other context would we ever permit the government to label the majority based on the actions of a minority?
Finally, this bill will probably exacerbate the very "drug problem" that it's supposed to prevent. Because concert promoters are liable if they "knowingly" permit drug use to occur, a promoter is left with two options. He can try and eliminate all potential drug use from his concerts, which would probably mean full-body strip and cavity searches of all patrons and performers (and see how long he'd stay in business for doing that.) Or, the promoter can pretend there is no drug problem, search nobody, or even worse, refuse to take any measures which might anticipate drug use. For example, he can refuse to have medical personnel on hand or not sell bottled water (yes, the bill consider the sale of bottled water to be a telltale sign of illegal drug activity.) In either case, you either force ecstasy users further underground or you risk their lives.
CAC calls on the Senate to reject this nonsensical attack on businessmen and individual rights. You can write to Congress on this matter through CAC's Government & Media Action Center.
UPDATE
Thoughtful post from blogger Mark Kleiman on the Ecstasy phenomenon from a different perspective:
- MDMA use has been soaring, as measured both by surveys and by emergency-room visits. My reading of the current evidence does not suggest that the drug's effects are nearly as bad as the drug warriors would like us to believe, and last year's Congressionally-ordered toughening of the sentencing guidelines in MDMA distribution cases seemed way out of proportion to the known risks.
But it's also the case that the pattern of MDMA consumption has changed significantly for the worse over the last decade, with a substantial incidence of the sort of high-dose, frequent use that no one thinks is safe. That pattern of use is associated with raves; the drug's powers as a pure stimulant, which remain even after repeated use has dulled its more subtle effects, are greatly valued by people who want to stay up all night dancing, three nights every weekend.
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.