RAVE ACT OF 2002, concerns for music lovers in USA

[Guest pratik]

PLEASE FORWARD!

 

Hello All--

 

So since the Senate has not yet voted on bill 2633,

the Reducing Americans Vulnerability to Ecstacy Act

(the RAVE Act),

let's call them again and make sure that they know we

will fight it!

 

Know that your call does make a difference, if all of

us call once this Wednesday, they can't avoid it, plus

the more heat

we turn on now, the better chance we can force a

debate on the House or Senate floor....

 

Here's the NY numbers...others should look it up at

www.senate.gov or call info (if you don't know who

your Senators are,

find out already!)

 

Hillary Clinton-212-688-6262

Charles Schumer-212-486-4430

again, the date to call is WEDNESDAY JULY 31ST from

9-5

 

if you called already, call again and ask if they have

taken a vote yet....or ask about ANOTHER obnoxious and

similar bill

in the Senate right now, the CLEANUP Act...

 

below is another current article from UPI, and a

connect to an excellent info site with a fax

connection, you are all

encouraged to check it out...

we have events coming up in August so stay tuned!---

--JBK

 

info/fax drive connect:

 

www.drugpolicy.org

 

also check the link for the Electronic Music Defense

Fund, read the actual bill there....

 

and for NYC's cabaret battle check:

www.LegalizeDancingNYC.com

 

www.blackkat.org

212-714-4987

 

article from UPI---

>

> You thought it was bad when you heard that you

could lose your house if

your

> son planted a few marijuana seeds in the corner of

your yard. That was

nothing.

> Under a bill making its way through the Senate,

you could go to prison for

> letting him hold a party where someone passes

around a joint.

>

> The Reducing Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy

(or RAVE) Act of 2002

would

> broaden a federal law aimed at crackhouses so it

can be used more easily

against

> raves. The bill would make it a federal crime,

punishable by a fine of up to

> $500,000 and a prison term of up to 20 years, to

"manage or control any

place"

> and "knowingly and intentionally ... make (it)

available for use, with or

> without compensation, for the purpose of

unlawfully ... using a controlled

> substance."

>

> The RAVE Act -- which was approved without

amendment by the Senate

Judiciary

> Committee on June 27, nine days after it was

introduced -- is worded so

broadly

> that its chilling effect could extend far beyond

raves. "'Knowingly' and 'for

> the purpose of' are too undefined to provide

adequate protection to innocent

> businessmen and women," argues the Drug Policy

Alliance.

>

> "Property owners may be too afraid to rent or

lease their property to

groups

> holding hemp festivals, all-night dance parties,

rock concerts, or any other

> event rightly or wrongly perceived as attracting

drug users," says the group.

>

> The deterrent would be enhanced by the bill's

provision for civil fines of

> $250,000 or more. That option would enable the

government to bankrupt

property

> owners without having to prove its case beyond a

reasonable doubt.

>

> The bill, sponsored by Sen. Joseph Biden

(D-Del.), also would have the

> perverse effect of discouraging event sponsors

from taking precautions that

> could be viewed as evidence that they knew

attendees would be using drugs,

such

> as providing bottled water and chill-out rooms for

ravers to protect against

> overheating and dehydration.

>

> "This bill may make business owners too afraid

to implement such

> harm-reduction measures," says the Drug Policy

Alliance, "and the safety of

our

> kids would suffer."

>

> Likewise, by driving raves further underground,

the legislation would make

it

> less likely that drug users who need medical

attention will get it in time.

> Stung by critics who say Ecstasy and other "club

drugs" are not as dangerous

as

> they've made them out to be, politicians seem

determined to remedy the

> situation.

>

> LOAD-DATE: July 26, 2002

>

>