There are so many issues in this world to be concerned about — who knew one of them was going to be the simple act of dancing?
The RAVE (Reducing American’s Vulnerability to Ecstasy) Act is not a new topic of discussion, but is still a major issue concerning our very basic rights and freedoms. Now, dancing could be illegal.The RAVE Act is an extension of the Controlled Substance Act, or the “crack house statute.” The point of this legislation is to prevent drug use and distribution by targeting those who are responsible for putting on raves like promoters, venue managers and landowners.
This means if just one drug dealer sneaks ecstasy or any other illicit drug into a night club past the bouncer or cops, the club could be shut down and the owners arrested and/or fined between $250,000 and $2,000,000.
What promoter or club owner wants to deal with risks such as these? Therefore, this encourages them not to hold raves or any other event attracting members of a subculture such as hip-hop events. The punishments of up to nine years in prison and huge fines basically makes it a crime to promote “any rave, dance, music or other entertainment event,” as the act states, in which drugs are likely to be used.
Clearly the logic here is drug prevention, but what about those who attend the club or rave just to dance? Their right to dance and party is jeopardized here because this law targets the wrong people.
In September, the promoters, civil libertarians, health care professionals, business leaders and techno music fans gathered by the hundreds in protest of this anti-rave Act in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, New York and even here in Albuquerque.
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These events raised the awareness of the public to the endangerment of their nightly entertainment. Crowds of concerned youth, adults and DJs of all styles attended to defend their right to dance and to take responsibility for making parties clean, safe and fun. Groups such as Dance Safe and Right to Dance collaborated in an effort to educate the masses about drug use and abuse.
The RAVE Act was not passed by Congress before it adjourned in 2002.
However, it has been reintroduced into Congress and this year the RAVE Act is attempting again to abolish the rave drug culture in the same, unconstitutional ways.
This time there are sixty co-sponsors and other legislation called the Clean-Up Act, which contains broad language.
According to the modified act, “whoever, for a commercial purpose, knowingly promotes any rave, dance, music or other entertainment event, that takes place under circumstances where the promoter knows or reasonably ought to know that a controlled substance will be used or distributed in violation of Federal law... shall be fined under title 18, U.S. code, or imprisoned for not more than 9 years, or both.”
By targeting those who choose to participate in dance club events, raves and concerts, the lawmakers are losing big time with the people they are attempting to protect.
“The real story is that federal law enforcement efforts against ecstasy have proved impotent,” said Glenn Harlan Reynolds of FOX News. “ Frustrated by this failure, they’ve targeted electronic music concerts, raves, not because they’re especially important targets, they’re not, but because they’re easy and public targets.”
