Raver Politics

[GoodDay]

I am sure that all of you are aware that the new (Rave-Act was passed in April) this they call the "Apr 2003"

Congress Passes "Illicit Drug Anti-Proliferation Act" (from EMDEF.ORG)

Without public notice, a hearing, or debate in Congress, the Illicit Drug Anti-Proliferation Act was passed by both houses of Congress as part of the PROTECT Act S.151 (the Amber Alert child abduction bill.) In a gross abuse of the legislative process, Senator Biden snuck his Illicit Drug Anti-Proliferation Act into the PROTECT Act during the bill's conference committee. S.226 more info" (from EMDEF.ORG)

A friend of mine wrote the congress and to my surprise they were quite up front in their motivation. They say that they are not coming down on Ravers but that they are coming down on the Rave Promoters. This seems a bit unfair to me, and although I would never intrude on some one else's scene it seems to me that they should want to come down on the very promoters of concerts such as "Phish" (hope I spelled it wright) I have met plenty of individuals that attend that concert series with only the intentions to purchase drugs, however you never hear about their community being hassled by the cops. Forgive me, I have not always had internet access so I do not know how most of you feel about this, but considering that a large portion of drugs do come from "hippies" and are integrated in to the Rave Community, how does it make you guys feel that they not only did they re-named the Rave act to seem less bias but are also directing the Anti-Proliferation Act towards Rave promoters, yet have nothing to say about the concert promoters of groups like Phish and others?

Here is one thing that I believe has not been contemplated and/or presented to congress, the fact that we know that ultimately it about the same thing it is always about. They say that it is about saving lives, NO!!! It is about MONEY. Rave Promoters walk away with all the hard earned cash accept the money it takes to get the licensing. It is hard to tax Rave Promoters. Club owners, and Clubs the very place they are forcing the Ravers to run (much like the U.K.) can easily create revenue for them, not only do they tax the land the club is on, (Raves always move, cannot be double taxed), the alcohol that they want us to drink creates further revenue for them in taxes, and then because it closes early, and people are still drunk, doctors get paid when we wreck, judges, and cops, and lawyers get paid when we get caught drinking and driving, on top of all that when you think about it, usually there is no alcohol at Raves which go all night. Given an individual chooses to do drugs, obviously the "Dealer" can not be taxed past making them pay a fine when they get busted, so how much money do they (our government) get. The couple of hundred dollars it takes to get a license to host an event. That is ultimately why {I think that} they are coming down on the promoter, which effects our community, and I hate to use the famous cliché "IT IS NOT FAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Needless to say this burns me up!!!!! I am just one person, and I realize that if something is going to be done to protect our community we must unite. Suggestions anyone that may not already be in effect. EMDEF.org (no I am not with them, I am just a supporter) is taking action. What can the Ravers across America do to help??

Thank you.

Good Day

[Dr Bunsen]

American ravers are hardly the only group your governement's has chosen to harass at the moment. Has it never occured to you folks to stand up for your rights?

[USE]

Come off it Dr Bunsen, the americans are as much victims of their government and scared middle classes as we are. if you look at the states which voted Kerry, it was all the cool uni citys on either coast. those guys know where its at. the folks who got bush in were all the imbreds from south dakota and texas. same way that the middle englanders kept maggie in for so damn long.

Plus, the american media is a joke. it has totally been consumed by private monopoloy, no matter how bland our tvs may seem, they literally all have the same news, from the same angle. no bbc/channel4 differences, so the people are even less well represented. I feel sorry for them man. i mean, this counrty is bad, but we got proper state education, actual free health care, our benefit system shits ontheirs. unfortunately these few bonuses of england are being destroyed bythe bastards I voted in (for the first and last time).

instead of getting all pissed at our US brothers, we should be trying to learn from them to how stop our counrty turning out like theirs, which it increasingly is.

I still cant beleive that sick little monkey is still in power, though. Cray-zee.

[General Lighting]

I've read a lot of US-based message boards and rave sites linked fro here - and was also very active on network23, which had a lot of Americans on there. The impression I get is the scene's a lot different there in many states; "ravers" are more like commercial clubbers and don't often get involved with "politics" either

With the stakes raised so high by the harsher laws, most raves appear to be put on on a more commercial basis in a similar way to large nightclubs and free or "outlaw" parties are comparatively rare (or if they do happen our friends across the pond are too frightened to talk about them much!)

I think what Dr Bunsen means is that there isn't as much a crossover between ravers and other forms of progressive activists in the USA as there is in the UK; and ravers there should build more bridges with other groups as we have (to an extent) done here! However our scene was fairly apolitical until the CJA appeared.

I agree though we need to learn from each other; I can also see the same problems cropping up here as in the USA if we are not careful.