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Rave Act Amended
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| PVDream |
US U-TURN ON RAVE ACT
http://www.365mag.com/
Club promoters and event organisers alike have welcomed the news that US authorities have abandoned plans to make nightclub owners legally responsible for their customers' drug use. Civil liberties campaigners the Drugs Policy Alliance (DPA) have long since fought the Illicit Drug Anti-Proliferation Act (also known as the RAVE Act).
The RAVE act has caused much controversy in the US since it was first passed by Congress in 2003, making promoters and venue owners liable for the drug offences of their customers. It centred around the key point that would have made it a federal crime to promote "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". This sparked a grassroots campaign from clubbers and civil liberties activists, climaxing in a large-scale outdoor rally that included a DJ performance by Junior Vasquez outside Congress last year. Across the States, dozens of business owners and thousands of music fans signedÊ petitions in opposition to both the Clean-Up Act and the Ecstasy Awareness Act.
Washington, DC based DPA director Bill Piper said "While there was much in the bill we liked, we opposed a key provision that would have punished nightclub owners and music promoters for their customers' drug use. Not only did the Clean-Up Act not pass last year, but earlier this month a new version of the Act was introduced that doesn't even contain the controversial provision. This is an enormous victory for the Alliance and our supporters; live music fans across the country; musicians, club owners and activists; and the Protect Live Music campaign," he added.
Austin-based DJ/producer D:Fuse has always made clear his opposition to the bill, "We're not advocating drug use, but let's get real, it's everywhere in society. This is draconian legislation that is really about taking everybody's freedom away."
It seems Congress has had a long-standing suspicion of electronic music. Aside from drug-issues, many European artists have endured rigorous homeland security screenings. On application for a work visa to play in the US recently Laurent Garnier claimed he was asked for proof that he owned his house, asked for bank statements and even mobile phone records. Intrusive measures such as these ultimately led toÊ cancellation of his US tour. This U-turn by Congress, meanwhile, will be seen as a significant victory for club owners and clubbers alike all over the US.
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| trunks1022 |
| wow, didn't think that international DJs would be harrassed like that. |
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| sandstorm03 |
| quote: | Originally posted by trunks1022
wow, didn't think that international DJs would be harrassed like that. |
| quote: |
I am very sorry to have to cancel my forthcoming tour in the United States. I have decided to cancel further to what I consider to be completely unreasonable demands from the US Embassy in France in order to renew my working visa.
In order to obtain this new visa, the rules have once again changed since November 2004 and I would now have to not only fill in an exceedingly probing application form, but also be interviewed by a member of the Embassy staff, and provide proof of ownership of my house, details of my bank account, my mobile phone records, personal information on all my family members and more. I consider these demands to be a complete violation of my privacy and my civil liberties and I refuse to comply.
I am horrified by these new regulations and feel really sad that this is what some call freedom and democracy.
It has now become almost impossible for an artist to come and perform in the United States. And until this new legislation changes I will unfortunately refuse to comply with this nonsense.
Thank you for your understanding.
Laurent Garnier |
anyway woo hoo |
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| madhattared |
| shouldn't have even been drafted in the first place. |
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| LinX |
| quote: | Originally posted by madhattared
shouldn't have even been drafted in the first place. |
+1 |
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| Trancer-X |
| quote: | Originally posted by madhattared
shouldn't have even been drafted in the first place. |
That's what happens when the people who create our laws are completely and utterly out of touch with 99% of our everyday realities. Within the confines of their sheltered lives, the majority of those poor souls are forced to rely on simple demographics in order to form a cognitive picture of what is actually going on our society.
What bothers me the most is how those lengthly bills are drafted with artifice so that the legislative body will unknowingly / unsuspectingly support and pass them while thinking that they are in fact benevolent (which many are not!) |
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| madhattared |
the only explainable reason for this is uncultured people. the only people who could come up with this crap have never even thought about participating in what others enjoy so much.
some republican from the back woods of kansas probably came up with this ridiculous idea. |
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| djdl |
| saweeeeeet, i guess the 15 petitions i signed and the multiple letters to congress actually had a little effect, YAY |
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| DanceFever |
| quote: | Originally posted by djdl
saweeeeeet, i guess the 15 petitions i signed and the multiple letters to congress actually had a little effect, YAY |
i signed hella petitions also...it's nice to be able to have a little faith in our government |
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| Cobra Commander |
| quote: | Originally posted by DanceFever
i signed hella petitions also...it's nice to be able to have a little faith in our government |
I am glad your back even though we don't talk as much |
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