Posted on 01/28/2003 11:12:45 PM PST by Commie Basher
Last year, many of you helped us to stop the misguided RAVE Act from becoming law. Thanks to the work of drug reform activists from many organizations across the country, the original bill lost two of its co-sponsors and was stalled in committee without becoming law.
The bad news is that the bill is back, in even more dangerous form. This year, the Senators in favor of the original RAVE Act have inserted its language as an amendment to S.22, a popular new bill introduced only as "A Bill To Enhance Domestic Security." The bill itself is very likely to pass, so the best hope of drug policy activists is to get the offensive amendments removed from the bill. The alert below, from the Drug Policy Alliance, explains how you can kill the offensive RAVE Act -- again -- by calling your Senators and sending a pre-written fax to Democratic Senator Tom Daschle.
This bill poses a serious threat to the freedoms of assembly and speech by expanding the so-called "crack house" statutes to hold business owners and hosts responsible for the drug use of their clients or guests. Even owners who make active efforts to eliminate drug use at their events can face heavy fines or jail time if drug use is discovered on their property.
Because this act poses such a grave threat to both civil liberties and private property rights, we hope you'll take a few minutes out of your day to help us stop it. This legislation is so dangerous, and may be on such a short timetable, that we'll be sending you updates and alerts as needed to help eliminate this language from the larger bill.
=====ORIGINAL ALERT=====
Last year you helped the Drug Policy Alliance stop the RAVE Act from becoming law. This year supporters of the draconian drug war bill are back with a vengeance. They have stopped calling it the "RAVE Act" and have stuck its provisions in a popular omnibus domestic security bill. This is a common Congressional ploy: put controversial bills that can't go anywhere on their own into important bills, so that members of Congress are forced to vote for them.
Your help is needed to stop these disguised RAVE Act provisions from becoming law!!!
The bill, S.22, is sponsored by Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD). The troubling drug war provisions are in the section entitled "Crack House Statute Amendments"
ACTIONS TO TAKE
*** Call your two Senators. You can contact your Senators through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. To find out who your Senators are go to: http://www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cfm. Tell them:
1) You oppose the "crack house statute" amendments in S.22.
2) These provisions are just like the provisions in the RAVE Act last year.
3) The provisions would endanger public health, free speech, and property rights.
4) Urge them to contact Daschle's office and work to get these provisions removed from S.22.
** Fax Senator Daschle (even if he is not one of your two Senators). To fax Senator Daschle go to: http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=1448.
** Please forward this action alert to your friends and family. The Senate needs to know that voters find this bill unacceptable.
For more information on the RAVE Act and how the S. 22 "crack house" provisions will affect public health, free speech, and property rights see: http://www.nomoredrugwar.org/music/rave_act.htm
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--The Drug War Task Force--
The Libertarian Party
http://www.lp.org/
2600 Virginia Ave. NW, Suite 100
voice: 202-333- 0008
Washington DC 20037
fax: 202-333- 0072
For subscription changes, please use the WWW form at: http://www.lp.org/action/drugwartaskforce.html
It's yet another example of how the Demopublicans are marching lockstep, using "homeland security" and the "war on terror" as a cover for their usual wish list of statist expansion.
However, I would contend that many of us, especially in my state, are already disarmed. Thus the government can declare 'War On...' whatever it wants and we're powerless to defend ourselves, our homes, families and liberties. Look at the militarization of the police forces, the 'no-knock raids', the confiscations, jailings, beatings and rapes. They declared War on their own people, it's true, and are hated for it eternal. If there is any justice in the world, someday the drug warriors will be punished for their breathtaking lack of compassion and contempt for natural human behaviors.
The day may come when your kid's friend's friend drops by when you're not around, with a bag of pot ... next thing you know the feds are busting into your office, and your house is confiscated under "federal asset forfeiture."
Then you can wave your flag from the federal pen, while Bubba's gang passes you around.
Of course, that's if you're lucky. Innocent old men have been shot dead by DEA and sheriff's busting into the wrong homes, thinking they'd find drugs.
I'm only surprised you haven't enlisted in Saddam's army, considering your love of statism.
??? How so?
Maybe we could include beer to the list and arrest doctors who give ritalin to undeveloped children. Why stop there, Coke-a-Cola should be banned as a bad example, hell you might even get reparations money out of it.
How exactly are libertarians socialist?
Can you define socialism, please? You don't seem to be aware of the definition of either word.
Libertarians get called all sorts of things, but "socialist"?? That's a new one. Live and learn.
You want bizarre? Check out the Libertarian National Socialist Green Party> . I discovered this site last year, and can't decide if they're for real or a parody.
I believe it was Harry Lamb who said 'Populism and Conservatism are not mutually exclusive'.
And how does this prove that libertarians are socialists?
GO...Homeland Security...GO!
You mean GO...Police State...GO!
LOL
Come on . . . let's hear your calculus for this whopper.
Shame on you for not mentioning that this is a Nazi or neo-Nazi web site. Now when "they" come to "get" me they'll see that I visited it.
Drug consumption is not one of their goals; you can read their platform at http://www.lp.org/issues/platform/platform_all.html.
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