NEW LAWS NOT NEEDED FOR DANCE PARTIES

I was greatly disheartened when I read the article about passing
restrictive laws on raves on the front page of the Metro section on July
1st. Councilman Joe Dill seems to be under the impression that these
so-called raves are nothing more than drug-infested orgies. They are in
fact simply dances or concerts, whichever you prefer, where people go to
dance, listen to music, socialize and just have fun. Whether or not people
choose to do drugs is an individual choice, and the choice of some
individuals should not be used to punish the whole group.

Sheriff Sam Simmons is quoted as saying that it could be difficult to pass
anti-rave laws because promoters are "technically just holding a dance
party." Forget technically, regardless of what dancers do, promoters are
just holding a dance party.

Dill's best course of action would be to encourage enforcement of current
laws. Doing ecstasy or GHB is illegal at a rave or not at a rave, and
nothing is stopping officers from enforcing these laws at raves. In fact,
so many arrests were made at the Metroplex because there were numerous
police officers there, and they did their duty diligently. Passing
additional laws to restrict these so-called raves is definitely not the way
to go.

Kevin E. Roe Greenville