THE RANT OVER RAVE FALLS ON DEAF EARS

There have been more than a few rants about the rave raided by police
earlier this month.

More than 400 pricey tickets -- $986 a pop -- were handed out at the
dance/party/rave when it was raided after police undercover agents who
infiltrated the event in the basement of a Washington Avenue banquet hall
witnessed the sale and use of drugs and allegedly made drug purchases.

Police swooped in, closed the exits and ticketed everyone inside for being
patrons of a disorderly house. Three arrests were made for possession of
drugs and one for allegedly selling drugs.

Partygoers and the sponsors of the event have complained the raid was a
violation of their civil rights -- that only a handful of drug arrests had
been made and the rest of the crowd was being made to pay for the
infractions of a few -- three people out of a crowd of 450.

There is something that's a bit compelling about that argument. Certainly,
there is a possibility that someone had just walked in the door moments
before the police raid began and was blithely unaware that any drug
activity was going on. Yet they were swept up in the same basket as all the
other partygoers and issued a ticket. Yes, that does seem a bit unfair.

The "party to a disorderly house" is a sweep mechanism -- not a targeted
arrest like the sale of a drug. It's been on Racine's books for several
decades and is more typically used in raids on gambling events or on
after-hour parties at taverns.

There too, some innocent could walk in the doors minutes before a raid and
be "shocked, shocked" at the events going on around them -- much in the
same vein that Captain Louis Renault was surprised to find gambling going
on at Rick's Cafe in the movie "Casablanca."

But let's take a look at some of the other details surrounding this party bust.

First let's take a look at where the partygoers came from. From the police
records on the citations, 24 were from Racine, 142 were from southeast
Wisconsin, 96 were from other parts of the state, and 178 were from
out-of-state.

It's obvious from that breakdown that this was a destination event that
drew people from quite a distance away -- not just a hometown crowd. And 65
of them were juveniles.

Second, let's take a look at the dance floor after the raid. Police say it
was "littered" with drugs -- suspected to be Ecstasy, a drug with
hallucinogenic properties, and Ketamine, an animal tranquilizer -- and drug
paraphernalia. Photos taken during the raid support that and police said
they retrieved more than 100 pills suspected of being Ecstasy.

What exactly is Ecstasy and what does it do? Its scientific name is
methylenedioxymethamphetamine and it affects serotonin, a brain chemical
that regulates, mood, emotion, sleep, appetite and sexual behavior.
Generally, it gives the user a feeling of euphoria, increased energy and
self-confidence. Its psychedelic effects include feelings of peacefulness
and empathy. Because it boosts energy and suppresses the need to sleep, eat
or drink, it allows users to party for hours or even two or three days. Its
use is often connected to "raves" -- all night parties featuring loud
techno-music and light shows.

The short-term dangers of the Ecstasy in high doses is that it can cause a
sharp increase in body temperature and lead to kidney or heart failure.

The long-term downside of the drug is considerable. It kills brain cells.
Studies show heavy use can cause memory problems and trouble with verbal
reasoning.

Racine really doesn't want or need to become a travel destination spot for
parties that feature open exchanges of drugs and that's clearly what was
going on here.

The protestations by the organizers that they don't condone the use of
drugs belongs with the detritus of pills, baby pacifiers and other drug
paraphernalia that was left on the dance floor.

Loud music and light shows -- call them raves if you want -- can probably
find a spot here. But not illegal drugs.

And for the handful of "innocents" swept up in the raid, well, they'll get
a chance to tell their compelling story to a judge.