RAVES AND RAIDS

Regarding the Jan. 8 letter "Rowan youths need a dance
club":

A teen dance club could be fun and maybe profitable. But nowadays,
such establishments are targets for publicity-seeking narcotics
authorities.

Drug enforcement bureaucrats are systematically spreading fear and
panic about "raves," large-scale, all-night dance events that have
been associated with the use of "club drugs," particularly MDMA
(Ecstasy). Relatively new, these drugs assume the role of the bogeyman
for the standard propaganda technique of exploiting fear of the unknown.

While raves and Ecstasy may go together like bluegrass and moonshine
whiskey, rave promoters and venue owners have been subjected to
high-profile prosecution based on little more than that their events
featured electronic techno-music and dazzling light shows. Against
this backdrop, the arrest of one or two kids with contraband is
trumped up to major narcotics conspiracy charges against the
entrepreneurs.

Few such allegations have been proved, but the actions effectively
shut down the events and deter others. The real purpose of this
campaign is achieved when politicians dance in synchronicity to give
the functionaries more funding, power and prestige.

So, teens will probably have to be content with "safe entertainment"
like getting drunk and cruising the roads.

MATT AUSLEY JR
Lake Waccamaw