Pubdate: Thu, 15 Feb 2001
Source: Richmond News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001, Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc.
Contact:  5731 No. 3 Rd., Richmond, B.C.  V6X 2C9
Fax: (604) 270-2248
Website: http://www.richmond-news.com/
Author: Graham Fleming
Note: Parenthetical information by the newspaper editor.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raves.htm (Raves)

NIGHTCLUBS ARE MUCH WORSE THAN RAVES

(Re: An open letter to city council, re: raves.)

You're saying that there are too many drugs at raves and that there are too 
many people in venues creating fire hazards, and that there are too many 
older "gangster" types at raves. So, your plan is to take away our raves in 
hopes that drugs and all these other problems will go away.

Wrong! Drugs are everywhere. Go to a club, they're worse than raves; drugs 
and alcohol both exist at clubs and that combo is even more dangerous than 
what you would find at a rave. As someone who goes to raves, I am quite 
upset at the decision of city hall to impose all these bylaws, fines and 
permits which are being put into place.

Perhaps I would feel a little less outraged if any of these people in power 
had actually been to a rave themselves. Had maybe the mayor or some of the 
city councillors been to a rave, found some problems with them and then 
made these decisions, it would be understandable. But I can say that I 
highly doubt that any of the people in charge of these decisions have been 
to a rave or even have any first-hand experience with them whatsoever. I 
have been to well over 30 of these all night dance parties and the worst 
thing I've seen is someone getting slightly squished in the line-up, a bit 
dehydrated or just tired.

I have never seen a fist fight, someone passing out, or someone crashing 
their car. No, that's the result of alcohol and the scene found in clubs. 
Thousands of people die from drunk driving each year. Many people die 
because of alcohol. And how many deaths have been caused due to ecstasy? 
Perhaps around 10 (at least we can count an accurate number as opposed to 
the estimated tens of thousands of deaths caused by alcohol).

As a citizen, and as an individual with rights, I would like to know about 
everything that is going to - and already has been changed - which will 
have an effect on the rave scene.

Graham Fleming

Richmond

(Editor's note: Councillors in the past have visited raves.)
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager