Letters: Keep on dancing

Re “Raves take a toll while raising cities’ income,” Feb. 3

If the purpose of this article is to unite the dance music community in Los Angeles, then it has worked.

Implying that a festival promoter is somehow responsible for the overdoses of a few people is tantamount to blaming NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for the drunk driving that goes on after football games. The only difference is that alcohol is sold publicly at those games.

Promoter Pasquale Rotella’s events require that patrons are at least 18 years old and that they undergo body checks. He hires small armies for security. If anything, Rotella should be thanked for creating a space where violence is practically nonexistent.

At these festivals, so many people from different backgrounds can come together and be free from the judgments routinely heaped on them. As soon as the music stops and everyone goes home, everything in the world will try to pull them apart again.

Lee Underwood

Long Beach

Underwood is a contributing writer at the online dance music magazine BPM.

ALSO:

Letters: The GOP’s sudden conversion

Letters: Textbooks and Mideast peace

Letters: Are earthquake alerts worth it?