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| Rainbow Farm Remembered |
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Posted by CN Staff on May 10, 2002 at 12:58:00 PT By Cari Noga, Tribune Correspondent Source: South Bend Tribune 
As a pair of rainbow pinwheels spun madly in a stiff breeze, supporters of decriminalizing marijuana rallied with signs and chants along the major highway through this resort community Saturday.About eight months ago, several among them were gathered 200 miles south, at Rainbow Farm Campground near Vandalia. They kept vigil as a Labor Day weekend standoff unfolded between police and the activists' friends, Rainbow Farm owner Grover "Tom" Crosslin and Rollie Rohm. They hoped desperately for a peaceful ending, and then sorrowfully protested what they believe was murder when officers shot and killed Crosslin and Rohm a day apart. Law enforcement officials insist the shootings were justified. On Saturday, designated "Million Marijuana March" day in cities worldwide, organizers of the Traverse City march dedicated it to Crosslin and Rohm and vowed to continue the fight they say cost the two their lives. "I know Tom and Rollie are looking down, smiling," said the Rev. Steve Thompson, director of Northern Michigan and Benzie County NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Thompson said he had attended Rainbow Farm festivals four times, and went there to support his friends during the standoff last fall. As about two dozen marchers gathered in a parking lot near Traverse City's downtown, he mounted the rainbow pinwheels on his parked truck, along with signs reading, "Remember Rainbow Farm," "God Created It" and "Man Destroyed It" along with Biblical citations. "There was a lot of supporters of Rainbow Farm. Now that Tom and Rollie have passed, we've all united and gotten a little bit stronger," said Amanda Reimann of Traverse City, who also protested at Rainbow Farm after the deaths of Crosslin and Rohm. "The government can't kill or slaughter us. There's too many of us." "We're tired of the laws beating 700,000 Americans up for nothing," said Ben Pelch of Beulah, in Benzie County west of Traverse City. He referred to the figure activists cite as the number of Americans arrested in 2000 for marijuana offenses. Almost 88 percent, they say, are for possession. It was the drive to change the law, specifically to get what activists call the "Personal Responsibility Amendment" -- which, among other things, would allow adults to possess and use small amounts of marijuana -- onto the ballot in Michigan that led to the Rainbow Farm standoff, the march organizer said at a rally later Saturday. Referring to Cass County Prosecutor Scott Teter as the Cass County "Persecutor," Melody Karr, coordinator of the Michigan Cannabis Action Network, said Crosslin and Rohm lived peacefully and quietly, hosting Hemp Aid over Memorial Day weekends and Roach Roast on Labor Day weekends. Attending Hemp Aid in 1999 changed her life, said Karr, a mother of three. "I already knew the drug laws were wrong, but I didn't have the inspiration and the community to do something about it," she said. She found that at Rainbow Farm. "There were little kids and grandparents and everybody in between. I looked around and I thought, 'All of these people are wrong? All of these people deserve to go to prison?'" But as the festivals grew, and as the petition drive to put the amendment on the ballot spread, Teter started to "clamp down" on Rainbow Farm, she said. "It was something that frightened people," said Karr, of Mesick, south of Traverse City. "It made Teter look bad. It was in his community and it made him look bad." Teter, however, has disputed the notion that he handled Rainbow Farm differently than any other case. The standoff began after Crosslin and Rohm failed to appear for an Aug. 31, 2001, bond violation hearing in Cass County. After 911 calls reporting fires at Rainbow Farm were made that same day, warrants were issued for their arrests and law enforcement officers were dispatched to the property. The five-day standoff ensued. Crosslin was killed Sept. 3, and Rohm Sept. 4. While turnout at Saturday's events was small, those who came said they believe keeping incidents like Rainbow Farm in the public eye is the key to turning the tide of public opinion. "When I joined (the marijuana activist movement) last year, I knew there were going to be casualties. While we can honor and mourn, we just have to keep fighting," said Jeff Fillmore of Kingsley, south of Traverse City. "Someone has to continue their fight," agreed Traci George of Traverse City, another who made the trip to Rainbow Farm last September. "The loss of life should never be involved in the war on drugs." Newshawk: Happy_Hempster Tom & Rollie Memorial Page CNN Transcripts: Million Marijuana March 2002 News Michigan Marijuana Marches 1998 - 2002 NORML Chapters - Michigan Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #1 posted by i420 on May 10, 2002 at 15:41:45 PT |
| I am impressed by them printing this in their paper! [ Post Comment ] |
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