cannabisnews.com: FBI, MSP Defend Shootings










  FBI, MSP Defend Shootings

Posted by FoM on September 06, 2001 at 12:52:03 PT
By Mike Rupert, H-P Staff Writer 
Source: Herald-Palladium  

The rolling hills and scenic woodlands at the 34-acre Rainbow Farm Campground provided a stark contrast Wednesday to the charred remains of the five-day standoff that left two men dead. The burned-out shell of a Volkswagen Beetle and the lingering smell of smoke from buildings that were destroyed by fire were a constant reminder of the violence as state and federal officials worked to find out exactly what happened. 
Grover T. "Tom" Crosslin, 46, was shot from about 25 feet away and Rolland Rohm, 28, from about 100 to150 yards, law enforcement officials revealed during a media tour of the campground.The standoff began Friday when neighbors complained Crosslin, who had worked for the decriminalization of marijuana, was burning buildings on his property.Crosslin was shot by FBI agents in a wooded area about 200 yards south of the farm's main house while returning from a neighbor's house Monday evening, said FBI Special Agent in Charge John Bell Jr. "The agent was secreted behind a tree in an observation post," Bell said, pointing to the tree and the fire pit in the heavily wooded area where Crosslin was shot. "When Mr. Crosslin spotted the agent, he raised a gun to his shoulder, pointed it directly at the agent and the agent fired."Bell said a coroner's report shows Crosslin was hit more than once, but would not say exactly how many times Crosslin was shot or if he was shot by more than one agent. However, Bell did say two agents were involved in the shooting. Cass County Sheriff Joseph Underwood said Crosslin stormed out of the main house after growing frustrated with negotiators earlier that evening. Underwood said a camouflaged Crosslin was openly carrying the rifle as he walked through the woods.A well-worn two-track littered with beer cans, broken lawn chairs and other debris led to the site of the shooting from the farm's main house.Rohm, who lived with Crosslin at the farm, was shot just outside the farm's main house early Tuesday morning by Michigan State Police from a distance of 100 to150 yards, said Capt. Richard Dragomer, 5th District state police commander. Dragomer said police believed Rohm was going to surrender after a deal was struck for him to talk with his 13-year-old son who was removed from the home in May after Crosslin and Rohm, along with three others, were arrested on drug charges. Police believe the boy's removal may have been a catalyst for the standoff. "We were hoping he was going to walk out and end this peacefully after the negotiations," Dragomer said.Dragomer said flames starting coming from the main house around 6 a.m., and when Rohm came out 45 minutes later with his rifle aimed at state police, officers had no other alternative but to protect themselves.Two state police officers shot at Rohm across a clear meadow from a tree line, Dragomer said, though he would not say whether one or both hit him or how many times he was shot.Crosslin and Rohm were both brandishing .223-calibre Mini-14 semiautomatic rifles that were "loaded to the gill" and "ready to fire," Bell said.As many as 60-75 FBI agents, 30-35 sheriff's deputies, and another 35 state troopers were called in during the stand-off, according to law enforcement officials.Despite the large amount of manpower, law enforcement officials maintained that at no time did officers take any aggressive action to provoke Crosslin and Rohm."For a majority of the time we were trying to establish negotiations," Bell said. "There were sets of observer teams stationed along the perimeter of the farm. They knew we were there -- but these men were allowed to roam freely."We were merely acting as observers hoping to find a way to end this peacefully through negotiations."Investigators from the FBI, state police and the state fire marshal's office sifted through the remains Wednesday of the 10 buildings at the campground that were destroyed by the fire. Nine of the fires were set Friday and another was set Tuesday at the two-story main house just before Rohm was shot.Bell emphasized Crosslin and Rohm set the fires, not police. Bell said investigators have found the remains of several long guns, a revolver, hundreds of shell casings and what they believe to be a detonated pipe bomb and several propane tanks that may have exploded during the fire.Dragomer and Bell both said no evidence of narcotics has been found on the farm, but said if any was located within the buildings it would have burned in the fires.Bell said further evidence could provide more details into what exactly these men's operations were at the farm, and why the events unfolded as they did.Dori Leo, the lawyer for Crosslin and Rohm, explained why the pair decided they had no option of leaving the farm alive and provoked police into shooting them to death in separate but similar incidents 13 hours apart."I was stunned Rollie didn't make it," Leo told the Detroit Free Press. "I knew what would happen to Tom after we talked. Tom was the defiant one. But Rollie was scared."Leo, a former Cook County, Ill., prosecutor, wondered why her clients had to die."Why can't we maim them? Or tranquilize them?" she asked.Leo said she asked the Cass County Sheriff's Department on Friday afternoon to back off in the hopes Crosslin and Rohm would surrender.Leo said the sheriff was concerned about public safety."Maybe they were justified," she said. "But it's too bad it had to end this way."The FBI had 15 to 20 people working the site Wednesday, including members from the national laboratory in Washington, D.C., who are conducting an internal investigation, Bell said."Anytime an agent fires his gun there is an investigation -- it's normal business procedure," said Bell.Bell said two agents -- neither from Southwest Michigan offices -- have been questioned in the investigation of Crosslin's death, but both remain on active duty in other areas of the state. Bell would not release the names or home offices of the agents. The two state police officers are on paid administrative leave pending the results of a state investigation, Dragomer said. Those names are also being withheld. A sheriff's deputy arrested one protester, Brian McCullough, 38, of Gilbertville, Ky., on Wednesday at the entrance to the campground and charged him with disorderly conduct. He posted a $100 cash bond and later returned to the protest site.McCullough, who drove to the campground with three other protesters, said he was arrested after uttering an obscenity to the deputy.Holding a handwritten sign bearing the words "THEY KILLED THEM," Mesick, Mich., resident Melody Karr, 37, said she didn't know how long she and her fellow protesters would continue."I think as long as it takes to get some answers," Karr said.The Associated Press contributed to this storySource: Herald-Palladium, The (MI)Author: Mike Rupert, H-P Staff WriterPublished: Thursday, September 06, 2001 Copyright: 2001 The Herald-PalladiumContact: letters heraldpalladium.comWebsite: http://www.heraldpalladium.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Rainbow Farm Campgroundhttp://www.rainbowfarmcampground.com/Police Defend Shootings of 2 Men at Rainbow Farm http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10835.shtmlInside The Campgroundhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10834.shtmlMartyers or Menaces?http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10831.shtml

END SNIP -->
Snipped
Home    Comment    Email    Register    Recent Comments    Help





Comment #41 posted by Lehder on September 07, 2001 at 08:29:52 PT
Robert Rohm
thank you, tdm, for your comment and reminding people of what is important here and who has suffered most: 13-yr-old Robert Rohm - torn from his home, put into foster care with strangers ( and after living on Rainbow Farm for 5 yrs these strangers are going to seem strange indeed - they're going screw him up emotionally ), and his father now killed, and his other adult caretaker killed too. all to protect children from drugs. It's Robert who matters now, and any further protests or actions by activists I suggest should have RObert's welfare uppermost in mind. That is how our efforts should be directed and advertised. It's what is right. In particular: we should see that he is given proper care by sensible people or his grandparents maybe, and not put into a hate environment. ALSO: he can be helped by seeing that Rainbow Farm is not confiscated and auctioned off for more government weapons, but that it is properly turned over in trust to the rightful beneficiaries of the deceased.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #40 posted by mr.greengenes on September 07, 2001 at 07:16:29 PT
Crosslin's Dark Side
After I posted comment #39, I went back and checked. Here it is:Crosslin's dark side shownBy LOU MUMFORDTribune Staff Writer Cass County Prosecutor Scott Teter addressed the press Thursday morning to outline the events leading up to the Rainbow Farm standoff. Tribune Photo/PAUL RAKESTRAW--------------------------------------------------------------------------------See related Rainbow Farm Stories: Gun victim's last words on police tapeMixed feelings on Rainbow Farm, CrosslinAuthorities end watch on Rainbow FarmRohm's stepfather forgiving, but he's not forgetting CASSOPOLIS -- Exactly who was Grover T. "Tom'' Crosslin, the owner of the Rainbow Farm Campground who died Monday during a standoff near Vandalia?Was he the kind, gentle civil libertarian who bought Christmas presents for children he didn't even know? Or was he the man who hit a woman with a pipe and condoned illegal drug use on his property?If the 46-year-old Crosslin had a dark side, then Cass County Prosecutor Scott Teter detailed it Thursday.At a news conference at the Edward Lowe Center for the Council on Aging, Teter painted a picture of a Crosslin who was on occasion violent with his efforts to decriminalize marijuana use being carried out in all the wrong ways."The law is clear. This was not about, and was never about, the decriminalization of marijuana,'' Teter said. "You can't ignore laws you don't agree with.''Teter stopped short of condemning either Crosslin or his Rainbow Farm Campground roommate, Rolland "Rollie" Rohm, a 28-year-old fatally shot by authorities Tuesday. And Teter acknowledged Crosslin's generosity within the community."I don't mean these are bad people. They made bad choices,'' Teter said.Bad choicesThe first of Crosslin's bad choices in Cass County occurred April 19, 1995, when Crosslin used a pipe to assault a woman at the former Joe's Tavern in Vandalia.Crosslin admitted to a lesser felony assault charge. He was ordered to pay $3,600 restitution to the woman, serving eight months in jail and three years probation.Two years later, authorities focused on the festivals Crosslin brought to Rainbow Farm. That focus came after complaints from nearby residents about problems at a Hemp Fest event staged Memorial Day weekend in 1997.Informed in March 1999 that his property could be forfeited should problems persist at subsequent festivals, Crosslin fired back.In a March 24, 1999, letter, Crosslin said he didn't grow, sell or distribute marijuana at Rainbow Farm. He said didn't allow weapons either."Our friends at the Michigan Militia have their ideas how we should handle your threats, but as I said, we are pursuing a peaceful change to the laws that are now threatening our communities (and my own family) more than ever. ...,'' Crosslin wrote."I have discussed this with my family and we are all prepared to die on this land before we allow it to be stolen from us."Crosslin, an individual rights activist who painted an Elkhart property he owned neon hues last year to publicly complain about municipal code enforcement, was one who could be "very" defiant, said Dori Leo, his Kalamazoo attorney.Defiance by the former truck driver and home remodeler brought police investigation onto his property at 59896 Pemberton Road.The Hemp Fest 1997 complaints led to undercover operations by the Michigan State Police-affiliated Southwest Enforcement Team at Rainbow Farm.Undercover officers found they were able to purchase a wide variety of illegal drugs -- marijuana, LSD, hashish, psilocybin mushrooms, methamphetamines and unprescribed prescription drugs.While neither Crosslin nor Rohm was ever observed personally selling the drugs, Crosslin was observed smoking marijuana April 21 at Rainbow Farm.That was also the day 17-year-old Konrad Joseph Hornack of Eau Claire died in a Berrien County traffic accident after attending Rainbow Farm's 420 Marijuana Celebration.Hornack's death seemingly verified concerns that officials from high schools as distant as Buchanan had regarding festival fliers turning up on their campuses. But instead of illegal drug use, it was a report from a confidential informant that sent authorities to the farm in May, armed with a search warrant sought by the Michigan attorney general for the Michigan Department of Treasury.The police informant had gotten a job at The Joint, a store at the campground. She reported she and other employees were paid in cash, with no reporting of their earnings.The May search revealed a marijuana-growing operation in the farmhouse basement as well as three loaded firearms. A later search resulted in the seizure of 301 marijuana plants and three loaded guns.Those discoveries led to the May 21 arrest of Crosslin and Rohm on illegal drug and firearms charges. The arrests led to the removal of Rohm's 13-year-old son, Robert.A temporary injunction issued May 9 by Cass County Circuit Judge Michael Dodge stipulated that no more festivals be staged. But two such events were conducted at Rainbow Farm in July and August and plans were on for another Labor Day weekend, Teter and Cass County Sheriff Joseph Underwood said.The Labor Day festival plans were scrubbed, however, after Cass County authorities sought to rescind bonds of $150,000 for Crosslin and $25,000 for Rohm and jail them.Neither Crosslin or Rohm showed up for their Cass Circuit Court bond revocation hearing last Friday. But an hour before that, buildings were set ablaze and the standoff began at Rainbow Farm.It was punctuated that day by Crosslin's shooting at a WNDU-TV, Channel 16, helicopter flying in to check out the fires. With another shooting at aircraft on Saturday, the FBI entered the fray Sunday and brought federal charges against Crosslin on Monday.About 100 officers from Michigan State Police, the Cass County Sheriff's Department and the FBI surrounded the 34-acre campground by Sunday.That day, Crosslin's attorney, Leo, tried to get him and Rohm to surrender. But surrender never came.Crosslin and Rohm died in similar circumstances, each with a gun in his hand. An 18-year-old from rural Vandalia, Brandon Peoples, survived the siege with minor injuries suffered when Crosslin died.Crosslin's funeral is at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Walley-Mills-Zimmerman Funeral Home & Crematory in Elkhart. Arrangements for Rohm are still pending.Tribune staff writers Ashley Lowery, Christine Cox and Rick Martinez contributed to this report.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #39 posted by mr.greengenes on September 07, 2001 at 07:12:43 PT
An article that will piss everybody off 
 Any doubt that these killings were politically mtivated after reading this.There are a couple of more articles at the :http://www.southbendtribune.comsite. The one I'm waiting to see posted which is in the morning paper, but not on the site is going to piss everyone off here. The heading of the story is:  "CROSSLIN'S DARK SIDE SHOWN" It's basically Scott Teter trashing Crosslin and Rohm in a press conference.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Way cleared for Hemp Aid By LOU MUMFORD Tribune Staff Writer CASSOPOLIS -- People planning on attending Hemp Aid '99 will have a good trip after all. An attorney on Thursday confirmed the dismissal of a Cass County lawsuit that had sought to put a halt to a pair of hemp-related activities this year at the Rainbow Farm and Camp Ground in Vandalia. "The (dismissal) order is going out today (Thursday)," said Stephen Hessen, an attorney for the Kalamazoo law firm of Kreis, Enderle, Callander and Hudgins. The firm represented the county in its request for an injunction that would have canceled both Hemp Aid '99 over Memorial Day weekend and a similar Labor Day weekend activity called Roach Roast '99. A county ordinance requires permits for outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people. However, events sponsored or conducted by not-for-profit organizations are exempt from the ordinance. Because Hemp Aid and Roach Roast activities at the farm are sponsored by the Columbus Institute of Contemporary Journalism, an Ohio-based tax-exempt group, the question became whether it's a legitimate not-for-profit organization. Hessen said that when county officials checked on the organization's status 45 days ago, it was not in good standing with the Ohio secretary of state. But he said the situation changed after the lawsuit was filed last week. "After we filed, the organization and Mr. Crosslin (Tom Crosslin, owner of Rainbow Farm and Camp Ground) got back in good standing ... They maintained there was a procedural mix-up by the state of Ohio,'' he said. Doug Leinbach, campground manager, claimed the problem over the institute's status arose because someone at the secretary of state's office in Columbus, Ohio, apparently removed documents from the institute's file on June 3, 1997. Coincidentally or not, he said that was just three days after the institute sponsored Rainbow Farm's first Hemp Aid event. Robert Fitrakis, executive director of the institute, said he didn't know whether the records were removed by mistake or design. But he said the issue is moot, as it took him "all of five minutes'' to produce copies verifying the organization's up-to-date tax-exempt status. "If we hadn't kept copies, the festival wouldn't have happened because of a technicality or glitch,'' he said. Fitrakis said he believes the opposition of Cass County officials is politically based. Both Rainbow Farm and the institute promote the legalization of industrial hemp. Officials at Rainbow Farm have gone even further, calling for legalization of marijuana, hemp's best-known by-product. Leinbach said he had no doubt the lawsuit would be dismissed. The same thing happened two years ago, he said, when a similar lawsuit filed by the county was dropped. "We proved it was a legitimate deal. We're very happy about it, for sure,'' he said. Had Hemp Aid and Roach Roast been canceled, he said it would have put Rainbow Farm and Camp Ground out of business. He said proceeds from the events will help offset some $200,000 in improvements recently made to the Pemberton Road property. The four-day, three-night Hemp Aid '99 activity, which begins May 28, will feature an admission charge of $40 to see such entertainers as Tommy Chong. Last year, the event drew more than 3,000 people. Leinbach said the irony is that because of the publicity brought about by the lawsuit, Hemp Aid '99 may end up with a larger than usual crowd. "If we see 100,000 rather than 3,000, whose fault is it?" he said. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #38 posted by tdm on September 07, 2001 at 06:20:30 PT:
reach out to Rohm's son
Posting this here because this thread seems the most active still.After listening to Richard Cowan's analysis (link below), I was struck by his comments regarding Rohm's son. This boy is now without a family. I read that his grandparents were going to try to gain custody, but that does little to ease the pain he must be feeling right now. Imagining what he must be going through at age 13 is painful. My father died when I was 16, but that seems to pale in comparison.My thought -- we need to let this boy know he has an extended family of thousands, if not millions. Two ideas came to me: 1) If we can find out how to reach him, we can all send him a word of encouragement in a card or letter, letting him know he is far, far from alone in this world. 2) We can show the world the love and compassion in each of us by establishing a trust fund for his ongoing care, wherever he may end up. Imagine if everyone who ever inhaled sent just $1. A $70,000,000 trust fund might just do the job. I'm sure that's not exactly what would happen, but we can sure give it our best shot.I'd like to hear comments. And anyone who has the expertise to set up such a fund, please contact me and I will do everything within my power to help see that it happens. Likewise, if you know how we can get cards and letters to the boy (anyone know his name?), please post the information here. We can then spread the word to the entire online community.
Richard Cowan - POT-TV
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #37 posted by irok on September 07, 2001 at 05:53:32 PT
FoM
Please e mail me irok365247....
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #36 posted by The GCW on September 07, 2001 at 05:29:14 PT
Will
Highly, well said. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #35 posted by dddd on September 07, 2001 at 03:12:57 PT
Excellent letter Will
Letters like this are exactly the type of thing that make adifference.Well said Will......My sincere compliments.......ddddP.S....Nice to see you again FreedomFighter my brother....JAH Shine on You.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #34 posted by Will on September 07, 2001 at 01:43:00 PT:
Lawmakers killed Crosslin and Rohm, not police
The following is a letter to the editor that I sent to the Herald-Paladium, the Lansing State Journal, and my local rural weekly, the Charlotte (Michigan) Shopping Guide as well as Senators Levin and Stabenow, Congressman Upton, State Senator Gast and State Representative C. Brown:To the Editor:Reflecting upon the recent tragic events in Cass County, near Vandalia over Labor Day weekend, I can't help but think it is the lawmakers who should be held responsible for the deaths of Grover T. Crosslin and Rolland Rohm. The lawmakers are responsible for either creating or supporting the war on drugs, which in reality is nothing more than a civil war declared by the government upon the people that it governs. Their actions in Congress and the various state legislatures have either stripped or severely curtailed all but the Third, Seventh and Tenth Amendment rights of many Americans.Many people see an armed standoff situation that ends tragically such as this one, and dissect it under a microscope to find fault with either law enforcement tactics or the actions of the suspects. However, in this case such an examination is not necessary to determine who the real killers are in this instance. From the moment that Crosslin and Rohm took up arms, police were doing their job to protect public safety, which is perfectly legitimate. However, due to bad legislation, Rohm's son was removed from the family home and placed in foster care and Crosslin's property was seized before either man was convicted of any crime. These two actions alone constitute a gross violation of the rights of due process and to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures, and would prompt many Americans to take violent defensive actions much like those of Crosslin and Rohm. Copies of this letter are being sent to Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, Congressman Fred Upton, State Senator Harry Gast, and State Representative Cameron Brown, the elected representatives and real killers of Grover T. Crosslin and Rolland Rohm. I hereby demand their immediate public response to these allegations of culpability in the bloodbath at Rainbow Farm Campground. Sincerely,William DwyerCharlotte, Michigan
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #33 posted by puff_tuff on September 07, 2001 at 00:25:58 PT:
Listen to this
MarijuanaNews Analysis for September 6, 2001with Richard Cowan The Hidden Costs and Consequences Of The Violence Of Marijuana Prohibition.The Theory and Practice of Chaos 13 minutes
http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-891.html
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #32 posted by wakeupcall on September 07, 2001 at 00:21:25 PT:
reality check
i live in idaho.all i see on the news is that the police go to arrest some one on a pot charge,guns come into play by the arestees. he's no martyer to average j.q. public,just another "druggy"who wanted not to go to jail.this unfortunate episode has put back legalization many years due to the violence brought on by this"martyr".he should not have died.he should have been peacfull as we"smokers"need j.q. public to know. there WILL BE NO CONSPIRISY charges leveled at the law by the law.bet your house on it.so all j.q.publc see's dead"druggy",and equates pot with crack,and heroin now due to the violence. think about it
[ Post Comment ]

 


Comment #31 posted by FoM on September 06, 2001 at 22:35:28 PT

freedom fighter
I was wondering if everything was OK because I hadn't seen you in a while. Glad you're back but the news is very upsetting. I'm making a Memorial page and I have links on most of the pictures towards the top of the page.Also Dr. Russo is at a Pain Management Convention and will be speaking. That's the important news. Good to see you again.Tom Crosslin & Rolland Rohm Memorial http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/rb.htm
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #30 posted by freedom fighter on September 06, 2001 at 22:20:13 PT

How many more?
Finally got back online after fixing my computer only to find this sad news... How many more?Why were the Feds down there? What so federal about the Rainbow Farm?Just how many more?ff
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #29 posted by FoM on September 06, 2001 at 21:09:22 PT

New Mexican
Will anyone have a way of emailing me with news, not news articles? If so I will pass them on. I don't understand about hand held computers or lap tops but if it could work please try it. Many of us will only be there in spirit and it would be nice to receive updates if possible and if not that's sure ok.Ekim, I can't find the poll. I thought I had it in my email but I couldn't find it. If I do though I'll post it.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #28 posted by New Mexican on September 06, 2001 at 20:54:51 PT

On to Vandalia!!!
Please let everyone know about the gathering storm at Rainbow Farm. It's now or never folks, and we have massive public opinion on our side right now, due to comparisions to Ruby Ridge, Waco, Kent State and other U.S. atrocities.Remember Sep. 3-4, 2001, we must not let this pass unoticed and blacked out in the Amerikkkan media. I suggest we contact the foreign press as they will be outraged at the cover-up. Greg Palast of the BBC, where are you?
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #27 posted by FoM on September 06, 2001 at 20:54:14 PT

Detroit News Letters
You all should check out the comments in the Detroit News. Ekim, I just saw your question and I'll go try to find the poll but it was over 70 percent in our favor the last time I saw it. I think I can find it. I will look.http://data.detnews.com/feedback/lettersindex.hbs
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #26 posted by Lehder on September 06, 2001 at 20:32:28 PT

more on "investigations"
Looking in my bookmark folder "U.S. Domination", uhmm...Northern Italian communities had, for years, complained about low-flying American military aircraft. In February 1998, the inevitable happened. A Marine Corps EA-6BProwler with a crew of four, one of scores of advanced American jet fighters and bombers stationed at places like Aviano, Cervia, Brindisi, and Sigonella, sliced through aski-lift cable near the resort town of Cavalese and plunged twenty people riding in a single gondola to their deaths on the snowy slopes several hundred feet below. Althoughmarine pilots are required to maintain altitude of at least one thousand feet (two thousand, according to the Italian government), the plane had cut the cable at a height of360 feet. It was traveling at 621 miles per hour when 517 miles per hour was considered the upper limit. The pilot had been performing low-level acrobatics while his copilot tookpictures on videotape (which he later destroyed).In response to outrage in Italy and calls for vigorous prosecution of those responsible, the marine pilots argued that their charts were inaccurate, that their altimeter had not worked, and that they had not consulted U.S. Air Force units permanently based in the area about local hazards. A court-martial held not in Italy but in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, exonerated everyone involved, calling it a "training accident." Soon after, President Bill Clinton apologized and promised financial compensation to the victims, but on May 14, 1999, Congress dropped the provision for aid to the families because of opposition in the House of Representatives and from the Pentagon.Please read on:http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Blowback_CJohnson/Blowback_BCJ.htmland in other chapters from the same book, Blowbackhttp://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/index.htmlChalmers Johnson is someone we can learn from.It may be that the drug war is too small an issue to be resolved all by itself. The personal tragedy and social violence are first of all too poorly appreciated, and so far, well within the tolerance level of the American public. Hey, in ancient Carthage, on one day, over 9400 gladiators fought, half of them, of course, being killed. There was nothing but cheering. No, it's gonna take a depression, a major war, a disasterous change in climate, a plague - something to divert attention to someone else, resolving nothing, really. Look what so many people are really like: getting drunk at football games, overturning cars, setting fires, shooting hippies. Sometimes I think if we could get the evil and stupid ones out of control, we could educate or at least amuse enough of the others to make a relatively peaceful world; sometimes I think it hopeless. Maybe our grandchildren will be able to leave the planet.good luck with your probe, dddd! i hope you have ample federal funding for your "studies." and, lookinside, please don't feel bad. it's impossible not to be frustrated. i'm dealing with it tonight through black humor. buena nocha,'Carlos'And I stood on the sands of the sea, and there arose from the sea a beast with seven heads and ten horns, and on the horns lay ten crowns, and on the heads there was written the word Blasphemy! - Revelations ~13see Hunter Thompson, Generation of Swine, for more on the heads, the horns and blasphemy. Thank you, and good night.  
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #25 posted by Rock-N-Roller on September 06, 2001 at 19:59:35 PT

To Scott Bledsoe (amended)
Alright, way to go brother. This is the kind of activity that we need. But keep it non-violent. Do not give the people who dissaprove a reason to point fingers. Keep things peaceful. Always remember, cool heads will prevail. We can not let this just go away, we must keep it up untill the status quo starts understanding ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Sooner or later the media and other factions will have to recognize this (I think they already know but are afraid to make the move). Thank you for your help to keep the efforts of these modern day patriots from going to waste. You are a credit to the brotherhood of man.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #24 posted by Charlie on September 06, 2001 at 19:54:15 PT

A witness to murder...
Found this interesting over on Yahooka...http://www.yahooka.com/ubb/Forum10/HTML/001771.html
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #23 posted by Rock-N-Roller on September 06, 2001 at 19:48:12 PT

To Scot Bledsoe
Alright, way to go brother. This is the kind of activity that we need. We can not let this just go away, we must keep it up untill the status quo starts understanding ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Sooner or later the media and other factions will have to recognize this (I think they already know but are afraid to make the move). Thank you for your help to keep the efforts of these modern day patriots from going to waste. You are a credit to the brotherhood of man.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #22 posted by ekim on September 06, 2001 at 19:43:16 PT:

Did anyone get final count of Detroit News Poll
Fom did you get a final count. The last time I looked it was way more that the Feds caused the whole mess. Thanks for all your hard work and thanks to your family that must beleive in what you are doing.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #21 posted by lookinside on September 06, 2001 at 19:37:53 PT:

e johnson...
of course you are right...and my comments are dehumanizingboth to me and them...in my anger i sometimes forget that hate is harder on thosewho feel it than those it is directed toward...our impotence when we see this kind of injustice makes mewant to lash out...for me, it is a release of emotion whichallows me to move on...(blowing off)although my words and comparisons may be spewed out ofanger, i stand by my assessment of the FBI's and policedept.s attitudes...they are conscienceless in their approachto these situations...they will destroy a man to savethemselves the inconvenience of patience...i have no respectfor the law enforcement establishment in this country...theydo not defend the constitution, they defile it...
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #20 posted by dddd on September 06, 2001 at 19:19:01 PT

"investigations"
....first off,,we have the shootings themselves,I dont have cable TV,so I surfed all the network news,PBS,,NPR,(National Public Radio),,waiting for some mention of this incident........if it was mentioned,,Imissed it.The term,"news blackout" is very appropriate here.To suggestthat shark attacks,(less than last year),are somehow more significant,and relevant than a federally sponsored murder,is PROOF,of the collusiveconnection between the "free press",and the federal government!..I knowI'm always rambling on about this topic,but when you think about it,,,thefact that such collusion actually exsists,is far more significant anddisturbing than ANYTHING else!.......When the cries of injustice can bemuted by the governments control of the press,,it means we have entereda whole new era sovietesque control of the people.This incident waspurposely silenced from the masses due to concerns that it would lookalot like Waco!...As soon as the FBI stepped in,people were DEAD.Thecrosshairs of the FBI were trained on Mr Crosslins forehead,,just waitingfor the chance to take him out...As far as I'm concerned,this was an execution...and the fact that it was an execution is one thing,,,but when such an incidentis so obviously blanked out in the media,it becomes a far more chilling andspooky conspiracy to murder an American citizen. The Labor Day weekend started with the cop getting shot in the ATF raid downhere in LA,and the fire that was started by the feds,that was purposelyallowed to burn until the suspect,and any evidence,was fried to ashes. Now,,we have the bad joke of hearing that the "Justice department",andthe FBI,are going to "investigate" the shootings at Rainbow ranch.....Gimmea freekin break!!!The same page should include such articles as;"Iron Butterfly to investigate heavyness of Inna-Gadda-da Vida""Bill Gates to begin probe into Microsoft wrongdoings""AOL-TimeWarner to look into allegations of anti-trust violations""Jesse Helms to launch inquiry into civil rights laws""dddd asked to lead federal probe into Marijuana laws"dddd 
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #19 posted by FoM on September 06, 2001 at 18:22:33 PT

Important E-Mail News
 ALERT ACTION VANDALIA CAMPOUT PROTESTDate: Thu, 06 Sep 2001 19:24:28 -0400ATTENTION:Please Forward this Important Message to All Activists on your list.We have a Mission, with some funding to get it goingThe Murders that took place in Vandalia, Michigan must not have happened in Vain. This is our Crisis point, this is our showdown, this is our Church Bombing, this is our SelmaAnd we must make it that way.We need all activists and interested parties to gather in Vandalia. We have some pledged funding to purchase Signs, rent porta Johns, and pay for other minimal expenses. We need to overflow the town of vandalia and flood the press and make the nation focus its attention at the reality of what has happened in Michigan. Chandra Levy stole the national stage for weeks. And we dont even know what happened to her. We need to make sure this doesn't get swept under the rug like Peter Mcwilliam's Murder and Tod's Incarceration. We are tasked with Action, and Now is the time.If you can make it to Vandalia please come and lets create havoc. We need vigils, daily demonstrations and as many people to cram onto the rainbow campground as possible in the next 2-3 weeks.We also need at least one activist with a video camera who would be willing to film the events to be shown on the Internet in one of the largest depositories of cannabis related video on the web today.If you can come to vandalia please come and lets make History..... We are in need a a couple of responsible activists to be in charge of organizing events now on the ground and talking to the press and sending out press releases, So if anyone of you out there have a contact in the area or are planning to be there in the next day or two please get in touch.You may reach me on Friday Afternoon until 9pm EDT at 904-278-0993 You may reach me this weekend by calling 321-258-7036Peace and thanksScott Bledsoe
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #18 posted by Rock-N-Roller on September 06, 2001 at 17:59:37 PT

Get up, Stand up, Stand up for your right.
 Get up, Stand up, Stand up for your right. In order to bring more media attention to this tragedy we need to make a lot of noise. We need the likes of Gary Johnson, Jessie Ventura, and Normal to attend the funerals and deliver the eulogies. We need to have thousands of people, attend the services, just like the police and firemen do. If this could happen the media cannot completley ignore this. If we get more media attention it can possibly help to educate the ones who need it. E-Mail Gary Johnson's office, and Normal, lets try to get them there. This will show to the nation and the families of those who died, that the efforts of these modern day patriots will not be in vain. To sit and do nothing is what the opposition would like to see. They would love to just see it go away. I will make several posts of this comment. Do not be angry or surprised if you see this again. I will post it in other places to get more attention. I like the idea of the movie thing that people are talking about. E-Mail Hollywood also. Get up, Stand up, Stand up for your right. 
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #17 posted by E. Johnson on September 06, 2001 at 17:54:21 PT

Don't go into that space
they behaved like a pack of blood lusting mutts and should be treated as such...The way we got into this situation is through being dehumanized. Many of these people think of us as a bunch of dirty dogs who should be put down.Do you really want to make your own brain work in the deformed way? It's not good for the head to think like they do.Look what it does to them! Are they happy? No, they're all dying from job stress like crazy. That's why they drink so much.They have an ill campaign, through and through.
[ Post Comment ]




 


Comment #16 posted by FoM on September 06, 2001 at 17:39:06 PT

Kathy - Matt Elrod already mirrored the site!
I mentioned it last night or this morning, I can't remember which, and he did it right away! We can't lose the web site. You must have missed it so here it is.http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread10836.shtml#2
[ Post Comment ]




 


Comment #15 posted by xxdr_zombiexx on September 06, 2001 at 17:27:04 PT:

Hear the drums
Tin soldiers and Ashcroft coming it's heating up again this summer we heard more drummin 2 dead in Michigan gotta get down to it soldiers are gunning us down should have been done long ago You may not have known them or seen them dead on the ground but how can you run when you know? =============================================== 
[ Post Comment ]




 


Comment #14 posted by Kathy on September 06, 2001 at 17:24:10 PT

safeguard the Rainbow Farms website
Is there any way to safeguard the Rainbow Farms website? I think it would be good evidence of the good that the people at the farm were trying to do, and I believe that the government might try to take over the site.....if anyone can print it out and also copy it to another server in the case it might get hacked by the FBI/other then I would advise doing it. Also, what is the evidence that it was one of the Rainbow Farms men that shot at the helicopter, and that the men aimed a gun at agents? Were there any witnesses? Isn't it more likely that the agency just wanted to get it over with, like they always do, they get impatient, and would rather murder someone than have humanity and peace inside.The comment on this website about the government being more humane to bears---yes, I guess it is more humane to tranquilize than kill someone, but why do either???? I think when they want to shut someone up, then they do what they think they have to do. It must be investigated and those responsible for the murders brought to justice, and not just internal justice within their good old boys clubs, FBI needs to be investigated itself!! Too long overdue!!!!
[ Post Comment ]




 


Comment #13 posted by Kathy on September 06, 2001 at 17:12:58 PT

Canada is no mecca--
Regards this sort of thing not happening in Canada, it sure does.....against Native Americans who have been murdered in Canada many times, unarmed people who have been gunned down by the PP===Provincial Police, such as Dudley George who was murdered in Ontario, and others....also in Canada, the people are fighting against British corporations who are contaminating the Great Lakes with rad waste, such as at Bruce Nuclear Reactor, and the Chalk River area has killed indigenous people with its cancer causing rad waste for generations. Canada is not perfect either, in some ways it is even worse. People in Canada even have trouble getting an environmental assessment before a radioactive waste dump is put in their community, so they have not even the freedom of information. So don't think the USA is the only ones that are not free. It is the condition of the world unmasked. 
[ Post Comment ]




 


Comment #12 posted by The GCW on September 06, 2001 at 17:06:56 PT

those men who took what did not belong to them
9:6:1i CAN FEEL THEIR PRIDEAn urban team of assault crusaders, tank in tow.Taking their cannabis, taking their money, taking their children, taking their freedom, taking their property, taking their will they took their lives. No. They took the lives of God. For we are bought with a price. Those men belonged to Christ God. Those men were taken from Christ God, against the will of Christ God. May we also pray for those men who took what did not belong to them. That Christ God will be merciful, to all.The dark side, and its dark deeds will not be hidden in the light. I pray that our Father will forgive those men, all of them. For, for us to do so is right. And what is right is light. Today the light concerns that of a rainbow. May we hear the word so Lovingly from our Father that it be made easy enough to share with our brother and neighbor.May others also sacrafice a bit of time, to pray to the promised HOly Spirit of Truth, for all, for the straight and narrow path.The Green Collar Worker
[ Post Comment ]




 


Comment #11 posted by Kath on September 06, 2001 at 17:02:13 PT

Call for solidarity against oppression
I am also asking that all witnesses to the events at Rainbow Farms concerning the murders of the 2 men there, unite together in solidarity....so that justice can be achieved somehow, and to contact Amnesty International and urgently request an independent investigation of the incident===by having the FBI and MSP investigate themselves, it is doubtful an honest and true evaluation will be the outcome. Did you ever notice that after a seige, the press and authorities try their damnable best to dig up all the dirt that they can on individuals. It disgusts me that this is being done again, and I am asking all the people that knew the 2 victims, and the families all band together so that the memories of the 2 murdered men will not be slandered and thrown mud and sick assumptions at, is it is the technique to try to swing public opinion to the side of the government against the awful things they do and are doing. Do you realize how very chained to ignorance and evil a person is to be in their shoes? If they do not answer here on earth for the crimes such as Pine Ridge, Waco, Ruby Ridge, and Rainbow Farms, the Vietnam War, nuclear reactors, etc etc etc, they will have to answer to their creator, and they are in deep trouble!
[ Post Comment ]




 


Comment #10 posted by FoM on September 06, 2001 at 16:54:31 PT

I sure think so Richard
I think we work very well together. You've been a very good teacher. You've taught me the need to verify information and I'm still learning about so much. I hope that people from the area will post information so we all know. I also hope that those that are going to the funeral will take a camera and video. We need explanations so we can know what really happened.Peace, Martha
Tom Crosslin & Rolland Rohm Memorial 
[ Post Comment ]




 


Comment #9 posted by The Offspring on September 06, 2001 at 16:49:43 PT

Who does the FBI work for anyway
What is going on in the USA. I thought your Government was "By the People, for the people" but it doesn't look that way anymore. Why was Tom Crosslin and Rolland Rohm murdered. It surely wasn't for public safety. If the cops and FBI agents left the farm I don't think the public would have been in any danger. If this happened in Canada ,I would guarentee that both men would be alive today {I can't really guarantee it but there is a good probability}. Everyone knew once the FBI took over that this would end violently {Waco}. I hope the American People can take their Government back because it is setting a bad example for the reat of the World, which your Government tries to control.
[ Post Comment ]




 


Comment #8 posted by Richard Lake on September 06, 2001 at 16:46:23 PT:

Thanks, Martha - and more
Martha, we sure make a great team on the 'net, don't we?Being one of the Michigan activists that knew the guys well, I have been receiving and making a lot of phone calls.It is hard to confirm everything happening on the ground and we do not want to tell folks things that turn out not to be for real. However, I will let you know what I can confirm immediatly so you can post it here.There is a bookmark now for the MAP archives of news stories, many from your work, Martha. Click the link!
Rainbow Farm Shooting
[ Post Comment ]




 


Comment #7 posted by lookinside on September 06, 2001 at 16:37:31 PT:

cops ...
are like dogs...the more of them you gather together, thestupider and more violent they become...they had quite apack there vying for the opportunity to show off theirkilling and lying skills...every last one of them should be tried for murder, accessoryto murder, conspiracy to cover up a murder, violation ofcrosslin's and rohm's civil rights and any and all othercharges that are applicable...they behaved like a pack of blood lusting mutts and shouldbe treated as such...
[ Post Comment ]




 


Comment #6 posted by The GCW on September 06, 2001 at 16:10:31 PT

sm247......and anyone else..... + Gary Stork
Try to find that info in the web and web varifyable, and send in the info to MAP. they will archive it along with the other 65K + news articles etc. http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/index.htm below is the place to go to send in the info.http://www.mapinc.org/ and then click "How to newshawk etc.This site will help those in the vicinity to act accordingly.+ Gary, that's 125+ &&& THEY HAD A TANK.
[ Post Comment ]




 


Comment #5 posted by Kathy on September 06, 2001 at 16:05:16 PT

FBI CRIMES!!!
The FBI must be held responsible for their crimes against humanity. Pine Ridge, Ruby Ridge, Waco, now Rainbow Farms...no matter how any one feels about the use of hemp/marijuana, nothing can justify the FBI murders of the 2 men at Rainbow Farms.....the FBI has had a long secret history of human rights violations. I was one of their victims during the Vietnam war, and I was almost killed by them when they put a needle in my arm and forcibly shot me up with drugs, took my child from me, incarcerated me without a trial, built a case against me etc....I know that they are a batch of misguided renegades, that murder and destroy lives, they plot and plan underhanded frame ups, and work in the dark until they surface to try to whitewash their crimes. I saw the news this morning. The FBI disgusts me that they think they did a good thing at Rainbow Farms. I am asking that the people at Rainbow Farms that are left to tell the story get a press release out asap. I emailed international activists about the news. I hope what happened comes to light. I was never lucky enough to come to Rainbow Farms or know the people there, but I am in solidarity with you. I apppreciate the environmental things on the rainbow website, such as organics and recycling. I am praying that God will give you strength and help you through this great tragedy, and I also think you should secure a very good attorney, contact human rights and peace groups, and prepare a good defense as well as to bring the murderers in the FBI to account, to trial, and condemn them all for their crimes against humanity. 
[ Post Comment ]




 


Comment #4 posted by Free Liberty on September 06, 2001 at 15:19:27 PT:

Too many unanswered questions
Here is a Rainbow Farm page, petition, and webring: not to glamorize violence, but to protest Drug Laws in general and to support their intended goals...http://rainbow.dopeshow.com
End of the Rainbow Farm Protest
[ Post Comment ]




 


Comment #3 posted by sm247 on September 06, 2001 at 14:54:37 PT

Protest march approved
Protest march approved in Elkhart,Indiana Sept. 15th. Permit applied for by Helen Russell whose son was shot by a police officer investigating "suspected drug activity" at Weston Plaza Hotel July 3rd of this year.  I can't find an article about this on the web but it appeared in our local paper and was released by the AP. No time or location was given for the march only the date.
[ Post Comment ]





 


Comment #2 posted by FoM on September 06, 2001 at 13:33:50 PT

Did I miss something
Check out the picture on the page. So the main house is burned down too? Is this new or just new to me?Plus Matt Elrod was so kind as to mirror The Rainbow Farm's web site. Thank You Matt! http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/rb.htmhttp://www.drugpolicycentral.com/rainbowfarm/
[ Post Comment ]





 


Comment #1 posted by Gary Storck on September 06, 2001 at 13:05:46 PT

Murdered with our tax dollars
"As many as 60-75 FBI agents, 30-35 sheriff's deputies, and another 35 state troopers were called in during the stand-off, according to law enforcement officials."I guess they needed such a large crew to make sure the evidence was destroyed and the coverup fully in place.How many FBI agents does it take to execute two American heroes?
Drug Policy Forum of WI
[ Post Comment ]








  Post Comment