The Free Press -- Independent News Media

Fri Mar 19 2010

Departments
National Issues

U.S. Drug War Priorities in Need of Re-Evaluation
by Mary Jane Borden
September 16, 2009

On August 26, 2001, syndicated columnist David Broder penned the Op-Ed, "U.S. Drug War Priorities in Need of Re-Evaluation", which appeared in the Columbus Dispatch among a number of Midwest newspapers. Just eight days later, FBI agents joined a raid on the Rainbow Farm in southern Michigan and killed the well-known marijuana reform activists, Tom Crosslin and Rollie Rohm.
Reacting to this tragedy, I wrote the following LTE to the Columbus Dispatch:

Dear Editor,

"Shots heard round the world" emanated last week from Michigan and should be considered a response to David Broder's column, "U.S. Drug War Priorities in Need of Re-evaluation." (Columbus Dispatch, Sunday August 26, 2001). These shots were fired by the FBI and Michigan State Police killing long-time marijuana activists, Tom Crosslin and Rollie Rolm. Granted, agents reported that the duo in separate incidences aimed their rifles at police and that the two set their Rainbow Farm buildings ablaze and fired at news helicopters. However, the actions taken by the two men very much resemble what would happen if you cornered an angry dog. Quite likely he will bite.

Why might Mr. Crosslin and Mr. Rolm have felt cornered? The government was about to take away everything they held dear: Mr. Crosslin's Rainbow Farm where pro-marijuana concerts were held on a regular basis and Mr. Rolm's 13-year old son. Both were to occur because government agents had observed the use and sale of marijuana and other drugs on the premises.

Here's where Mr. Broder's article and the Rainbow Farm intersect. The U.S. drug-war priorities do indeed need re-evaluation. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution grants all of us the right to "peaceably assemble." Like most events involving marijuana, gatherings at the Rainbow Farm were almost always peaceful. And as for drugs, which aren't mentioned in the Bill of Rights, I don't believe that the Cleveland Browns or Cincinnati Bengals stadium owners have faced the possibility of losing their property or family because "drugs" (namely, alcohol which kills more than 10 times the number people annually than all illegal drugs combined) were either consumed or sold on the premises even though we've many times witnessed the violence that results when rabid fans have had too much to drink.

That anything as peaceful as a "Rainbow Farm" should come under such governmental scrutiny that the end result is death should certainly serve as a wake-up call. It cries out for re-evaluation.

Mary Jane Borden

The letter was never sent. Why? Within another eight days, on September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four airliners, flying two of them into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and one into a Pennsylvania cornfield. A total of 2,993 people were killed in this violent attack. Who among us will ever forget it?

The 9/11 Commission Report states that, "On July 2 [2001] FBI Counterterrorism Division sent a message to federal agencies and state and local law enforcement agencies summarizing information regarding threats from Bin Ladin. It warned that there was an increased volume of threat reporting, indicating a potential for attacks against U.S. targets abroad from groups 'aligned with or sympathetic to 'Usama Bin Ladin.'" (p. 258) The report also concluded, "In sum, the domestic agencies never mobilized in response to the threat. They did not have direction, and did not have a plan to institute." (p. 265)

In January 2002, Washington Post Staff Writer, Peter Carlson, composed an account of the Rainbow Farm tragedy stating, "Outside [the Rainbow Farm grounds], the state police had brought in an armored personnel carrier borrowed from the Michigan National Guard. On Sunday, the FBI arrived, more than 50 strong, summoned to the scene because the helicopter shooting was a federal crime." ("Was the Rainbow Farm Another Waco?" http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n130/a05.html).

One has to wonder: Increased volume of treat reporting. Potential for attacks against U.S. targets from groups aligned with Bin Ladin. No direction and no plan. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution right to peaceably assemble. Armored personnel carrier. Fifty FBI agents. That anything as peaceful as a "Rainbow Farm" should come under such governmental scrutiny that the end result is death should certainly serve as a wake-up call. 2,993 9/11 victims and 2 marijuana activists dead. September 2001 indeed served a wake-up call. And, U.S. drug war priorities are still in need of re-evaluation.

For more information concerning the Rainbow Farm, please visit its memorial website at http://www.rainbowfarmcamp.com . Note on the 'Pictures' link that Tommy Chong among other notables regularly appeared there. Tom and Rollie would be so proud that Michigan is now a medical marijuana state.

Email this article to a friend

Don't forget to check out articles from 2009 and 2010

National Issues

"McCain could have meant Less War"
December 31, 2009
David Swanson

"Healthcare mandate vs. the Constitution"
December 24, 2009
David Swanson

"A healthy economy"
December 24, 2009
Robert C. Koehler

"Apostle of our inner genius"
December 17, 2009
Robert C. Koehler

"Wars or jobs: decide now"
December 14, 2009
David Swanson

"Are Americans Too Broken for the Truth to Set Us Free?"
December 13, 2009
Bruce E. Levine

"The school-to-prison pipeline"
December 11, 2009
Robert C. Koehler

"Kucinich circulating privileged resolutions to end wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan"
December 10, 2009
David Swanson

"National security state still killing John F Kennedy"
December 7, 2009
Pete Johnson

"Richard Viguerie calls GOP litmus tests "Well intentioned," but urges replacement of Republican establishment leaders"
December 3, 2009
Bob Sturm

"Craziest Obavietghanistan speech moments "
December 2, 2009
David Swanson

"New civil resistance coalition formed to end the war"
December 1, 2009
Cindy Sheehan

"Anti-Americans"
November 24, 2009
Christopher Bifani

"Why can't we do to DC what we did to Seattle? "
November 19, 2009
David Swanson

"They should get a union"
November 17, 2009
David Swanson

"KSM and MSM"
November 17, 2009
David Swanson

"The two percent robustness"
November 15, 2009
David Swanson

"Between hate speech and adoration"
November 15, 2009
David Swanson

"Pelosi arrested us for asking for healthcare"
November 15, 2009
Dan Hodges, Chair, Health Care for All-California

"Over 2,200 veterans died in 2008 due to lack of health insurance "
November 15, 2009
Physicians for a National Health Program

"Isolated incident"
November 15, 2009
Robert C. Koehler

"Come together right now"
November 15, 2009
David Swanson

"Joel Peresman of the Rock Hall Foundation says the time has come today "
November 4, 2009
Harvey Wasserman

"Between hate speech and adoration"
November 2, 2009
David Swanson

"Preview of Ramzy Baroud's 'My Father was a Freedom Fighter'"
October 29, 2009
Stephen Lendman

"Why I am risking arrest for Medicare for all "
October 29, 2009
Margaret Flowers, M.D., Congressional Fellow, Physicians for a National Health Program

"Single-eye vision"
October 29, 2009
Robert C. Koehler

"Did Obama/McCain choice matter?"
October 28, 2009
David Swanson

"No one else will stop the killing -- Veteran's group to members: Multiply resistance by any peaceful means available "
October 27, 2009
Mike Ferner

"Accepting the prize"
October 26, 2009
Robert C. Koehler

"Glen Ford speaks in Columbus"
October 26, 2009
Free Press

"Heavy Traffic"
October 23, 2009
Terence Robertson

"Who SHOULD Decide About War?"
October 14, 2009
By David Swanson

"Starting Another Year of War in Afghanistan"
October 14, 2009
Norman Solomon

"Congress must pass single-payer health care now! "
September 30, 2009
Cynthia McKinney

"U.S. Drug War Priorities in Need of Re-Evaluation"
September 16, 2009
Mary Jane Borden

"Senator Kennedy visits then Cleveland City Councilman"
August 26, 2009
Representative Dennis Kucinich

"Govt-funded reporter urged lynching of Black Congresswoman"
August 24, 2009
David Swanson