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The420Guy
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CASSOPOLIS -- Rainbow Farm Campground may be gone, but it's not forgotten.
With signs waving and music playing in the background, friends of the late
campground owner Grover "Tom" Crosslin and Crosslin's companion, Rolland
"Rollie" Rohm, gathered in front of the Cass County Courthouse on Monday
night to show their support for the pair's efforts to decriminalize marijuana.
The two died a year ago during a five-day siege with police and the FBI.
Crosslin, 46, was killed on Sept. 3, when he allegedly raised a rifle to
fire at an FBI agent and instead was shot in the head by the agent.
The 28-year-old Rohm died the next day when he, too, was shot after he
allegedly set fire to the farmhouse and ran outside brandishing a rifle.
Supporters of the pair said that Crosslin and Rohm essentially died because
of their strong belief that adults should be able to smoke small quantities
of marijuana in the privacy of their own homes. That cause was a major
theme of the Hemp Aid and Roachfest events Crosslin sponsored at the
campground over Memorial and Labor day weekends, they said.
"I really think somebody recognized we had a little heaven on earth (at the
campground), and they didn't like it. One pocket of freedom got squashed,
but other pockets are opening up all over," said a barefoot Adam Wright of
Cass City, Mich. "Corruption busted Rainbow Farms."
Wright carried a sign depicting a cannabis plant and the words "God doesn't
make mistakes."
Other signs carried such messages as "Tom and Rollie. We will never
forget," "Don't sell Robert's Rainbow" and "Robert wants his farm, not the
money."
The latter signs were in reference to Rohm's now 14-year-old son, Robert,
who stands to benefit from the sale of the farm property at auction. Now a
ward of the state, Robert would receive the proceeds when he turns 18.
But Doug Leimbach, who managed Rainbow Farm Campground from 1996 to 2000,
claimed he has received e-mail messages from Robert stating he doesn't want
the farm to be sold.
"He says it's the only thing he has to remember his father," Leimbach said.
Leimbach said he had known Crosslin for 30 years, and he doesn't believe he
was the type of person to "commit suicide by cop," as some have said. What
pushed him over the edge, he said, was the state's attempt to confiscate
his land, the prospect of spending 30 years in prison on drug charges and
Robert's removal by court order from the home where he had been raised
since the age of 4.
"He (Crosslin) decided to stand up for what's right," Leimbach said.
Will Dwyer of Charlotte, Mich., Morel "Moses" Yonkers of Elkhart and Melody
Karr of Mesick, Mich., all express the hopes some good will come from the
Rainbow Farm tragedy should the end result be the decriminalization of
marijuana.
"We're not going to quit. We're going to legalize this," Yonkers said.
Whether marijuana laws are changed or not, she said there's one thing she
knows for certain.
"I know none of us will ever look at Labor Day weekend the same way," she said.
Pubdate: Tue, 03 Sep 2002
Source: South Bend Tribune (IN)
Copyright: 2002 South Bend Tribune
Contact: vop@sbtinfo.com
Website: southbendtribune.com | The voice that connects us.
Details: MapInc
Author: Lou Mumford
With signs waving and music playing in the background, friends of the late
campground owner Grover "Tom" Crosslin and Crosslin's companion, Rolland
"Rollie" Rohm, gathered in front of the Cass County Courthouse on Monday
night to show their support for the pair's efforts to decriminalize marijuana.
The two died a year ago during a five-day siege with police and the FBI.
Crosslin, 46, was killed on Sept. 3, when he allegedly raised a rifle to
fire at an FBI agent and instead was shot in the head by the agent.
The 28-year-old Rohm died the next day when he, too, was shot after he
allegedly set fire to the farmhouse and ran outside brandishing a rifle.
Supporters of the pair said that Crosslin and Rohm essentially died because
of their strong belief that adults should be able to smoke small quantities
of marijuana in the privacy of their own homes. That cause was a major
theme of the Hemp Aid and Roachfest events Crosslin sponsored at the
campground over Memorial and Labor day weekends, they said.
"I really think somebody recognized we had a little heaven on earth (at the
campground), and they didn't like it. One pocket of freedom got squashed,
but other pockets are opening up all over," said a barefoot Adam Wright of
Cass City, Mich. "Corruption busted Rainbow Farms."
Wright carried a sign depicting a cannabis plant and the words "God doesn't
make mistakes."
Other signs carried such messages as "Tom and Rollie. We will never
forget," "Don't sell Robert's Rainbow" and "Robert wants his farm, not the
money."
The latter signs were in reference to Rohm's now 14-year-old son, Robert,
who stands to benefit from the sale of the farm property at auction. Now a
ward of the state, Robert would receive the proceeds when he turns 18.
But Doug Leimbach, who managed Rainbow Farm Campground from 1996 to 2000,
claimed he has received e-mail messages from Robert stating he doesn't want
the farm to be sold.
"He says it's the only thing he has to remember his father," Leimbach said.
Leimbach said he had known Crosslin for 30 years, and he doesn't believe he
was the type of person to "commit suicide by cop," as some have said. What
pushed him over the edge, he said, was the state's attempt to confiscate
his land, the prospect of spending 30 years in prison on drug charges and
Robert's removal by court order from the home where he had been raised
since the age of 4.
"He (Crosslin) decided to stand up for what's right," Leimbach said.
Will Dwyer of Charlotte, Mich., Morel "Moses" Yonkers of Elkhart and Melody
Karr of Mesick, Mich., all express the hopes some good will come from the
Rainbow Farm tragedy should the end result be the decriminalization of
marijuana.
"We're not going to quit. We're going to legalize this," Yonkers said.
Whether marijuana laws are changed or not, she said there's one thing she
knows for certain.
"I know none of us will ever look at Labor Day weekend the same way," she said.
Pubdate: Tue, 03 Sep 2002
Source: South Bend Tribune (IN)
Copyright: 2002 South Bend Tribune
Contact: vop@sbtinfo.com
Website: southbendtribune.com | The voice that connects us.
Details: MapInc
Author: Lou Mumford