VANDALIA PAIR WERE ASKING FOR TROUBLE

Editor,

This is regarding the Rainbow Farm incident. Let me preface my
comments by saying that I do think our drug laws probably need
altering, perhaps to allow for medicinal or other therapeutic
purposes. Until this occurs, however, we all must adhere to existing
laws whether we like them or not. This reality escapes the pro-
marijuana network, as evidenced by the numerous letters to The Herald-
Palladium. Their hollow protests rang false and some were even
laughable, in particular the suggestion that officers take up smoking
pot to manage crisis situations. That reader did nothing to help the
hemp acceptance movement. But what all of the people supporting the
men who were killed manage to gloss over, is the fact that the men
chose their destiny.

They chose their lifestyle over the custody of the child. They chose
to receive dire consequences rather than give up their illegal
activities. It appears to me they deliberately provoked, and indeed
hoped for it all to end in violence so that they could draw attention
to their cause. It's one thing to be an average Joe who grows a little
weed patch, smokes a joint to relax after work, and it ends there.

Does anyone really believe cops are after those individuals, even
though they too are breaking the law? I think not. Pushing cocaine,
heroin, PCP, etc., to large groups of people hardly constitutes "small
timer, little guy" behavior. It was a full-scale operation and they
did it in the presence of Rolland Rohm's own child. Worse, they
continued even after getting busted. This is responsible and
appropriate parenting? We have rules about that too, but it doesn't
make us a "police state." It's called protecting children, and if so
many adults didn't fail children on a regular basis then maybe we
wouldn't need those laws. I am also totally disgusted with the feeble
attempts to portray users as "peaceable" and drug use as harmless.

Ellen Cassidy

Sawyer