KILLINGS SENSELESS

To the editor: We all can sleep better tonight. The FBI and Michigan State
Police shot and killed a couple of dangerous marijuana smokers. Only
25,999,998 more marijuana smokers to go, give or take several million. I'm
referring the the story, "2 Killed In Mich. Campground Standoff" 4 Sept,
2001. An FBI agent was quoted as saying "We don't know what provoked the
standoff." How about the usual reason? Civil forfeiture proceedings. You
allegedly grow a pound of marijuana, you lose your land. You can
manufacture 1,200 pounds of alcohol, you can grow tobacco - no civil
forfeiture for those drugs. They kill 450,000 a year. Death from marijuana
seems to always come from law enforcement. Did the FBI want a peaceful
ending? Rolland Rohm's stepfather, and Rohm's mother drove all night from
Tennessee to try to help police negotiate, but were never allowed to speak
to Rohm. The FBI wouldn't even let Rohm talk to his mother! According to
neighbors these dangerous men "were peaceful and generous; at Christmas
they would drive their pickup truck into Vandalia and distribute gifts
throughout the town of about 350 residents. They also would buy food and
clothes for people staying at the campground." Over the years they had
impressive guests: Gatewood Galbraith, candidate for governor in the state
of Kentucky; noted author Stephen Gaskin; Nora Callahan of the November
Coalition; Elvy Musikka; Bill Bradley, chairman, Van Buren County
Libertarian Party; Robert J. Fritakis, Columbus Institute for Contemporary
Journalism; and Geoffrey Fieger, Democratic candidate for Michigan
governor; to name a few. These are not people that hang out with criminals.
Let's see if any Michigan politicians have the guts to come forward to stop
the war on marijuana! No more killing people over marijuana.

LARRY SEGUIN Lisbon, N. Y.