LAW OFFICERS CROSSED DEADLY LINE

Is the FBI writing your headlines now ("Farm known for, sex, drugs -- now
deaths," Sept. 5)? Things were grown on that land, for sure, but it was a
"campgrounds" to many and a home to a few. I guess the word "compound" has
fallen out of favor with the feds and newspapers now.

The government has killed a few more citizens in the name of the drug war
by forcing people's hands in a highly charged situation that was about to
take their homes without due process.

David L. Boudreau, Brighton

OVERREACTION

Your demonization of the marijuana counterculture in the Sept. 5 edition of
your paper was appalling. To link the outrageous acts of a few patrons --
such as nudity, adolescents partaking of drugs, and public sex -- to the
reputation of the Rainbow Farm is unfair to its memory and its cause.

I can think of quite a few places where I have seen all of these things
happen right here in the metro area -- namely every concert hall and sports
arena -- yet the state and federal governments are not sending in
undercover police to these venues in the hopes of imprisoning the owners.

I also see no one bringing in sharpshooters to deal with the open sex and
drug use in places such as Clark Park or Belle Isle. Our government needs
to eliminate the hypocrisy, and your paper needs to be a little more objective.

Mark Paul, Lincoln Park

EXCESSIVE CHARGES

What started off as a pro-pot campground owner being charged with pot
offenses, and allowing others to smoke pot on his campground, escalated to
civil asset forfeiture, the state taking custody of his child, federal
firearm charges and ultimately the death of this pro-pot activist. Being
killed for a little pot seems excessive compared to rape, murder and a host
of other violent crimes.

In Michigan, a petition drive is underway for the Personal Responsibility
Act, which will be placed on the ballot if enough signatures are obtained.
This act would would have prevented the charges that ultimately caused the
death of this activist. Unlike here in Texas, where we cannot use petition
drives to change the law, Michigan residents can have a peaceful revolution.

Steve Helms, Southlake, Texas

IRRELEVANT RUBBISH

In response to your Sept. 6 article "As teen, Rohm left wife to move in
with Crosslin": You should be ashamed of yourself for digging up irrelevant
background information on Grover (Tom) Crosslin and Rolland Rohm. The fact
that they were lovers is irrelevant to the events leading up to and
precipitating the standoff at Rainbow Farm Campground. I can only assume
that you submitted this article for publication out of homophobia.

Crosslin's and Rohm's last stand at Rainbow Farm wasn't about gay rights
issues; it was about the denial of due process and unreasonable search and
seizure that have run rampant in our government's Nazi-like persecution of
drug users.

You would be wise to take a refresher course in the concept of relevancy in
journalism, because your article was nothing but irrelevant rubbish.

William Dwyer, Charlotte