On August 31, 2001 the siege began on Rainbow Farm in Vandalia, Michigan. Five days later the owner of the Farm, Tom Crosslin and his life partner, Rollie Rohm were gunned down by the FBI. This blew up into a major media event. These two hemp activist had made major progress in changing the marijuana policy in the state of Michigan. Crosslin was killed Sept. 3, 2001, by an FBI sharpshooter and Rohm was killed the next day Sept. 4, 2001, leaving his burning home into the commence air.
The siege of the Rainbow Farm was surely to be the hottest story of the year except that on September 11, 2001, 911 happened and the story of Rainbow Farm was buried. Up until that time, echoes of Ruby Ridge and Waco, was filling the media. The public was in outrage over how the whole incident was handled. But when 911 happened, all eyes were focused to terrorism invading our country.
Crosslin bought the Farm and 34 acres in 1993 in Michigan for $34,000 dollars. He had hopes of building a peaceful utopia for him and Rohm. Crosslin had an idea of having a campground on the Farm for friends and family to enjoy the freedom of their lifestyles, considerable of which was being able to openly exercise marijuana. In 1993 the two annual festivals began. HempAid on Memorial Day and Roach Roast on Labor Day, were the events on Rainbow Farm.
HempAid and Roach Roast brought in huge crowds of other post era hippies who were interested in the legalization of the use of marijuana privately. These festivals brought in representatives from the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws and music groups from all over the country. Thousands of people would back these events to try to get the legalization of marijuana past in Michigan.
The Cass County prosecutor, Scott Teter, worked diligently to close down Rainbow Farm. It took years, after he took office in December of 1996, for Teter to be able to bring down Rainbow Farm. Teter would send in undercover police officers into the festivals and they would come up empty handed. Teter would location up road blocks to search vehicles that were attending the festivals to find marijuana. All this accomplished was to scare off campers that were going to attend the festival.
In May of 2001, the Rainbow Farm was raided by Michigan state troopers to support the state IRS on a tax warrant. For the next few hours the Farm was searched and 301 starter plants were found in a growing room in the basement and a loaded nine-millimeter pistol and two loaded shotguns were found. Teter arrived on the scene with then attorney general Jennifer Granholm, now Michigan’s Governor.
The final blow seemed to be when the Family Independence Agency came and took Rohm’s 12 year extinct son out of school and refused to let Rohm have custody of his son.
Facing imprisonment for manufacturing marijuana and firearms violations and with maintaining a drug house, on August 31, 2001, Tom Crosslin began burning down his buildings. News helicopters came in and so did the Spot Police. Shots were being fired at the helicopter and the police plane. This is when the FBI came in.
Tom Crosslin was killed on Labor Day 2001, while trying to get food. FBI snipers shot Crosslin in the head killing him instantly. Crosslin never fired his gun. It would only be one day later when Rollie Rohm would meet the same fate.
This incident at Rainbow Farm has serene not been closed. Investigations were launched by the families, the prosecutor, the state’s attorney general, the state police, the FBI, even the Michigan Militia. There seems to be undeniable proof that these two men were gunned down not in self defense. There is also a wrongful death suit pending for Rollie Rohm.
Today the Rainbow Farm is aiming to be an instrumental place for the legal Michigan Medical Marijuana patients and caregivers.
Filed under Allstate by on Feb 26th, 2011. Comment. 
Being a parent of a teen daughter I can affirm you that I consider a lot about the times ahead that beget so grand for her. It may seem silly to some parents but I take my responsibility as her mother very seriously. It is because I worship her so much that I am easing her into the privileges and responsibilities instead of handing them over without making distinct that she is ready to respect them. By sharing my knowledge and expertise in this subject I am hoping that more parents will see the importance of these responsibilities.
Every teen is preparing for life and needs to take on certain responsibilities to face the world at large. But, how do you know when your child is ready for this transition? Well let’s first learn about the most important privilege and responsibilities and how allowing a teen that is not ready can impact their future and many others as well.
Privileges and Responsibilities: Teen Drivers Unhurried the Wheel
If you randomly stop a teen every few minutes and ask them if driving at 16 is a right, 8 out of 10 will say yes. But the fact is that driving is a privilege and one of the most serious responsibilities a teen can have. However, parents today seem to be of the mentality that it is their lawful to have a license at 16 as well.
According to RMIIA:
National Teen Driving Statistics
“Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers.
16 year-olds have higher crash rates than drivers of any other age.
16-year-olds are three times more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash than the average of all drivers.
3,467 drivers age 15-20 died in car crashes in 2005.
Drivers age 15-20 accounted for 12.6 percent of all the drivers involved in fatal crashes and 16 percent of all the drivers involved in police-reported crashes in 2005.
Graduated drivers license programs appear to be making a disagreement. Fatal crashes involving 15- to 20-year olds in 2005 were down 6.5 percent from 7,979 in 1995, to the lowest level in ten years.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates the economic impact of auto accidents exciting 15-20 year obsolete drivers is over $40 billion.
According to a 2005 survey of 1,000 people ages 15 and 17, conducted by the Allstate Foundation
More than half (56 percent) of young drivers use cell phones while driving,
69 percent said that they hurry to keep up with traffic
64 percent said they speed to go through a yellow light.
47 percent said that passengers sometimes distract them.
Nearly half said they believed that most crashes tantalizing teens result from drunk driving.
23 percent of teen drivers killed in 2005 were intoxicated, according
to NHTSA.
Statistics reveal that 16 and 17-year-old driver death rates increase with each additional passenger (IIHS).”
According to the CDC
“In the U.S. during 2004, 4,767 teens ages 16 to 19 died of injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes. During 2005, nearly 400,000 motor vehicle occupants in this age group sustained nonfatal injuries severe enough to require treatment in an emergency department (CDC 2006).
The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than among any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash (IIHS 2006).
In 2005, teenagers accounted for 10 percent of the U.S. population and 12 percent of motor vehicle crash deaths (IIHS 2006).
The presence of teen passengers increases the fracture risk of unsupervised teen drivers; the risk increases with the number of teen passengers (Chen 2000).
Teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate hazardous situations or risky situations or not be able to recognize hazardous situations (Jonah 1987).
Teens are more likely than older drivers to speed and allow shorter headways (the distance from the front of one vehicle to the front of the next). The presence of male teenage passengers increases the likelihood of these risky driving behaviors among teen male drivers. (Simons-Morton 2005).
Among male drivers between 15 and 20 years of age who were involved in fatal crashes in 2005, 38% were speeding at the time of the crash and 24% had been drinking (NHTSA 2006a, NHTSA 2006b).
Compared with other age groups, teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use. In 2005, 10% of high school students reported they rarely or never wear seat belts when riding with someone else (CDC 2006b).
Male high school students (12.5%) were more likely than female students (7.8%) to rarely or never wear seat belts (CDC 2006b).
African-American students (13.4%) and Hispanic students (10.6%) were more likely than white students (9.4%) to rarely or never wear seat belts (CDC 2006b).
At all levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC), the risk of involvement in a motor vehicle fracture is greater for teens than for older drivers (IIHS 2006).
In 2005, 23% of drivers ages 15 to 20 who died in motor vehicle crashes had a BAC of 0.08 g/dl or higher (NHTSA 2006b).
In a national survey conducted in 2005, nearly 30% of teens reported that within the previous month, they had ridden with a driver who had been drinking alcohol. One in ten reported having driven after drinking alcohol within the same one-month period (CDC 2006b).
In 2005, among teen drivers who were killed in motor vehicle crashes after drinking and driving, 74% were unrestrained (NHTSA 2006b).
In 2005, half of teen deaths from motor vehicle crashes occurred between 3 p.m. and midnight and 54% occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday (IIHS 2006). ”
So, it boils down to this … is you are one of those parents that don’t really spend quality time with their child, who doesn’t have a clue as to what is really going on in their lives, and would prefer to live with blinders to escape the fact that you have become disinterested and who further thinks your child is a perfect angel that would never drink and drive or use drugs before getting behind the wheel then you are willing to risk their lives for the sake of your ignorance.
The facts don’t lie. Marijuana employ, girls that can’t put down their cell phones, boys that are obsessed with fast cars, etc. all screech you something about how teens may view their responsibilities of driving. It amazes me how many parents claim ‘a horrible and tragic accident’ when people are killed despite the evidence that shows their teen being the guilty party. Street racing, cell phones, and drug/alcohol use are not accidents. If your teen is not ready to respect the privilege of driving then you, as the parent, should not allow them to have a license… if you do, you are just as guilty for the actions of your teen as they are.
Privileges and Responsibilities: How to Decide if your Teen is Ready
Determining if your teen is ready to take on the ultimate privilege, which is driving, you need to first remain conclude to you teen and know at all times what they are doing, where they hang out and with what groups of friends they associate with. Remember, just because they are a teen doesn’t mean that your job as their guardian is over… if anything it is more complex and sometimes more difficult than ever before.
If you see that your teen may not be ready then you need to explain why so they can correct the issue and prove that they are responsible. Monitor their behavior over time and if you see that they are indeed taking it seriously, preparing for the time ahead, then you can start the procedures with them.
Privileges and Responsibilities: Tips for Safety
To be sure that your teen is ready to promote safe driving habits before allowing them to get a license you might want to try the following:
Make certain that when your teen gets into the car they turn off their cell phone so they are not distracted, or practice not answering while in motion regardless of who it is. If it is an important number pull off to the side of the road, shut off the car and then allow them to take the call. This is a practice that you, as the role model, should also be applying each and every day.
If you have reason to suspect that your child does (or has ever done) drugs or drinks then you should have that child in counseling. Giving them a weapon of such magnitude is impartial monotonous stupid. Would you hand them a loaded gun? A vehicle is just as deadly under the influence.
Suppose the teen you are raising can’t get enough of fleet cars, watching street racing etc. First education is key. There are program specifically designed for speed freaks. Not to say it is all bad many careers have been spawned from that passion but those careers had years of education building them up. If you notice that ‘improvements’ are being made on the car you provided or the vehicle of a friend you might want to acquire out exactly what the ‘improvement’ does by grand sources. If the upgrades are legal or illegal means of making the cars go faster and is common among illegal street racers then your teen is hanging out in the wrong crowd and should not be allowed to drive yet.
Imagine if more parents took the time and cared for their children how many teen deaths could be prevented. Take your parenting position seriously and don’t give a child that is not ready the means to kill themselves and others when they have so great growing up to do first.
Filed under Allstate by on Feb 22nd, 2011. Comment.
American Idol tour tickets are now being sold through online merchants. The American Idol live tour will win place during the summer, and criss-cross the United States. Tickets for the 2009 American Idol tour are certain to be in high expect, as the favorite singers from this season’s indicate will all be there to perform. Among those who will purchase the stage during the American Idol tour 2009 are season eight contestants Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, and Danny Gokey.
Everything gets started on July 5th in Portland, Oregon, when the top 10 from American Idol’s eighth season all take to the stage for the first time on the tour. Tickets started going on sale on the morning of Saturday May 9th, so fans need to act rapidly if they want to attain some of the hottest concert tickets of the 2009 season. At the bottom of this article is a listing of all the 2009 American Idol concert dates, and the list is attractive extensive. They will be all over the country this summer, and should be conclude to every fan of American Idol at some point during the tour.
Ticketmaster.com is just one of the many web-sites that are going to be offering American Idol tickets, but they are probably the safest seller to go with, as they have been mentioned on the American Idol web-site before.
The Expected Participants of the American Idol Tour are Michael Sarver, Scott MacIntyre, Allison Iraheta, Adam Lambert, Anoop Desai, Matt Giraud, Danny Gokey, Lil Rounds, Megan Joy, and Kris Allen, and typically there ends up being a guest star or two along the way. The tour is intended to showcase all of the American Idol talent from the modern season though, so expect quite a few songs featuring more than one of the talented singers.
American Idol Concert Schedule:
July 2009
5 – Portland, OR – Rose Garden Arena
7 – Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome
8 – Vancouver, British Columbia – General Motors Place
10 – Sacramento, CA – ARCO Arena
11 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
12 – San Jose, CA – HP Pavilion at San Jose
14 – West Valley City, UT – The E Center
16 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
17 – Ontario, CA – Citizens Business Bank Arena
18 – San Diego, CA – San Diego Sports Arena
20 – Glendale, AZ – Jobing.com Arena
23 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
24 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
25 – North Little Rock, AR – Alltel Arena
26 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum
28 – Tampa, FL – St. Pete Times Forum
29 – Sunrise, FL – BankAtlantic Center
31 – Duluth, GA – The Arena at Gwinnett Center
August 2009
1 – Charlotte, NC – Time Warner Cable Arena
2 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum
4 – Washington, DC – Verizon Center
5 – Baltimore, MD – 1st Mariner Arena
7 – Atlantic City, NJ – Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall
8 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
11 – Uniondale, NY – Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
14 – Hamilton, Ontario – Copps Coliseum
15 – Rochester, NY – Blue Cross Arena
16 – Hartford, CT – XL Center
18 – Boston, MA – TD Banknorth Garden
19 – Albany, NY – Times Union Center
20 – Philadelphia, PA – Wachovia Center
22 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mellon Arena
23 – Cleveland, OH – Wolstein Center
25 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
26 – Auburn Hills, WI – The Palace of Auburn Hills
28 – Milwaukee, WI – Bradley Center
29 – St Louis, MO – Scottrade Center
30 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
September 2009
1 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
2 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena
4 – Madison, WI – Alliant Energy Center Memorial Coliseum
5 – Indianapolis, IN – Conseco Fieldhouse
6 – Mammoth Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
8 – Reading, PA – Sovereign Center
9 – Wilke-Barre, PA – Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza
10 – Bridgeport, CT – Arena at Harbor Yard
12 – Portland, ME – Cumberland County Civic Center
13 – Providence, RI – Dunkin’ Donuts Center
14 – Syracuse, NY – War Memorial at Oncenter
15 – Manchester, NH – Verizon Wireless Arena
Sources: AI Tour Dates
Filed under Allstate by on Dec 18th, 2010. Comment.
When looking to buy car insurance protection in Id there are a few laws and considerations that a person wants to take prior to the choice is produced.
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Filed under Allstate by on Nov 5th, 2010. Comment.
