September, Labor Day weekend, the annual Roach Roast at Rainbow Farm Campground in Michigan. It was a time for the gathering of the hippies, Rainbow peoples, and freedom lovers of all ages. I had met the most amazing people here in earlier years. Tommy Chong, Steven Gaskin, Stephen Hagar, the Cannabis Cup Band, and of course Tom and Rollie, the owners of this amazing place. I had the tremendous joy of experiencing the Sunday morning OHM of a thousand voices creating the vibrating energy cone of spirit shared. 2001 was to be different, very different.
Unable to afford the gas, scheduled to work and needing the income, I knew I could not attend. Then the word went out. The event had been cancelled. Tom did not want his many friends and supporters to be any where near the campground.
We soon found out why. Rollie's son, that they both loved and were so protective of had been taken away. Their property was being taken away. Their freedom was being taken away. Everything that they had worked for and believed in was being taken and it was not in their nature to simply accept that. Like the founding fathers of this country, they believed in a government of the people, by the people and for the people and they were willing to die for their convictions. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened.
You can read about it at the following link
http://www.november.org/stayinfo/breaking/Rainbow.html
They stood their ground for nearly a week and like Ruby Ridge and Waco, the news went national. Never heard about it? I'm not surprised, because in September of 2001, an even bigger and more terrifying story took over the news.
I remember turning on my TV and seeing the news that the Pentagon had been attacked. Just a matter of timing, that that was the first of the 9/11 events that I learned of. My first thought at that time was, "Good. The government killed my friends and was attacking a culture within its borders that it couldn't or wouldn't accept."
Then, I thought it was a great distraction from what had been happening, probably created by the government who couldn't afford another Waco/Ruby Ridge.
I had been shaken to my core by the events of Labor Day weekend. Little did I know that within the hour my entire view of the world would be shattered yet again.
As I watched the newsfeed, I soon learned of the true scope of the attacks. I saw the planes hit the towers. I saw people leaping to their deaths. I saw the collapse of the buildings. I heard how ordinary people took the extraordinary step of foiling the terrorists by seizing control of their fate and causing a fourth plane to crash before it hit its intended target.
In the aftermath of 9/11 I saw what life is like for those who live in war torn countries, places where bombings are part of their daily lives. I also saw people come together in ways that I had never seen before. Priorities changed. Attitudes changed. Worldviews changed. Our country changed.
What hadn't changed, was that my friends were still dead. Because of 9/11, it was nearly impossible to discuss the negatives of our government without being labelled unpatriotic. It took many years before the discussion could be had. Meanwhile, I was left feeling very small and powerless in the face of our government and in the scope of its enemies.
Fifteen years later, I want to remember. I want to speak with others who understand the horrors of that September so long ago. I want to know that there are others that have learned that patriotism is not blinding 'loving our country', but being grateful to live in a country in which the government is held accountable by the people and in being vigilant in upholding those standards for all of our citizens.
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