Shanna Flowers

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After almost eight months, the mailbag overfloweth on subjects as varied as Jeremiah Wright, Boones Mill, former city Councilman Alfred Dowe, a restaurant on Mill Mountain, the Roanoke police department and parental responsibility.

Before I get to the electronic mail, I'll share a recent voicemail I received from an anonymous caller annoyed by my column citing the need for any restaurant on Mill Mountain to have a view:

Miss Flowers, pack up your rent-to-own furniture and move to Pittsburgh.

I don't rent my furniture, but it's probably time to buy something a little more up-to-date. My basement, with its dated white, overstuffed leather sofa and chair, looks like a throwback to the disco era.

As for a move to Pittsburgh, don't tempt me. It's a very cool city.

Man, I absolutely LOVED the article today and your points were so well-stated. Though you'll probably be shot by dinnertime, you deserve kudos galore. Great job, baby!!!!!!!!

-- Betty Price, responding to the same Mill Mountain column.

As of this writing, Betty, I'm still alive. But I took my hits. Read on.

Shanna, while in Pittsburgh, did you look UP at Mt. Washington??? Surely, you would not want Mill Mountain Park to resemble a mountain that's privately owned and has been commercially and residentially developed for well over a century.

-- Gail Burruss

I compared views, not mountains. If Roanoke is going to have a restaurant on Mill Mountain, it needs a view. If that means taking out some trees, take them out. Editor's note: Burruss and I agreed to disagree, and she thoughtfully even offered to bring me a cup of tea. I politely declined.

As a public school teacher, I just want to add my "Amen" to many I'm sure you've received about your column "Parents hold key to child's education." Thank you so much for telling it like it is, including what you said about teachers who picked the wrong profession.

-- Gibbyad

Thanks, Gibbyad. Teaching is a very honorable profession. But I'm glad we can agree that some folks have about as much business in front of a classroom as I would being a brain surgeon.

Thank you for telling the truth about the childish political activity that is and has been going on in Boones Mill for years. Only a handful of the local citizens ever vote and look what they are voting for; schoolyard rivalries and individuals with too much time on their hands.

-- J. Seay

Sounds like the Roanoke City Council race, huh?

If Shanna Flowers can defend Michael Vick and Jeremiah Wright, I bet she thinks O.J. didn't do it either!

-- Sarah Couch

I do think O.J. did it. But for many black Americans, the acquittal was vindication that a black man could beat the system that for too long has beaten blacks.

Several weeks ago, I was sent a link about "Sabrina's Place" ... it took me several weeks to be able to read the article. However, I want to thank you. Although she died a senseless death -- I am glad that ... the beauty about Sabrina still lives in so many and "Sabrina's Place" will save someone from a tragic ending.

-- Stacey Divers-Turner

Sabrina Reed's tragic death at the hands of her estranged husband was Roanoke's wake-up call that domestic violence knows no income bracket, no color, no education level. And while I'm on the subject, men who hit women are punks.

You and your fellow "Journalists" only need to look in the mirror to see why the police are inclined to withhold information during an investigation. The press tends to get a hold of information that is sometimes incorrect or, depending on the ambitions of the reporter, distorted to suit the agenda of the paper or achieve sensationalism. ... I strongly disagree with your organization's attempts at undermining police investigations. And no, I'm not a police officer and no, thank goodness, I'm not a citizen of Roanoke.

-- John Regnier

No one wants to undermine a police investigation. But residents need basic facts of a crime to gauge their own safety and the performance of law enforcement. Many, many police departments divulge far more information than Roanoke's, without undermining investigations.

After sounding off about my reaction to Shanna Flowers' column, I belatedly read the March 14th Bedford Bulletin. The story about the rejection of the permit to build housing for legal Mexican migrants is on p.1. So, yes it really happened and at least one supervisor reacted the same way I did: this was a racist action.

-- Geoff Hubbard, following up to an earlier group e-mail he had copied me on.

I'm not sure whether to be miffed that he verified the veracity of my column through another newspaper, or to be satisfied that we reached the same conclusion.

I just noticed the Letter to the Editor about the way you described the type of person Alfred Dowe is. What disturbs me most about the column you wrote was also how you described his actions as just "poor judgment." Poor judgment, to most of us, is picking the wrong color shirt or blouse to wear or buy; it does not include stealing from the taxpayers. Mr. Dowe intentionally and willfully lied and submitted falsified documents to both the City Government and the State Government -- that is a serious crime that, hopefully, he will be severely punished for.

-- Bob Sims

Unless Dowe is convicted of a crime, it's not in my legal best interest to call him a thief. P.S. At the time that I rewrote the column on deadline the Saturday afternoon Dowe resigned, "poor judgment" seemed a better and more concise choice of words than, "What the heck were you thinking!?"

Once again I have succumbed, against my better judgment, and read your, as always, biased and one-sided, article in today's Roanoke Rag. I would just like for ONCE JUST ONCE -- to read one of your articles that was non-biased, not racially inclined and maybe just middle of left. .... instead of far left. I wonder ... just what your article would have been entitled and what the content would have been had Mr. Dowe been white caucasian and maybe even a Republican. I shall try in the future not to succumb to perusal of your column, however, every once in awhile I get a small smile, knowing EXACTLY what you are going to say before I even start the column.

-- Roanoke Rag reader

Thanks for reading anyway!