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A lesson in preservation for county to study

In the midst of the relentless development in Franklin County, it's refreshing to read of the magnanimous Dinwiddie family who put their 127 acres of Smith Mountain Lake waterfront property into a Virginia Outdoor Foundation easement (Nov. 26 news article, "Preserving the past and future").

Their unselfish act shames those past landowners who have sold out to developers.

It also shames the current Franklin County Board of Supervisors who have put larding the public coffers ahead of the quality of life at Smith Mountain Lake.

When the board callously ignores the valuable judgment of two of its supervisors who represent the districts affected by development, such as happened with the Lakewatch Plantation issue, there is something terribly wrong in Franklin County.

The generous act of the Dinwiddie family will assure that at least a small part of the lake area remains natural and beautiful.

If only the current board of supervisors had the character and foresight of the Dinwiddies, we'd all benefit.

Roger Smith

Moneta

If liberals vacated, who would fight?

In response to Herb Krebs' Nov. 28 letter to the editor, "Ready to ship dissenters off shore":

I find it amazing that if you don't think just like the conservatives, you're asked to leave the country all the time. You never see the liberals telling the conservatives to leave.

Might it be because if the liberals are no longer here, those commonly referred to as conservatives will seem a little smarter?

Also, does Krebs think all military people hold his opinion, or just the chicken hawks like his beloved Bush? They're all for war as long as we liberals are fighting it for them.

Because of all the brave liberal-thinking soldiers who have made us free, the chicken hawks can continue to ask us to leave if we disagree with their sickening beliefs.

Tim Tuck

Roanoke

Liberals echo freedom's enemies

Communist China calls for "social fairness" and works toward closing gaps in income between the rich and poor. Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader compares Iraq to Vietnam and suggests jihadists prepare for Americans to ultimately cut and run.

Dictator thugs Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela blame the U.S. for climate change, famine, war and pollution, and then compare George Bush and Tony Blair to Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini (and get applause at the U.N.).

Brazil's high gun death rate and right to gun ownership draws parallels to the debate in the U.S. Al Badr guerrillas, notorious for suicide bombings and kidnappings, are lauded for providing emergency treatment in Pakistani villages after the earthquake.

It seems today's liberals in the media and in politics are echoing the enemies of freedom and democracy everywhere. Well, the results are in.

Social engineering, appeasement, repression and hypocrisy are losing propositions. Blinded by arrogance, they will not see the truth.

Perhaps that partially explains why Americans in greater numbers are canceling subscriptions to liberal publications, passing on the fruits of leftist Hollywood, turning the control of issues back to legislatures (instead of the courts) and clearly voting for a more conservative agenda.

ken wilson

roanoke

Published crime reports keep public informed

With regard to your Nov. 24 news article, "Danger rating puzzles officials," I have something to say.

The Roanoke Times used to print a weekly crime report on Tuesdays.

I contacted The Times and the Roanoke Police Department last year and was told that The Times no longer printed the crime report due to a software/computer incompatibility between the two entities.

I was told that the crime report is available online. I'm a member of the "disconnected village" and do not have Internet access.

My point is that if this information could once again be printed, the citizens would be made aware of recent crime trends.

What can those involved in public safety do to make this a safer community?

A start would be to provide citizens with printed information concerning recent crimes that have occurred. Armed with this information, we would be more informed.

This information would help neighbors look out for each other.

robert b. casey jr.

roanoke

Framing mayor's ruling in a different light

Two very opposite letters to the editor were printed about the Nov. 7 Roanoke City Council meeting as to how Mayor Nelson Harris handled the meeting.

One referred to him as "dictator," and the other praised him for keeping things in order.

Both letters are correct. It's simply which form of government you believe in.

In his opening remarks before the stadium debate began, the mayor said, "We are here to discuss issues and not people." He banned citizens from criticizing their elected officials by name.

I've since had the honor of talking with Jackie Gentry, the Student Government Association president at Patrick Henry High School.

She had not realized our First Amendment rights had been squashed by the mayor.

I would implore the students to go to their teachers and ask, "How do you discuss issues and not people?" If it weren't for people, there simply would be no issues to discuss.

Do they support living in a city where the mayor restricts speech based on how he wants to control the discussion?

Our future lies in which form of government they support more than whether or not to build two high school stadiums.

E. Duane Howard

Roanoke

Still turned off by a negative campaign

I think Jerry Kilgore is a fine and deserving young man.

I also think the Republican campaign committee shot him in the foot. I may be wrong, but it's my opinion that this committee was the first to issue a negative campaign ad.

These ads were so bad that Kilgore looked ashamed when he said that his campaign approved this ad. I never heard him say that he approved any of the ads.

If I live to see another election year, I hope I have the mentality to determine which campaign committees are the first to come out with negative ads.

If I can do this, I won't vote for their candidates. I wish all Americans would do this, and I think some already have.

kenneth bowman

boones mill

River's health depends on citizens' involvement

As chairman of the Upper Roanoke River Roundtable citizen's group, I really appreciated your editorial calling on the commonwealth to support cleaning our streams and rivers (Nov. 28, "Cleaner streams, a healthier bay").

While the Chesapeake Bay seems to get most of the attention, we have real challenges in the Roanoke River watershed, with sections of impaired waters and a general lack of concern for the health of the river and its tributaries. More funding would certainly help.

That's why our group has scheduled a free public forum for 7 p.m. Dec. 13 at the Natural Science Center at Virginia Western Community College.

We plan to talk about what citizens are doing to protect the water quality and habitat in our beloved rivers. We plan to provide important information about the Healthy Rivers Initiative

We also have a great program on fish species in the Roanoke River that should be of interest to everyone.

With the help of the media, local legislators and city and county officials, the needs of the river can be met in a responsible way.

But it's going to take citizens demanding action to assure that adequate funds and respectable efforts are ongoing.

Bill Modica

salem