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Fishburn was green before green was cool

While I never knew my great-grandfather J.B. Fishburn personally, I can say with certainty that he knew the value of preserving open space for future generations. As a businessman, he could have easily sold to the highest bidder land that would later be donated for public parks.

Today we are all beneficiaries of his unique vision. Mill Mountain, Wasena, South Roanoke, Fern, Norwich and Lakewood parks in Roanoke and Fairy Stone State Park in Patrick County all exist due to his foresight.

Gov. Kaine, in his push to preserve 400,000 acres of open space during his term, has noted that of all the development to occur in Virginia in the last 400 years, a quarter of it has happened since the early 1990s.

As a Roanoke native residing in Georgia, I applaud Valley Forward's efforts to attract young people to Roanoke, but I see the move to develop Mill Mountain at this time as misguided.

Fishburn's sentiments can be discerned through the pattern of his actions. Building a restaurant on the most prominent spot of a small public park does not maintain a legacy of responsible land stewardship.

Downtown offers lots of development options

I agree with several recent letters that are in opposition to the development on Mill Mountain.

If the young, influential members of Valley Forward are looking to leave their mark on the city, why do they feel it necessary to disturb more green space? There are plenty of opportunities awaiting them in the downtown area. With so much emphasis placed on attracting visitors and locals downtown, you would think that someone in that intellectual group could see the importance of investing in this area of our city.

This way those from other areas will want to experience downtown and then venture to Mill Mountain to enjoy its natural beauty. Maybe then someone would think that those in the valley have really thought things out and have the best of both worlds.

But, no, if there is an empty piece of land, then someone must build something on it and make himself look good.

How about making some upgrades to secure the natural beauty of the mountain so that generations to come can see that we were concerned enough about allowing them to enjoy that beauty as well? I believe that was what J.B. Fishburn had in mind.

Bad-driver fees are all about money

The news story "No evidence new fees deter bad driving, report says" (Dec. 6) discusses a report from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission that says, "there's no evidence Virginia's new fees on bad drivers deter abusive driving."

Well, they are not supposed to. They are only there to raise money, which they do.

The new law that imposes steep civil penalties for bad driving also is applied inconsistently, and that was also intended.

The report states that there is ambiguity about which offenses warrant the fees. And the fees don't apply to out-of-state drivers.

Remember, this law was made strictly for the convenience of government; there were no other considerations.

Oprah's choice was either/or

This is in response to the news story "Oprah says worry about country led to Obama endorsement" (Dec. 9), regarding what pushed her to make her first endorsement in a presidential campaign.

Since this is her first time, it had to be a hard decision: Obama or Hillary Clinton? I respect her, but give us a break.

Other Charlotte Moore was treated poorly

I don't know the players in the politics of Roanoke County's Cave Spring District, but this outgoing Cave Springs Supervisor Mike Wray appointing his buddy Rodney McNeil to the county planning commission as his outgoing defiant act toward newly elected supervisor Charlotte Moore is repugnant.

People like this give politics a bad name. It is and always has been the accommodating gesture to allow the incoming person to appoint his or her own people to work with. Obviously, Wray's momma didn't teach him any manners, or maybe he just defied her, too, and just does not want to take the higher road.

Too bad for the good people of Cave Spring.

I am no relation to nor have I ever met Moore. I just recognize unseemly and unfair actions when I see them.

Gun permit holders should have privacy

My response to the editorial "Gun data belongs in public view" (Dec. 5):

To put it simply, it does not. Why does the paper wish to reveal the names and addresses of law-abiding citizens who have been through a background check and who have spent precious time and money to go through a tedious process of training and authorization that is supposed to lessen tensions for everyone concerned?

You may truly believe that the people have the right to know, but I have to ask you: Why do they need to know?

Following your "people have the right to know" logic, would you post a list of names and addresses of persons known to be gay? Would you post a list of names and addresses of persons returning from military service? How about posting the names, addresses and phone numbers of all newspaper editors?

There are areas where privacy needs to be maintained. Concealed handgun permit holders are definitely in that group. Look at the "hullabaloo" your paper created in March for examples. It's not that hard.

Gun data requests should be made openly

Your editorial "Gun data belongs in public view" (Dec. 5) claims the state Freedom of Information Advisory Council erred by recommending that the state police database of concealed firearm permit holders be exempted from public disclosure, even while acknowledging the "hullabaloo" from your irresponsible posting of the link to those data online.

Your "real concern" for continued access to the state police database follows your damage to the rights of the individuals in that database to privacy and protection from harm.

The office of the clerk of court should be the forum for unimpeded creation of or access to the public record for individuals seeking to carry a concealed firearm, or for you, nosy persons or potential stalkers.

Inquiries about concealed firearm permits or other individual matters should be made in public, rather than having your newspaper enable anonymous online shopping for the names and private addresses of potential crime victims who may have firearms or other valuable property in their homes, and for Google maps to locate their residences.

Anti-gay blather was hopeful, in a way

I don't know whether I should be angry or relieved that you published the anti-gay commentary by John Stec ("No one has 'right' to sin," Dec. 7) as a rebuttal to your editorial supporting gay rights.

Stec is mired in the "ick factor" variety of homophobia. When he sees "gay" or "lesbian," he immediately obsesses about sex acts, as if gays and lesbians perform acts that are not performed by heterosexuals, as if that is all there is to being gay or lesbian.

His perspective is so myopic that he is unable to imagine any sexual orientation other than hetero, and unable to imagine a person having the full breadth, depth and kind of love for a person of the same sex that a heterosexual person has for his or her spouse.

Despite Stec's visceral, irrational reaction to gays, even he concludes that the mere fact that someone is gay should not be the basis for workplace discrimination.

So I could be angry at seeing such insulting blather being elevated to the stature of commentary. But I could also be relieved that such lame drivel is the best argument that you could find.