I just received a link to this article ["
Tomb With a View," January 10] from a friend who lived in Valley View. I lived on Murray Road from 1959 to 1970. I witnessed firsthand what Ralph Conte and Pete Boyas did to this once beautiful area. I watched as the woods that I spent many years playing in as a boy were raped and pillaged all for the sake of a few peoples' greed.
My first thoughts were that every single dollar that these two men left in this world should be taken from their families and given to the people that are still alive on Murray and Fosdick Roads. Do I feel any compassion for their heirs? Not in the least bit. These two men reaped enormous wealth at the cost of these families.
Are they the only ones to blame? Of course not. The list would probably include more names then most people would care to admit -- from the higher ups within the EPA to many local officials. All would have to take some responsibility. That is obviously not going to happen. As the article stated: "You've come too late."
Eventually the residents of Murray and Fosdick will die off and all will be forgotten. In a time when the catch phrase is "We will never forget," it is a sad commentary on what takes priority and what we will allow to be forgotten.
This travesty was created, condoned and perpetuated not by terrorists from another country with strange or radical beliefs, but by someone far worse. It was a direct attack by our own people. Our neighbors, our government, our local leaders. People we thought we could trust.
I served more than 30 years in the military thinking my service would protect the rights of all the people of America. What a naive and misguided notion. Dollar signs are the only thing in this country that are protected. Shame on us.
Gary McClendon
Monument, Colo.
