Science

"I think there are better ways than windmills to reduce our use of fossil fuels."
Yes, you have told us what your ideas for this are, unfortunately they are not workable nor desirable for the rest of us.
"These giant wind turbines encourage major capital investments in a type of natural gas generated electricity that may not be desirable."
Yes, there is a study that suggests this "Bridging the Gap: Do Fast Reacting Fossil Technologies Facilitate Renewable Energy Diffusion?", but they also state this "Verdolini emphasized this merely describes the past — not necessarily the future. That’s a critical distinction, because the study also notes that if we reach a time when fast-responding energy storage is prevalent — when, say, large-scale grid batteries store solar or wind-generated energy and can discharge it instantaneously when there’s a need — then the reliance on gas may no longer be so prevalent."
You using this argument creates a question.
If we didn't have the renewable energy to use when we can what would they use instead? The obvious answer is more Natural gas plants as Nuclear is unfortunately in the decline worldwide.
"When we install these wind turbines are we overlooking other ways of reducing fossil fuel use? Are we committing ourselves to power sources that may not be desirable in the long run? "
I think we can walk and chew gum at the same time.
"I liken fossil fuels to smoking. To quit smoking you have to quit smoking. "
Plenty of people quit slowly, or using the patch which would be a good analogy to renewable energy vs fossil energy. The patch is better for you, better for the environment and still fulfills the need.
"It's possible I'm too fond of birds and bats and windy hillsides unscarred by human industry. "
Yes, and I hate the birds and bats and hillsides unscarred by humanity, I want to kill and destroy all of them. What a junk argument. What should we do? Get rid of electricity all together? Go back to our sewage going into rivers untreated? Use horses and unpaved roads? Have archaic hospitals with no electricity?
"If we are building wind turbines to power the air conditioners of big box stores, or immense computer server farms tracking "consumers" and pushing targeted advertising, then maybe we're going about things in the wrong way. "
You know what they are also building them for, people like you and me to use things called computers or phones or tablets that can write things and send them to huge server farms that then connect to websites where we can debate things like this. Right here.