Discrimination is not the issue here | Letters | Oct. 29

Published 1:54 pm Friday, October 29, 2010

Discrimination is an ugly word; the words of prejudice are even uglier. I’ve seen the face of discrimination in a very personal way. As a child growing up in a family with predominately Native American ethnicity, remember the ethnic slugs about “Indians” in 1950s Oklahoma. Those words were repugnant.

To be accused of discrimination by anyone, especially in a letter from someone I’ve never met, is sickening. The false accusations, that we are discriminating against seniors, whom most of us are, is a smoke screen to hide the real issues – safety, zoning and protective covenants.

Contrary to what the renters operating the Bailey business are saying, those covenants are still in effect. I signed them in April 2010 when I bought my home.

For the Taylor Avenue resident (“Residents making the island look bad,” Oct. 15) to call a Whited Place homeowner “a misguided resident” for speaking about the business traffic bringing danger to the children, here are facts. That resident is the father of the 11-year-old girl who narrowly missed being struck by a Bailey business vehicle. She has rode a bicycle for years; the business-related driver of the car was just not looking.

I’m wondering if the Taylor Avenue resident would feel the same way if that had been his child. He also mentioned “NIMBY,” clearly showing a lack of understanding of density zoning regulations to avoid near-misses such as stated above.

Annie Wilson

Whited Place