LETTER: Dose of Reality

Having had the opportunity to work in my parents' liquor store for the past 11 years, I was truly enlightened by Sarah Goldfine and Theresa Weir's extensive knowledge on customer/merchant relations. After reading "Sam's Place and the Evils of White Gentrification" (DP 2/10/92), I realized how selfish my parents have been. The very thought of protecting the "loot" that we worked 13 hours a day and seven days a week for made me sick to my stomach. Although I'm not familiar with the facts surrounding the Andre McNatte case, here's a dose of reality. In the past 11 years, my parents have been physically assaulted, spat upon, verbally abused and robbed at gunpoint six times. We have accepted these incidents as a part of doing business. There will always be people like Goldfine and Weir who will point to high prices, poor merchandise and "rudely racist" owners as almost a justification for these acts. This belief is as moronic as saying that all black customers are criminals and I don't buy it for a second. I agree that with any shooting -- especially one involving a 14-year-old teenager -- there should be a full investigation. And if Kevin Dales is at fault, he should be charged with murder. But let's not forget that some 14-year old kids do carry guns, commit armed robberies and, yes, sometimes even kill. In a holdup, it's not always easy to tell whether the object in the criminal's pocket is a gun, knife or maybe even a finger. But in that situation, I have the absolute right to act upon the actual or perceived threat on my life. Unfortunately, deadly force is sometimes the only viable option. So although I cannot fully condone Kevin Dales' actions, I cannot altogether condemn them either. This case needs to be evaluated on the evidence alone and not tinged with generalities about evil store owners and oppressed customers. GREG SHIN Wharton '92

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