Pubdate: Wed, 27 Jan 1999
Date: 01/27/1999
Source: Seattle Times (WA)
Author: Maureen Acosta

I find Anne Moore's statement that "Mexican teenagers are making
heroin easier to buy" not only offensive, but grossly incorrect.

What's even more ironic is she continues to say that she knows of six
heroin dealers in Shoreline, a predominantly white suburb.

As long as the white, middle class continues to blame "Mexicans" or
any other ethnic minority for their drug problems, they will continue
to miss the solution.

Moore is right: Drugs are prevalent in Shoreline; they were 10 years
ago when I was in high school. However, none of the kids known to be
"dealers" were of Hispanic descent. Rather, many of them were wealthy
kids from the affluent Richmond Beach area.

We must stop placing the blame for our community's problems on others.
Only when a community can own up to its problem, can they successfully
identify solutions.

Maureen Acosta,
Shoreline