I am writing you because I have long sat back and digested the words used to describe White Center by Burien residents. It sickens me to hear that I must be less than human and definitely less than they (Burien residents) are because of my geographical location. It is appalling to me to hear about how they think of me, my family, and my neighbors.

Burien residents have a holier then though attitude that they are better than we are. Burien residents are making it us versus them mentality. I have news for those in Burien that feel this way, you are worse then we are! We are a community of character and uniqueness. You fear diversity. You fear those different then you are. This may have some to do with that White Center is a hub of many cultures all washing together. I feel it has more to do with the fact that we collectively have less money then you do. This is a show not of racism but of classism.

Burien residents look at my friends, and fellow human beings that are linked together by geography as the residue of society. I am writing because we are not the residuum. If Burien residents were of any intellectual level, diversity is not a bad thing. I have read the staff studies put together on Burien residence's ideas of White Center and the ignorance that is so overly abundant in the common Burien resident.

Burien residents most common argument is that "annexing White Center would deteriorate our quality of life." We are not a third world country. We of White Center and unincorporated King County are separated from Burien by a single street, 128th Street. We are neighbors, like it or not. Our quality of life is not much if any different then Burien. In fact I would argue that living in this unincorporated area of King County is of better quality. It is less homogeneous and such allows for a more diversified upbringing and education, which leads to better adjusted adults.

People of Burien you need to wake up and realize that you are fearful of a community of human beings. We are not monsters but people trying to get through life just as you are. You need to be less ethnocentric. I would like to finish up by saying that when it comes down to it that the stigmas applied to this area are overly generalized and that the people of Burien need to realize that what you have is not necessarily better than what we have.

Chris Sims

White Center