PLATFORM : Rebuilders Welcome

By THANE TIERNEY

May 10, 1992 12 AM PT

<i> THANE TIERNEY, a novelist and copywriter, who lives in Inglewood, commented on whether certain businesses should be allowed to rebuild in South Los Angeles. He told The Times:</i>

As we undergo the healing process, both in Inglewood and neighboring communities, the question arises: What will take the place of these burned and twisted shells that once housed a considerable segment of our business districts? Should we mandate that businesses such as liquor stores and gunsmiths be zoned out? Or should we just allow the people with the most money to spend dictate what goes where and when?

Either choice has its flaws. The ex post facto urban planning, however well-intentioned, would be a patchwork approach at best. And while some people view liquor stores and gun shops as manifest evil, removing them wouldn’t have prevented the riots. Barring them from rebuilding doesn’t guarantee peace and harmony in the future.

We should welcome all those who have faith enough in our communities to build, and most especially those who wish to rebuild.

“The fault,” Shakespeare might have said, “is not in our stores, but in ourselves.”