What was wrong with a simple no thank you?

A young man came to your door. He asked you to make a purchase. You could have said no and closed the door. End of story. But you didn’t. You chose to shame him instead.

During your brief interaction you assessed his skin tone, hair style and his vernacular and decided he couldn’t possibly attend an elite university.

If that wasn’t enough, you chose to continue your shaming with your commentary in The Hinsdalean (Pamela Lannom’s Sept. 26 column). You blame him for interrupting your day. You and your white privilege should be ashamed of the way you treated this person. And the racial undertones of this article are gross.

I don’t know the story behind why he came to your door. But neither do you. You let your assumptions get the best of you.

Maybe next time someone comes to your house, reach for compassion. And leave your privilege at the door. — Kathryn Crist, Hinsdale