When I choose silence 

To the Editor;

I have wonderful neighbors here in Guilford. We don’t always agree about politics. That’s OK. But for me President Donald Trump’s words are personal. I am American, born and raised. My father was not so lucky — refugees from Hungary, his family came here with nothing but hope. Like many “white” Americans — Irish, French Canadian, Italian, the list goes on — we were the “wrong type” of immigrant at the time. Although I consider talking about this with my neighbors, usually I choose not to.

This week, as a resident of Guilford, I am confronted with my silence. My sister-in-law is kind, thoughtful, articulate and an incredible mother to my nieces and nephew. She reminded me that while I can choose silence, she cannot remove her black skin. My family arrived with nothing but hope and found the American dream in a single generation. Her family arrived on slave ships that did not carry hope. 

In America, a man can jump a kid who looks like my nephew, murder him and claim it was self defense. It happened to Trayvon, to Ahmaud, to too many. What about my nephew’s right to self defense? What about his right to be afraid? In America, my white nephews are innocent until proven guilty but my black nephew can face a death sentence before his miranda rights are read.

I’m proud of Puritan. I love Guilford. I love my neighbors. Most of all I love my nieces and nephews. When I choose silence, what am I choosing for them?

Lizzy Koltai-Price 

Guilford