Keep Fishkill Beautiful!

Another statement from Town Councilmember Don Przytula. THANK YOU Councilmember Przytula for your decisive words that leave no room for doubt as to where you stand.

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Response to recent N**i gesture at Fishkill Block Party
- Don Przytula

Can you imagine the grief and fear that would lead a German couple in the 1930s to place their thirteen year old son alone on a ship bound for America?

That thirteen year old was my father-in-law. Upon arriving at Ellis Island, he was instructed to make his way to Philadelphia and find his uncle, Jack. Not all of his family was able to escape N**i persecution, and some perished at the hands of the N**i regime.

A few years later, after becoming a United States citizen, my father-in-law returned to Germany wearing a U.S. Army uniform fighting for his newly adopted country.

While some may view a N**i salute or sw****ka as a joke or harmless gesture, for many Americans these symbols evoke painful memories of hatred, persecution and unimaginable loss. They are reminders of one of history’s darkest chapters and have no place in America-let alone a community gathering in Fishkill.

For anyone who does not fully understand the devastation caused by the Holocaust, I encourage you to visit the Holocaust Memorial Museums in New York City and Washington, D.C. There, you can learn from the survivors’ stories and witness first hand the human cost of hatred and intolerance.

Don Przytula
Councilmember, Town of Fishkill

Another elected official speaking out *as they should*.

Like so many of you, I was shocked and appalled to learn of an incident which took place at the Fishkill Block Party in the village this weekend.

Let me be perfectly clear: Hate has no home in Fishkill.

I stand in solidarity with all those affected by this hateful gesture caught on film. This sickening act is not representative of Fishkill, its values or its great people. But it is a poignant reminder to us all that hate and intolerance can grow like weeds in an untended garden, if we don't do our part to prevent them.

It is my understanding that the matter is being dealt with by the appropriate authorities, and I offer them my full support in handling this sensitive matter. I further offer my support and congratulations to the Village of Fishkill: the annual block party was an excellent event, emblematic of the community spirit and unity I've known throughout my 34 years on earth as a Fishkill resident.