On May 2nd, the group America First United hosted a conference at Bryn Du Mansion in Granville.

On May 2nd, the group America First United hosted a conference at Bryn Du Mansion in Granville. AFU is an extension of America First, a nationally known hate group that espouses racism, antisemitism, and misogyny. The conference was billed as being “bipartisan” and issues such as foreign influence and transparency for the Epstein scandal were featured in the conference promotional materials. However, the overriding agenda was not one of policy issues but one of hatred against Jews, Muslims, non-whites, immigrants, homosexuals others that America First insists have no rightful place in America. According to the New York Times, “there was a slew of epithets for homosexuals, slurs for intellectual disabilities, and antisemitic comments” A Far-Right Experiment in Political Unity - The New York Times . The conference slid under the local media radar, leaving many in Granville unaware that it took place. For those who read the NYT article with disbelief and shock, its occurrence has launched questions about how First Amendment considerations apply to Bryn Du Mansion and the public and private aspects of its programming. If, as a public facility, Bryn Du may not deny groups access based on their belief systems, then presumably the public has a right to know what events take place there, both public and private, and to appropriately exercise their own First Amendment rights. If Bryn Du is private, then it would have the latitude to restrict programming in its bylaws, for example by excluding political events altogether. Many questions remain about the rights and responsibilities of our village facilities. We hope that ongoing dialogue between Bryn Du and the Village of Granville will result in practical, ethical public guidelines with which to navigate future such events. Our elected and appointed officials also need to be more transparent and communicative about that process, and not just hope that this issue remains unnoticed and soon forgotten. Whatever the outcome, Granville residents need to know what took place in our community on May 2nd, and to voice their opinions with local leaders.