My Letter to the Owners of Grand Prospect Hall Asking them to Cancel Their NRA Event on April 12

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Halkias

As a forty years resident of Park Slope and as someone who has attended over 20 events at Grand Prospect Hall, from political fundraisers, to weddings to school celebrations, I am outraged and appalled that you would defy the overwhelming sentiment of this community and rent the hall to the National Rifle Association on April 12

At a time when almost every school in Park Slope had walk outs and vigils to mourn gun deaths at schools in the United States, especially the Parkland Massacre, it is a grievous insult to the people in our community to rent that hall to an organization that not only rejects all restrictions on assault weapons, but has insulted the students in Parkland who have spoken out against gun violence

If you do not cancel the NRA event immediately, i assure you that I will not only never attend another event at Grand Prospect Hall, I will encourage everyone I know, including local politicians, to boycott your organization

This is the worst decision I have seen a local business owner make in more than 30 years I hope you come to your senses and cancel the event

Sincerely

Mark D Naison
Park Slope Resident
Professor of African American Studies and History
Fordham University