Pick A Side
I’ve never been to the Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville. It appears to be an idyllic, exclusive place. A genteel refuge tucked away from the hustle of downtown Charlottesville and the University of Virginia.
There the FFVs - First Families of Virginia - and wealthy newcomers golf, dine and network within Farmington’s cozy, clubby confines.
Its website claims that the former plantation has a rich history, intertwined with Virginia’s:
The estate of Farmington was patented in 1735, and was first built upon at some period prior to 1780.
At the time of the American Revolution, the Commonwealth of Virginia confiscated the property from owner Francis Jerdone, who was a Tory, because of his political principles. Mr. Jerdone was able to regain the estate and then sold it to George Divers in 1785.
Legend has it that Mr. Divers, who was in Philadelphia at the time of the sale, rode two horses to death in his dash south to claim the estate.
It was under Mr. Diver's ownership that in 1803, Thomas Jefferson drew plans for an addition to the house, an octagonal addition with two rooms. A subsequent owner, General Bernard Peyton, divided the Jefferson Room into two stories and four rooms.
In the spring of 1927, an idea was conceived by local businessmen to develop a country club and residential community of a quality that would do justice to the historic atmosphere of Albemarle County...
The plantation renovations begun in 1927 were completed in May of 1929, and the Club and grounds were formally opened on May 15, 1929, at which time Farmington Country Club became a reality.
Photos from Farmington’s website show elegant rooms, tasteful decor and soothing views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Not the sort of place to host rowdy bar brawls, but exactly the sort of place a celebrity like Tucker Carlson might seek to enjoy a quiet meal with his college-aged kids.
Tucker was dining at Farmington last month when he says his teenaged daughter was accosted by Juan Manuel Granados, a member of the club, behaving in a most non-genteel manner.
Heck, I’ll let Tucker tell you what happened:
Farmington officials looked into the altercation and revoked the foul-mouthed Granados’ membership.
The Washington Post reports that Granados is a board member of The Women’s Initiative, an organization that provides counseling for women. Yet this man is accused of calling a teenaged girl the “c” word?
Unbelievable.
Wait. I should say Granados “was” a board member. I checked the Initiative’s website Wednesday and Mr. Granados was no longer listed. Apparently his name was hastily removed.
Not to worry. The man has lawyered up and guess who he hired?
Michael Avenatti.
Yep, the sleazeball - and 2020 presidential hopeful - who rounded up women willing to fabricate encounters with Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and who was arrested yesterday on felony charges of domestic violence.
This publicity hound immediately declared that Granados is gay and hispanic.
Who cares? Rude is rude.
But in the world of Avenatti, identity politics trump everything.
Carlson wanted to keep the unpleasant Farmington incident quiet to avoid embarrassing his daughter. Plus, publicizing this sort of insane behavior tends to spawn even more of it. Even without press coverage, a mob of crazies descended upon Carlson’s house a couple of weeks later, terrifying his wife who was home alone.
All because of his politics.
It’s time to pick sides, America.
We’re either a free country where people can express political views without fear of violence. Or we’re a country where those with certain ideas - conservative now, perhaps liberal later - cannot venture out in public or retreat to the privacy of their homes without being threatened, insulted, harassed and hounded.
What’ll it be?
