Moms for Liberty, a conservative group founded in 2021, aims to reshape public education by taking over school boards and banning books they view as inappropriate. Though new, the strategy of focusing on education issues to advance conservative goals is not novel. The group seeks to influence the 2024 Republican presidential primary and has gained influence within the GOP and conservative movement. While some call Moms for Liberty an extremist group, its members see themselves as protecting families and liberty. However, critics argue the group actually seeks to limit democracy by restricting the rights of those they disagree with.
They want to protect liberty by banning books, got it.
I want there to be a movement on the left to reclaim these words and terms. Even though they are full of shit just the use of these words gives them some kind of legitimacy (at least to some people).
I’m sure there are plenty of podcasts that cover this group and happening. This is the one I like.
They are doing the same playbook. The longer I’m an adult, the less inclined I am to defend parents’ rights so strongly. Children are people, not property.
It’s like no one knows what liberty means anymore
It seems to be a trend in some political movements to use terms in their name that are the opposite of what they defend:
- Liberty -> wants to restrict others’ liberty
- Popular -> defends the elites
- Voice -> tries to shut you up
- Common -> restricted to an in-group
- Life -> defends deaths
…and so on.
Sounds like it’s time to post that Sartre quote again. It’s about anti-semites, but you know, if the shoe fits…
“Never believe that anti-Semites are completely unaware of the absurdity of their replies. They know that their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. But they are amusing themselves, for it is their adversary who is obliged to use words responsibly, since he believes in words. The anti-Semites have the right to play. They even like to play with discourse for, by giving ridiculous reasons, they discredit the seriousness of their interlocutors. They delight in acting in bad faith, since they seek not to persuade by sound argument but to intimidate and disconcert. If you press them too closely, they will abruptly fall silent, loftily indicating by some phrase that the time for argument is past.”
I’ve noticed that many of these right wing extremists really like the idea of “liberty” without actually knowing what it is or actually supporting it at all for anyone other than the mega-wealthy. They’re legislating their own rights away. I blame 24 hour news.
