You can’t wade far into the culture wars of our time without learning a bit about the Moms for Liberty.
The stated mission of the organization is “fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.”
“Parental rights” has become the battle cry of this organization and the far-right politicians who enjoy their support. Founded in early 2021, Moms for Liberty is quite young for its growth in profile.
Moms for Liberty recently found their way to Arkansas, with chapters in Benton, Washington, Craighead, Lonoke, and Pulaski Counties. It’s important that we know what they bring to communities where they organize. Here are just a few points to consider as we watch this group attempt to expand in Arkansas.
- Moms for Liberty presents itself as nonpartisan, but it endorses far-right candidates and was founded by the wife of the vice chair of the Florida Republican Party.
- Moms for Liberty is at the forefront of book bans in our state and country.
- Arkansas leaders of the group’s chapters have made threats to library personnel in their communities.
- School districts in Arkansas had Moms for Liberty candidates in school board races over the last few election cycles.
- Since its founding, a core tactic of Moms for Liberty has been intimidation, which has sometimes led to harassment of those who disagree with them.
As the group gains notoriety, more information is coming out each week that reveal questionable political relationships, blatantly racist messaging tactics, and ruthless intolerance for any measure of diversity in the communities where they organize.
Arkansans are fiercely protective of the children in our state, so it would be easy to see their supposed priority of “protect the children” and “parental rights” and think they are aligned with our values. However, it’s important that we approach this organization with a critical lens, asking questions about the harm they continue to cause, and when necessary, protecting our communities from their influence.
