Moms for Liberty's vision for America's future is narrow and dark. Why not help kids?

As the holidays approach, many are beginning to figure out what books they should gift their family, friends and other loved ones. Among all the cheerful thoughts of new books, one must also wonder, what books are not entering our homes, schools and local public libraries? When shopping for school-aged children, perhaps consider purchasing important books that are subtly being removed from our nation’s libraries.

According to PEN America’s “Banned in the USA” report, book bans are increasing rapidly across the United States. Who is behind these bans? Moms for Liberty, a right-wing political group founded in 2021 by three moms from Florida. Today they are connected to 58% of advocacy-led book bans. In the last several years, the group has grown to 285 chapters and over 120,000 active members nationwide.

While each respective chapter has different concerns, Moms for Liberty generally advocates against curriculum and books teaching Critical Race Theory, Social Emotional Learning, LGBTQ+ rights, and Black or minority perspectives. The rapid changes in educational standards and the introduction of new curricula addressing systemic racism, social justice and diversity are perceived as a threat to Moms for Liberty’s traditional values.

What motivates women who join Moms for Liberty?

I sought to know what was motivating these bans. To better understand the group, I spoke with chapter chairs of Moms for Liberty from southern states.

I came to realize this organization is so successful because, like most moms, the members care about their children. Describing themselves as “joyful warriors” protecting their kids, Moms for Liberty appears harmless and wholesome at first. They reacted warmly to me, a white female college student. They had some compelling, albeit superficial ways of drawing support for their agenda. What I discovered was that Moms for Liberty is not just a parental concern group — it's a potent political force imposing censorship in education.

I realized that joining Moms for Liberty seems so enticing because the members act like a support system for women. They subtly disseminate their ideology without triggering immediate resistance or suspicion. In essence, they seem normal and responsible enough. By employing these techniques, Moms for Liberty cloaks their extreme messages in more palatable and seemingly innocuous forms.

Nadine, a 32-year old mom from western Florida, made it seem as if joining Moms for Liberty is common sense. For example, she tried to convince me that Moms for Liberty is not about banning books. After all, “you can find them on Amazon, just not in a public school.” She made the analogy: “if they watch a PG-13 movie in school, they’re supposed to get a permission slip. Why not do the same for books?”

While Nadine’s claim may be correct, there is a drastic difference in the educational value between books and movies. Reading books should be considered a fundamental school practice that fosters critical thinking, language development, and cultural understanding. Teachers should be able to pick books and curricula for their students without permission slips, because they can best discern what materials align with educational objectives and growth. The moms demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding — or perhaps willful ignorance ­— of the role of literature in fostering critical thinking and broadening horizons. By demanding the right to vet and ban books, Moms for Liberty is undermining educators and, in turn, the intellectual growth of students.

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Do members of Moms for Liberty understand academic freedom?

Based on my interviews, I learned that Moms for Liberty has a skewed understanding of academic freedom and what can and does happen in a classroom. Betsy, a 49-year old mom from Florida, was wary of her children’s schools. She advised that vigilant parents “check ratedbooks.org, Booklooks.org, and other, similar sites to rule out books with wildly inappropriate content” because teachers will allow their students to read whatever they would like. Betsy questioned: “how are children supposed to learn to analyze literature if no teacher ever leads them in discussion and asks probing questions?” A lack of trust and understanding explains quite a bit of the book banning reaction provoked in these mothers.

Exposure to diverse ideas and perspectives through reading is vital for expanding a child's worldview. Books serve as windows into different cultures, historical events, and varied human experiences. If Moms for Liberty continues to restrict access to certain books and promotes turning teachers into vigilantes, our nation’s children are disserved.

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I also observed that Moms for Liberty seems to have rapidly gained so many new members because the organization has appealed to moms with prior grievances related to public education and the government. Many of the moms I spoke to first heard of Moms for Liberty as they fought to overturn mask and quarantine mandates in their children’s school districts. Nadine was upset that her two-year old had to wear a mask during naptime. Judy, a 38-year old surgical nurse from eastern Florida, similarly felt bad for her kids, who, as a result of the pandemic and quarantine guidelines, “missed their graduations, missed their field trips and missed all of this fun stuff they could have experienced.”

Key to the group’s pathos is groupthink. The common ground shared by the members fosters a sense of in-group cohesion and unity, which is comforting, but also conductive to forming an echo chamber. Members come together over perceived threats from teachers, administrators, and policies, solidifying as a group on their issues and suppressing dissenting views. They unify and conform on a perceived moral high ground. By framing issues in terms of “us vs. them,” the group also creates a siege mentality, where members feel that they are part of a righteous cause under threat from external forces. The strong bond fostered amongst the members is critical to their perpetual support of one another.

Moms for Liberty honors mothers at a time when they are rarely celebrated. The group empowers mothers to be absolute advocates of their children, in all scenarios. Sandra, a central member of Moms for Liberty, told me that she has “the fundamental right” to direct her children’s upbringing, including “their medical care, their morality, and their religion.”

Moms for Liberty has all the trappings of a successful social movement, empowering moms to stand up for what they believe is best for their kids. In doing so, however, Moms for Liberty is eliminating vital perspectives from public schools. What kind of future is Moms for Liberty creating for our nation’s children? A future where knowledge is curated through a narrow lens, or one where education equips young minds to thrive in a complex and diverse society? The answer seems painfully clear: Moms for Liberty is choosing the former, to the detriment of our nation’s future.

Hadley Noonan is a Hamilton College student and Westchester resident.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Moms for Liberty misunderstands books. Why not let kids to be curious?