Normalizing 'extremist' Moms for Liberty in Iowa
Opinion: It's disturbing to watch an 'extremist" movement take root in Iowa.
The Southern Poverty Law Center considers Moms for Liberty a far-right “extremist group,” and that doesn’t jive with how some local television media portrayed them on July 6. The newscast I saw didn’t mention Moms for Liberty at all in its coverage of an event with Casey DeSantis and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.
Many of the women, who attended a “Mamas for DeSantis” launch event with Reynolds in Johnston, wore Moms for Liberty t-shirts, according to Iowa Capital Dispatch. They attended the event for Casey DeSantis who came to Iowa to tout her own “mamas” initiative and garner support for her husband Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 2024 presidential campaign.
If you recall, Moms for Liberty gained prominence in 2021 during the Coronavirus pandemic under the guise of parental rights. They detested face masks and COVID-19 vaccines, among other things. They’ve also endorsed conservative school board candidates. Oh, and some members of Moms for Liberty apparently like to quote Adolph Hitler. And the group incessantly worries about the “indoctrination” of their children. According to its website, Moms for Liberty in Iowa has chapters in Polk, Carroll, Story, Linn, Dallas and Warren counties.
“Moms for Liberty is dedicated to fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government,” according to the mission on its website.
However, the center, which monitors hate groups and other extremists, labeled Moms for Liberty an “antigovernment” organization. Moms for Liberty has opposed Critical Race Theory and supported numerous book bans and anti-LGBTQ measures.
The newscast I watched contained zero mention of Moms for Liberty, which was founded in DeSantis’ home state (he just spoke at the group’s recent summit with Republican presidential hopefuls), nor several Iowa members who took photos with Reynolds. In the Simpson Barn, Reynolds — once again — surrounded herself with people who belong to a far-right extremist group, some of whom hope to remake the nation’s and Iowa’s schools. Moms who want to “stoke the fires of liberty,” according to the group’s website. A fringe group of moms who think they know better than educators how to reform the U.S. educational system.
Reynolds pushed for and approved “parental rights” laws during the 2023 legislative session with support from these kinds of moms. New laws included a “ban from school libraries on books that depict sex and requiring parental permission for school staff to use a different name or pronouns for a student than the ones listed at birth,” according to the Dispatch.
During the session, many Iowans also opposed book bans, anti-LGBTQ measures and other laws that passed, including using public money for private schools or Education Savings Accounts, which will exceed the more than $100 million the state budgeted for it.
We made it through the 2023 Iowa legislative session. Barely. We made it through the pandemic. Barely. We made it through a Trump presidency, steeped in disinformation, misinformation, scandals, lawsuits — and the ensuing insurrection. Just barely.
We should know better by now, and we’d better pay attention if we truly want safe, diverse and inclusive schools. The acceptance of and normalization of state leaders’ cozy relationships with “extremist” groups is alarming. Portraying the antics of Moms for Liberty, a bonafide extremist group, as benign and failing to flag its extremism comes at the expense of an informed public.
It will create fertile growing conditions in this state for the proliferation of masses of smiling, t-shirt-clad, hatemongering moms.
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Amen to "disturbing"! I fear that out in the rural school districts several of the book banning type candidates did prevail recently, even though they may not have in the urban and suburban districts. The support for Gov. Reynolds and the extremists often comes from more isolated voters, unfortunately.