Loaded for Bear, or How Moms Take Back Our Country

 

You’ve heard how parents having been fighting back at some school board meetings to take back the rearing and education of their children. Now Florida has set a new standard for fighting back, and it’s spreading all over the country. The message it is sending is more than a shot over the bow to angry Progressives. This exciting movement is called Moms for Liberty.

The group was started by Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich, and they began their efforts fighting mask mandates. When those goals were pretty much met with the help of Gov. Ron DeSantis, they started to go after books they called pornographic, as well as books that discussed gay and transgender questions, such as “Gender Queer.” Their message is being heard not only all over the state but all over the country. Currently, they have 60,000 members in 152 chapters in 33 states. Chapter locations can be found here.

It’s not surprising that Progressives are upset at their efforts and are pushing back:

. . . Wes Hodge, chair of Orange County’s Democratic Party, sees Moms for Liberty as less grassroots and more part of a ‘coordinated effort’ to influence 2022 elections by firing up supporters of former President Donald Trump through culture war issues.

The group’s views do not represent mainstream thought in Orange County, he said. A Quinnipiac University poll from August found 60% of Floridians supported mask requirements for students, teachers and staff.

‘This is a way to keep the Trump Train engaged,’ he said. ‘If you want to show up in a clown suit and spew nonsense about how masks cause UTIs, more power to you. That’s Democracy. Does that mean they have a right to have policy enacted after their viewpoints? No.’

Mr. Hodge managed to try to tar them with a connection to Trump and then added a sexist comment (UTIs) for good measure.

Even though most of Moms for Liberty’s donations are small, the left has tried to tie their success to the Republican Party. Sarasota County School Board member Bridget Ziegler’s husband, Christian Ziegler, who is the vice chairman of the Florida Republican Party, said he expects education issues will mobilize voters for “liberty-minded” candidates up and down the ballot in next year’s elections. That “tie” to Republicans sounds ominous to some:

The group’s ties to Republican leaders prompted speculation that Moms for Liberty is bankrolled by GOP donors with deep pockets. Because the group is so new its financial records with the Internal Revenue Service haven’t been made public.

Descovich said Moms for Liberty is supported through small donations and merchandise sales. The group’s online store offers t-shirts and hats and a Moms for Liberty flag that costs $75.

*     *     *     *

These women are sending a powerful message to the people who care about this country. First, women, who are usually most engaged with childrearing, can do much more than raising their kids (the most important job for a mom). They can unify and be politically active in their communities too. Second, they are role models, not only for other citizens who care about the future of this country, but for their own children who are watching them take risks, speak out, and use their power productively. Finally, they are becoming known and respected for their efforts.

It sounds like Moms for Liberty are the mama bears of 2021!

Published in Politics
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There are 26 comments.

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  1. Henry Racette Member
    Henry Racette
    @HenryRacette

    Wonderful! I hope critical race theory is also high on their list of things to oppose.

    • #1
  2. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    DeSantis already mandated against CRT. I don’t know what the other states are doing. I hope they are taking action elsewhere, too!

    • #2
  3. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Speaking of moms for liberty, today I learned about “mamalitia.org.”

    From their site:

    Mamalitia was formed in 2019, and is based in California where the founder saw a need to prepare women during a time of uncertainty. We are a non partisan group of women who support the Constitution and support uplifting other women. We are made up of professionals and homemakers, women trained in natural medicine, business owners, mothers and women who want to learn how to be self sustaining if and when needed. 

    Our training is real world, real time and in creating another way for our families and building bonds with our fellow members we must put in time and effort for this new path forward. 

    Our women are trained in how to communicate should we be cut off 

    Our women are trained in protecting our homes  

    Our women are trained in how to prepare with food and supplies 

    Our women are trained in medic skills

    Our women are trained in community support

    Our women are creating schools 

    We are engaged and willing to make the changes we need to live with Freedom and Liberty. 

    • #3
  4. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf (View Comment):
    Mamalitia was formed in 2019, and is based in California where the founder saw a need to prepare women during a time of uncertainty. We are a non partisan group of women who support the Constitution and support uplifting other women. We are made up of professionals and homemakers, women trained in natural medicine, business owners, mothers and women who want to learn how to be self sustaining if and when needed. 

    They sure have ticked off a lot of people who are trying to defame them. But then again, it’s California.

    • #4
  5. DonG (CAGW is a hoax) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a hoax)
    @DonG

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Wonderful! I hope critical race theory is also high on their list of things to oppose.

    I don’t see anything explicit on their website.  They do explicit say they promote the principles of America’s founding, which is the opposite of CRT.  

    • #5
  6. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    DonG (CAGW is a hoax) (View Comment):

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Wonderful! I hope critical race theory is also high on their list of things to oppose.

    I don’t see anything explicit on their website. They do explicit say they promote the principles of America’s founding, which is the opposite of CRT.

    As I said in the comment above, DeSantis has prohibited CRT in Florida, which is where the group was founded. I’ve signed up for their mailing list, but I don’t know how well they’re keeping track of other states’ activities.

    • #6
  7. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Our office staff from about five years ago.

    • #7
  8. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Our office staff from about five years ago.

    Awesome! I’d fit right in!

    • #8
  9. Henry Racette Member
    Henry Racette
    @HenryRacette

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Our office staff from about five years ago.

    That looks familiar. You’ve posted it before, right?

    I like it. 

    • #9
  10. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Our office staff from about five years ago.

    That looks familiar. You’ve posted it before, right?

    I like it.

    Yes.  I’ve posted it before.

    • #10
  11. GrannyDude Member
    GrannyDude
    @GrannyDude

    Susan, because you said these moms were cool, I donated! 

    • #11
  12. Full Size Tabby Member
    Full Size Tabby
    @FullSizeTabby

    Susan Quinn:

    Even though most of Moms for Liberty donations are small, the Left has tried to tie their success to the Republican party. Bridget Ziegler’s husband, Christian Ziegler, who is the vice-chairman of the Florida Republican Party, said he expects education issues will mobilize voters for ‘liberty-minded’ candidates up-and-down the ballot in next year’s elections. That “tie” to Republicans sounds ominous to some:

    The group’s ties to Republican leaders prompted speculation that Moms for Liberty is bankrolled by GOP donors with deep pockets. Because the group is so new its financial records with the Internal Revenue Service haven’t been made public.

     

    I find this type of pushback from The Left ironic given how much The Left objects when people bring up that many lefty projects are mostly or entirely funded by wealthy individuals (see Soros, George and Steyer, Tom, for example) who may or may not have much grassroots support. 

    • #12
  13. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    I’m not in favor of banning books. But it is worth noting that the chair of the Orange County Democrats doesn’t make so much as a peep about books of the Western canon being rejected. However, if the target is Heather Has Two Mommies” and how they gibber!

    Maybe everybody should just leave the books alone. They’ll sit in the school libraries gathering dust as they always have.

    • #13
  14. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Percival (View Comment):
    I’m not in favor of banning books

    Neither am I. But these are school libraries. I think oversight is appropriate.

    • #14
  15. genferei Member
    genferei
    @genferei

    True Parent Power means repealing the school mandate!

    • #15
  16. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    I spent many hours in the library when I was in elementary school, but it was mostly looking at National Geographics from the WWII years.

    • #16
  17. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    GrannyDude (View Comment):

    Susan, because you said these moms were cool, I donated!

    Kate, that’s terrific! I’m sure they appreciate all donations.

    • #17
  18. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    I spent many hours in the library when I was in elementary school, but it was mostly looking at National Geographics from the WWII years.

    That must have been fascinating, Randy. Did they show the photos back then of naked natives?

    • #18
  19. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    I spent many hours in the library when I was in elementary school, but it was mostly looking at National Geographics from the WWII years.

    That must have been fascinating, Randy. Did they show the photos back then of naked natives?

    I don’t remember.  But they showed lots of photos of WWII aircraft and ships.  I was, after all, only 9 or 10.  The aircraft and ships were a lot more interesting.

    • #19
  20. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    Yeah, just go ahead and kick the hornet’s nest. 

    • #20
  21. Chuck Coolidge
    Chuck
    @Chuckles

    I’m a proponent of doing away with the public education system entirely.  If there were no Federal involvement at all, if the state did not give local schools any mandates, then perhaps.

    But I just can’t see any of this actually happening – so, sounds like Moms for Liberty is a reasonable alternative.

    • #21
  22. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Chuck (View Comment):
    I’m a proponent of doing away with the public education system entirely.  

    Carter should never have gotten the Feds involved. It’s always been a disaster.

    • #22
  23. Chuck Coolidge
    Chuck
    @Chuckles

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Chuck (View Comment):
    I’m a proponent of doing away with the public education system entirely.

    Carter should never have gotten the Feds involved. It’s always been a disaster.

    I know that quite apart from Federal involvement, although perhaps because of it I don’t know, in my own state there are state mandates that local public school systems are required to implement:  Things like adult education and catering to non-english speaking children.  There is a cost to these things.

    • #23
  24. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    I hope so but it needs to be for more than just 2022. The Libs just never give up. It seems like their attacks on our traditions never stop and our counters are passing fads. 

    • #24
  25. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Manny (View Comment):

    I hope so but it needs to be for more than just 2022. The Libs just never give up. It seems like their attacks on our traditions never stop and our counters are passing fads.

    I think we need to start seeing the lives of Conservatives as an endless battle. There is no giving up, Manny; there is only resilience, persistence and determination to fight back.

    • #25
  26. EHerring Coolidge
    EHerring
    @EHerring

    The more the left equates liberty and patriotism with Trump, DeSantis, and Republicans, the stonger our side gets. They don’t understand Americans. 

    • #26
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