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Let me begin by saying this: It was a horrible, indefensible decision by a local Moms for Liberty chapter in Indiana to use a quote from Adolf Hitler in its group newsletter.
The quote appeared at the top of the chapter’s newsletter with zero context, and it said this: “He alone, who OWNS the youth, GAINS the future.”
I don’t think for one second the group was advocating for Hitler or fascism. Rather, the quote is emblematic of what these conservative moms fear is happening in public schools around the country, as government officials double down on their belief that they know what’s best for children – not parents.
It’s also important to note that the quote was used by one chapter in one state. It’s unfair, as some have, to declare that the entire organization has “no business” in politics because of the mistake of a single chapter.
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Anyone who has followed the work of Moms for Liberty in recent years and what they stand for, as I have, would understand that immediately. The group began as a small grassroots effort in early 2021 to advocate for parental rights during the pandemic’s school lockdowns. Its mission is now more broad: “empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.”
Members’ efforts are seen most visibly in public schools.
Moms for Liberty has grown to about 100,000 members, and with that growth has come more political influence, including attention from Republican presidential candidates.
Yet many people don’t know the history of the group, nor care. And this local chapter gave the mainstream media and Democrats the perfect opportunity to smear them as fascists – which they jumped on immediately.
The chapter has apologized for using the quote, but the damage is already done.
Maybe we should stop calling each other fascists
Liberals love to paint Republicans as defenders of fascism. That word is thrown around often as a go-to label to silence debate.
This is not a new phenomenon (conservative writer Jonah Goldberg wrote a whole book on the trend in 2009), but it has become a common way to smear rising Republican stars such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who are pushing back against leftist tenets in schools and beyond.
Dangerous ideologies – whether fascism, national socialism or communism – are important to study because history has a way of repeating itself, and many of these ideas remain very much alive. However, any attention paid to a horrible tyrant guilty of genocide must be given carefully and with great context.
Groups such as Moms for Liberty should know their every move will be scrutinized by the left in this incredibly polarized environment. It was a few weeks ago that the Southern Poverty Law Center called Moms for Liberty an “extremist” group.
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So Moms for Liberty ought to be well aware that they must be careful in what they say and do.
It’s worth noting this Indiana chapter is just one of nearly 300 around the country, and certainly isn’t representative of the whole organization. In this case, the chapter was trying to paint its opponents – and the leftist indoctrination the group fears – as fascists. In doing so, the label was turned on them.
Maybe the lesson here is that we should stop calling each other fascists so flippantly.
This is about much more than Moms for Liberty
Let’s be honest. This isn’t just about Moms for Liberty. It’s about the 2024 election and the ideological war between the left and right.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Moms for Liberty is hosting its national summit this week, and Republican candidates like DeSantis and former President Donald Trump are expected to make appearances.
Expect to see a lot of headlines lumping together these moms and candidates with words like “extremist” and “fascism.”
That’s unfair. But it will keep happening. And groups such as Moms for Liberty shouldn’t give liberals a perfect excuse to come after them.
Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques
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