RYAN WALTERS + MOMS FOR LIBERTY
MY MOMMIES CAN BEAT UP YOUR MOMMIES
As an Ed blogger, I've covered some pretty wild stories. But nothing could have prepared me for the absurdity of Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters' recent defense of the extremist group Moms for Liberty.
In case you haven't heard of them, Moms for Liberty is a group of mothers who believe that their children's education is under attack from radical leftists. They claim to be a grassroots organization, but it turns out that they're actually funded by the Koch brothers and Betsy DeVos. You know, just your typical concerned parents.
Anyway, at a recent press conference, Walters was asked about Moms for Liberty's controversial views on critical race theory. Instead of denouncing the group, he actually defended them. And not just defended them, but mocked their opponents.
"Listen, my mommies can beat up your mommies any day of the week," Walters said with a smirk. "These are strong, chubby women who are standing up for what they were told to believe in. And if that means pushing back against the Woke indoctrination of our children, then so be it."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Was the state superintendent really endorsing a group that believes that racism doesn't exist and that teaching kids about it is somehow anti-American? And was he really resorting to playground taunts?
But it gets even better. When asked about the Koch brothers' involvement with Moms for Liberty, Walters brushed it off as a non-issue.
"Look, we live in a capitalist society," he said. "If the Koch brothers want to support a group of moms who are fighting for their kids' education, then who are we to judge? And let's be real, if George Soros was funding a group of leftist moms, nobody would bat an eye."
I couldn't help but laugh at the sheer absurdity of it all. It was like watching a Saturday Night Live sketch come to life.
But then I remembered that this was real life. And that the state superintendent was actually defending a group that is actively working to undermine our children's education.
So I did what any responsible journalist would do. I dug deeper.
And what I found was even more disturbing than I could have imagined.
It turns out that Moms for Liberty isn't just anti-critical race theory. They're also anti-vaccine, anti-mask, and anti-science in general. They believe that COVID-19 is a hoax and that the government is using it as an excuse to take away our freedoms.
In other words, they're conspiracy theorists.
And yet, somehow, they've managed to gain a following in Oklahoma. They've even started holding rallies and protests, where they chant slogans like "My body, my choice" and "Freedom over fear."
It's enough to make you want to bang your head against a wall.
But here's the thing. As ridiculous as Moms for Liberty may seem, they're not going away anytime soon. And neither is the political polarization that has allowed them to thrive.
So what can we do about it?
Well, for starters, we can stop pretending that this is just a harmless group of concerned parents. We can start calling out their dangerous beliefs and holding our elected officials accountable when they try to defend them.
And most importantly, we can start listening to each other again. Because at the end of the day, we're all just moms and dads who want what's best for our kids.
Even if some of us have a funny way of showing it.
Oklahoma State Superintendent defends 'parental rights' group named extremist by civil rights watchdog https://kfor.com/news/local/oklahoma-state-superintendent-defends-parental-rights-group-named-extremist-by-civil-rights-watchdog/
