Moms from across the country have gathered in Philadelphia this weekend for a jam packed Moms for Liberty Joyful Warriors National Summit. The event will be headlined by former President Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), and other political luminaries — but the real stars are the moms in attendance.
They are the moms who chaperone school field trips and wait with and for kids at the school bus stop. They are the moms who volunteer to run school fundraisers, wipe down lunch tables, tie shoes, read stories, and drive carpool. They are the moms who object to dirty and divisive books in the school library. They are the moms who donate backpacks full of food for the kids who might not get a good meal at home over the weekend. They are the moms you know from your neighborhood, your church, and your school.
They are the moms Southern Poverty Law Center put on their “Hate Map” this year, putting a target on the backs of all moms across the country.
They are the moms who endure being threatened by government officials who demanded that the Museum of the American Revolution kick moms out of the venue. Naturally, Young Communist League, ACT UP Philly, and other radicals heard the dog whistle and sprang into action.
Moms for Liberty attendees must walk through a gauntlet of threats and vile chants just to gather in fellowship at a national summit. This is the real reason for their inclusion on SPLC’s Hate Map. This designation is a signal to radical activists to target their fellow Americans. And don’t forget the SPLC’s radical protest insurance policy: Learning for Justice. Just in case the Hate Map is not enough, SPLC seeks to infiltrate schools across the country with polarizing radical sexual and social justice messages in an attempt to warp the minds of the nation’s children. Moms at the Joyful Warriors Summit are onto them, and insist: we don’t co-parent with the government or progressive political groups.
The rights to speak, to gather, and to protest are basic rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Polarized politics in America today means citizens don’t protest the government’s abuse of our rights as often as we protest our fellow citizens. This kind of division is dangerous when it is based on hate fueled by groups like SPLC and the shock troops they activate. I mean, what national parents conference is complete without protestors tearing up a Bible?
When we see social media posts about this event, they are likely to capture the antics of protestors outside or the much-admired speakers addressing the summit. But I want to make sure you hear from the moms who are there to be together in solidarity. Because at this event, as in life, the moms making things happen in your corner of the world are not necessarily the ones in front of the camera.
A great example of this is my friend Amy Snead, the Moms for Liberty chapter chair from Bedford, Virginia. She shared pictures and described the energy. “The interactions inside this building are joyful and positive. People are networking, getting to know each other, and there is a lot of excitement. There is a unified effort among people who believe the United States is the greatest country in the world and want to work to maintain that. We are laser focused on our mission to defend parental rights at all levels of government. This is truly a nationwide movement with moms leading the charge.”
Meanwhile, outside, there is blaring music and Bible shredding — to “defend democracy.”
California mom Kelly Schenkoske, a presenter at the conference, said, “Being at the Moms for Liberty conference is an honor and an encouragement. I have met wonderful people who care about families and children. What an honor to meet people from all over the country who, despite the hostility they face, continue to stand and lovingly speak up for the protection of children and teens. Outside the conference, I was met with screaming and hostility. These individuals do not know us, and they do not know me. But I was taught to love them and so … despite their words, I have nothing but compassion for the protestors. I am grateful that we live in a nation where we get to speak freely. They have a right to protest, and we have a right to gather and speak as well. What a beautiful gift it is to have freedom.”
Rhode Island mom and Education Center Fellow Nicole Solas shared this: “Don’t be fooled by the woke mob raging outside the Moms For Liberty Summit 2023. Inside the Moms For Liberty Summit the atmosphere is rejuvenating. Mothers like myself eagerly share our stories about advocating for our children’s education and the retaliation that invariably followed. We offer advice and support, laughs and hugs. We don’t all know each other but we know we are all fighting the same war on children and that makes us the same. We stand bravely in front of bright lights and cameras knowing the media will spin our straightforward words into a web of lies. We sit somberly in breakout rooms learning the horrific extent to which our children are sexualized by comprehensive sex education, dehumanized by racialized curriculum, and propagandized to hate America. And then we brainstorm ways to collaborate and defend the liberty of our children and our country. At the end of the day, the hate mob outside is just noise. Inside the summit, we hear very clearly what we have to do, and we remain steadfast.”
America owes a debt of gratitude to Moms for Liberty founders Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich and they moms they lead. We pray for your safety, the success of this event, and the continued faith-filled work of the Moms for Liberty convening this weekend in Philadelphia. Next week moms will be back at work in our schools, churches, and neighborhoods, doing the things moms do best, with love, faith, and determination.
Meg Kilgannon is Senior Fellow for Education Studies at Family Research Council.
