Moms for Liberty founders: ‘No one is looking to ban books’

NewsNation Header
  • Moms for Liberty seek to prohibit “pornographic material” from school libraries
  • The group’s founders says they aren’t seeking book “bans”
  • Opponents argue book restrictions are undemocratic and target minorities

(NewsNation) — As efforts to restrict books in school libraries have intensified over the past year, the founders of one of the groups spearheading the effort reject the idea they’re seeking to ban books, but are simply trying to make sure children don’t have access to adult-oriented material.

Moms for Liberty has been at the forefront of the movement that has seen a wave of local school boards and state legislatures take action on what they say is inappropriate material for children. Opponents suggest the restrictions are undemocratic and in some cases target the LGBTQ community.

The founders of Moms for Liberty, Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich, rejected the idea they’re trying to “ban” books during an appearance Tuesday on NewsNation’s “CUOMO.”

“No one is looking to ban books. Moms for Liberty certainly isn’t. You should write the book. You should print the book. You should publish the book. You should sell the book. The book should go into to the public library in your community if taxpayers want to pay for it,” Justice said. “What we’re talking about is curating content in a library. You wouldn’t have the same books in a medical college that you would in a seminary, and just because a book is printed doesn’t mean that it belongs in a children’s library.

The most recent push to remove books has impacted stories about LGBTQ people and race, according to data collected by PEN America.

The organization defines a book ban as “any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent or community challenges, administrative decisions, or in response to direct or threatened action by lawmakers or other governmental officials, that leads to a previously accessible book being either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished.”

During the first half of the 2022-2023 school year, there were nearly 1,500 instances of book banning, Pen America said. That represents a 28% increase over the previous six months from January to June 2022.

Among the almost 900 unique books taken off the shelves, 44% have themes of violence, 38% involve health and well-being, 30% have themes of death and grief, 30% discuss racism and have characters of color, 26% include LGBTQ themes and characters, 24% had to do with sexual experiences between characters and 17% dealt with teen pregnancy and abortion. 

“The problem with the books that our chapters across the country have concerns with is that they are obscene and pornographic,” Descovich said. “This has nothing to do with if it’s male and male, female and female, or male and female.”

As an example, Descovich read an excerpt from “My Body is Growing: A Guide for Children, Ages 4 to 8” that includes a vivid description of sex.

The passage reads: “Sabrina’s vagina becomes moist and warm and Marco’s penis gets very stiff. Marco then pushes his penis into Sabrina’s vagina. Always in and out. That feels great for both of them.”

“This is appropriate for 4- to 8-year-olds?” Descovich said. “This is found in grade schools all across the country.”

The book made headlines last year when it infuriated parents who confronted the book’s author on Twitter, the Sun reported.

Justice and Descovich were featured in a “CBS Sunday Morning” segment this week about school book bans, which were criticized by leaders of libraries and the American Library Association.

Linda Johnson, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Public Library, suggested in the CBS story that bans are a “death knell for democracy.”

Moms for Liberty claimed CBS didn’t show “porn images” from the books in question during the segment that aired Sunday. Federal Communications Commission regulations prohibit obscene material from being shown on television broadcasts.

In their NewsNation interview, Justice and Descovich were asked by host Chris Cuomo about concerns over who should be the arbiters of what’s appropriate for children, and how much material should be restricted and at what age.

“Where do you draw the line? And who gets to draw it?” Cuomo asked.

“Let’s set the bar really, really low. Let’s just say no pornographic material, no rape, no incest, no pornography,” Justice said.

Another book Justice and Descovich referenced is “Gender Queer,” a graphic memoir by Maia Kobabe that includes descriptions of rape. It topped the American Library Association’s list of most challenged books in 2022.

“All parents, whether you think this should be in schools or not, you should be coming to the table, you should be going to your school board meetings, you should be sharing your concerns and your opinion, and that is the way our government is expected to work,” Descovich said. “What’s happening in America today is if you don’t go along with this type of material, you’re getting cut off, you’re getting shut down.”

By Tyler Wornell

Read Full Article on NewsNation.com

NewsNation
NewsNationhttps://www.newsnationnow.com/
NewsNation national cable news network is America’s source for engaging and unbiased news, which reflects the full range of perspectives across the country.

Columns

Why Fishermen Are Catching Fewer Lobsters in Maine

For veteran lobsterman Travis Dammier, it was the end of another trip at sea on a solo voyage to earn a living.

Viewers like you

There is no constitutional authority for any spending on public broadcasting – period. Any questions: See Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.

Beyond the Trump-Musk fallout?

We are witnessing an unprecedented, unhinged Democrat effort to use lawfare, big Democrat donors, street theater, congressional disruptions, potty-mouth videos, the administrative state, the legacy media, and discredited pollsters to stop the Trump agenda.

Trans-wormal

No worm ever said "I am anthropomorphizing, I am a butterfly" to a toad or flock of geese and expected acknowledgement and support.

In Greenland’s Icy Capital, Past Troubles Haunt Hopes for the Future

As geopolitical realities and ongoing economic growth raise the stakes, U.S. interest in Greenland and the dream of independence may change things in a big way.

News

Citigroup Reverses Course on Controversial Firearm Policies

Citigroup reversed its policy requiring retail business clients to refrain from selling firearms to those who haven’t passed background checks.

Supreme Court Sides With DOGE in Social Security, Records Cases

The Supreme Court handed DOGE two big wins late on June 6 in its effort to reduce the size of the federal government.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia Returns to US to Face Criminal Charges

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a citizen of El Salvador, is on his way back to the US, where he will face criminal charges for allegedly smuggling illegal immigrants.

White House Adviser Gives Update on DOGE’s Future Amid Musk–Trump Spat

A top White House adviser said DOGE’s work will likely continue amid a spat between its former chief, Elon Musk, and President Donald Trump.

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Allow Dismantling of Education Department

Trump admin asked Supreme Court to allow it to resume dismantling U.S. Dept of Education, following a lower court’s previous order halting process.

FTC Warns of Rising Student Loan Scams, Says Fraudsters Took Millions From Borrowers

FTC is warning borrowers to steer clear of student loan debt-relief scams, after shutting down group of companies that allegedly charged millions in illegal fees and left customers worse off.

Walmart’s Drone Delivery Coming to 5 More US Cities

Walmart is set to launch its drone delivery service in five more U.S. cities: Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa, the company.

Court Orders Trump Administration to Restore AmeriCorps Funding to States

Federal court ordered Trump admin to restore AmeriCorps funding to states. The ruling comes as part of a lawsuit filed by 24 states and DC.
spot_img

Related Articles