JS, I think the aisle has become so redefined that liberalism of the 80’s-90’s has been quashed and converted to radical ideas that no one from the previous era would agree with, especially those who have any sense of tax dollars, government spending and personal wealth.
There is huge value in supporting the efforts of M4L, but it isn’t required. It’s probably the wrong approach to donate and walk away. So happy for their courage.
SPLC is an illegitimate group who acts as another mouthpiece for the current administration. They are unelected bureaucrats who have an exponential revenue growth from unsavory supporters. Their trajectory is discussed in PragerU videos and other who call them out. They started with the desire to raise 15 Mil and today they have over 750mil
I appreciate your comment here. I WAS a liberal in the 90s and I DID use the "Teaching Tolerance" materials from SPLC until their message went from tolerance to intolerance - and I agree that was probably motivated by dollar signs.
Thank you for an inspirational piece today. I am smiling thinking about attending Mass (as a non-Catholic married to a Catholic) coming home and reading such a great read from a self professed Jewish atheist about a group, persecuted, fighting evil for the good of humanity. SPLC is close to the AFT on the scale of Evil. Thanks to you and Ms. Justice and every Mom, including all shades and perspectives, who are fighting evil for the good of Children and Humanity.
The headlines shared were so awful and so out of touch, again glad my "media dollars" are spent with people like you, Matt Taibbi, Tulsi Gabbard, and yes The Daily Wire. All different political stances and experiences, but deep down all fighting the corrupt establishment and defending Freedom.
Yes, yes, and YES!! I have three kids, one with a learning disability who was studying to become a special education teacher when schools closed. She received most of her practicum experience in a virtual classroom.
My middle son spent his senior year on-line in Illinois, and worked to fill his time because most sports and clubs were non-existent until spring 2021. Ironic, how he couldn’t see his teachers in person at school, but instead they would see each other at the hair salon where he worked when they came in. 🙄 But the second any of these poor seniors expressed their feelings about losing out on so much, they were labeled as ‘selfish’. How hypocritical.
My youngest has autism and was a sophomore when schools closed. DIY school was a total joke. We are picking up so many pieces, both educationally and with his mental health.
I was so exhausted being labeled politically based on my feelings about schools. I feel exactly as you Jennifer, politically homeless.
It seems that the focal point of next year's presidential election season may center around children. The line drawn in the sand is becoming clearer and clearer. Those who practice the old politics of division will find themselves as the enemies of children. Every issue, every crisis, from medicine, to borders, to education, to war, and the media may ultimately be decided by a candidates stance on children.
Melissa Harris Perry captured one side of this political divide (https://youtu.be/EgWcBV9_kLM). Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci provides the rationale: " In the life of children there are two very clear-cut phases, before and after puberty. Before puberty the child's personality has not yet formed and it is easier to guide its life and make it acquire specific habits of order, discipline, and work: after puberty the personality develops impetuously and all extraneous intervention becomes odious, tyrannical, insufferable. Now it so happens that parents feel the responsibility towards their children precisely during this second period, when it is too late: then of course the stick and violence enter the scene and yield very few results indeed. Why not instead take an interest in the child during the first period?"
This is how we got to this point in our society. Thank you, Jen and other mothers who are fighting stop the exploitation of children for political purposes.
I can’t directly relate to this issue, neither living in the US nor being American. But I liked the general ideas you raise in terms of who decides for their kids, so I hope you’ll permit to share some general views.
“...inform public education in a way that puts students’ needs first” - isn’t it illogical and insane that anyone could think this is something to be scoffed at? I mean, whose needs should come first in schools? That is not discount that teachers also have needs in terms of fair pay, working conditions, etc. But surely their grievances, if any, should go to whoever hires and pays them?
“It is helpful to have a community of like-minded parents to remind you that you aren’t crazy. Or evil”, and to remind you that you are not alone. “...aren’t many of these same “Lefties” anti-school choice while availing themselves of the very school choice that they decry as hateful and racist?” - UK Labour party women decry private schooling, except for their own kids.
I have one suggestion. I've been a subscriber for nearly 20 years, The Nation is not main stream media, it is instead a neo-marxist magazine intent on destroying American liberty. Where once they carried the work of thinkers like Christopher Hitchens, now they repeat the idiotic lies of Elie Mystal.
You statement about school boards is so true. I was an active parent to 3 children in Marin County, but pretty oblivious to how school boards were slated (although I always voted). An attorney clued me in, and once I learned, I saw how true it was: a school board member steps down before their term expires, at which point the superintendent can appoint a replacement, who is then able to run as an incumbent a year or so later. This happened often in Marin.
Thank you both for setting such a positive example of parents who put their children’s needs ahead of everything else. There are many of us who were strengthened by hearing your stories, as we relocated to different states and lost friends and family over our decisions.
One of the reasons most people are apathetic to Covidism seems to be what I call Santa Claus Syndrome - the idea that one can be dishonest with the ones we love, for 'a good cause'. I think those who perpetrate such fantasies as Covid (Bill Gates, Justin Trudeau, Jacinda Ardern, etc., etc...) might actually believe that they are doing the right thing.
Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing this, Jennifer. To me, the behavior of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPCL) is beyond appalling.
The schtick is clear: any person or group who isn't within the boundaries of their preferred policies and politics gets smeared as a "hate" group. Ironic that SPLC's tactics themselves are hateful. Not only to those they smear, but to the gullible, who SPLC treats as fools to manipulate.
I've noticed how, since the pandemic, the dissolving of boundaries between how we identify, categorize, and name things, is accelerating.
The underlying message seems to be: "Stay in line. Or we'll hurt you and your family."
Some examples:
* All Trump voters are Nazis and therefore, violence against them is justified.
* All Republican voters are "Nazis" and therefore violence against them (and GOP politicians) is justified.
* Anyone who has any policy view in common with anyone who happens to be Republican, is a racist Nazi and therefore, violence is justified against them.
* Everything is the fault of white people, therefore rioting and violence against them is justified.
* The guilt of white slave owners is magically transferred to all white people, who represent a 'dominant force' of "whiteness." All white people are an undifferentiated blob, bound together in a solidarity of sin and guilt.
* Any POC who agrees with a white person on any unpopular issue, may be derisively labeled "white" even if they're brown, black, or polka-dotted.
* Anyone who disagrees with radical trans activists is a transphobe and therefore violence is justified against them.
* Therefore women who want to retain women-only sports, or anyone who believes there's such a thing a male and female and that surgeries and treatments don't change that, are hateful transphobes.
Note: There are all sorts of products available on the web, advocating for violence against "transphobes," including t-shirts that read "Respect my pronouns or I will stab you."
Of course, none of the above is labeled "hateful" by those who congratulate themselves on having the 'correct ideas.'
It's all evidence of Manichaean thinking -- thinking that you'd expect to find among ignorant, primitive tribes, not in civilization.
Thank you for writing this.
JS, I think the aisle has become so redefined that liberalism of the 80’s-90’s has been quashed and converted to radical ideas that no one from the previous era would agree with, especially those who have any sense of tax dollars, government spending and personal wealth.
There is huge value in supporting the efforts of M4L, but it isn’t required. It’s probably the wrong approach to donate and walk away. So happy for their courage.
SPLC is an illegitimate group who acts as another mouthpiece for the current administration. They are unelected bureaucrats who have an exponential revenue growth from unsavory supporters. Their trajectory is discussed in PragerU videos and other who call them out. They started with the desire to raise 15 Mil and today they have over 750mil
I appreciate your comment here. I WAS a liberal in the 90s and I DID use the "Teaching Tolerance" materials from SPLC until their message went from tolerance to intolerance - and I agree that was probably motivated by dollar signs.
Thank you for an inspirational piece today. I am smiling thinking about attending Mass (as a non-Catholic married to a Catholic) coming home and reading such a great read from a self professed Jewish atheist about a group, persecuted, fighting evil for the good of humanity. SPLC is close to the AFT on the scale of Evil. Thanks to you and Ms. Justice and every Mom, including all shades and perspectives, who are fighting evil for the good of Children and Humanity.
The headlines shared were so awful and so out of touch, again glad my "media dollars" are spent with people like you, Matt Taibbi, Tulsi Gabbard, and yes The Daily Wire. All different political stances and experiences, but deep down all fighting the corrupt establishment and defending Freedom.
Thanks for making my Sunday even better.
Yes, yes, and YES!! I have three kids, one with a learning disability who was studying to become a special education teacher when schools closed. She received most of her practicum experience in a virtual classroom.
My middle son spent his senior year on-line in Illinois, and worked to fill his time because most sports and clubs were non-existent until spring 2021. Ironic, how he couldn’t see his teachers in person at school, but instead they would see each other at the hair salon where he worked when they came in. 🙄 But the second any of these poor seniors expressed their feelings about losing out on so much, they were labeled as ‘selfish’. How hypocritical.
My youngest has autism and was a sophomore when schools closed. DIY school was a total joke. We are picking up so many pieces, both educationally and with his mental health.
I was so exhausted being labeled politically based on my feelings about schools. I feel exactly as you Jennifer, politically homeless.
It seems that the focal point of next year's presidential election season may center around children. The line drawn in the sand is becoming clearer and clearer. Those who practice the old politics of division will find themselves as the enemies of children. Every issue, every crisis, from medicine, to borders, to education, to war, and the media may ultimately be decided by a candidates stance on children.
Melissa Harris Perry captured one side of this political divide (https://youtu.be/EgWcBV9_kLM). Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci provides the rationale: " In the life of children there are two very clear-cut phases, before and after puberty. Before puberty the child's personality has not yet formed and it is easier to guide its life and make it acquire specific habits of order, discipline, and work: after puberty the personality develops impetuously and all extraneous intervention becomes odious, tyrannical, insufferable. Now it so happens that parents feel the responsibility towards their children precisely during this second period, when it is too late: then of course the stick and violence enter the scene and yield very few results indeed. Why not instead take an interest in the child during the first period?"
This is how we got to this point in our society. Thank you, Jen and other mothers who are fighting stop the exploitation of children for political purposes.
I can’t directly relate to this issue, neither living in the US nor being American. But I liked the general ideas you raise in terms of who decides for their kids, so I hope you’ll permit to share some general views.
“...inform public education in a way that puts students’ needs first” - isn’t it illogical and insane that anyone could think this is something to be scoffed at? I mean, whose needs should come first in schools? That is not discount that teachers also have needs in terms of fair pay, working conditions, etc. But surely their grievances, if any, should go to whoever hires and pays them?
“It is helpful to have a community of like-minded parents to remind you that you aren’t crazy. Or evil”, and to remind you that you are not alone. “...aren’t many of these same “Lefties” anti-school choice while availing themselves of the very school choice that they decry as hateful and racist?” - UK Labour party women decry private schooling, except for their own kids.
Spot on.
Thank you Jennifer for speaking truth yet again.
Well said, please keep going.
I have one suggestion. I've been a subscriber for nearly 20 years, The Nation is not main stream media, it is instead a neo-marxist magazine intent on destroying American liberty. Where once they carried the work of thinkers like Christopher Hitchens, now they repeat the idiotic lies of Elie Mystal.
You statement about school boards is so true. I was an active parent to 3 children in Marin County, but pretty oblivious to how school boards were slated (although I always voted). An attorney clued me in, and once I learned, I saw how true it was: a school board member steps down before their term expires, at which point the superintendent can appoint a replacement, who is then able to run as an incumbent a year or so later. This happened often in Marin.
Brilliant, courageous, inspirational! Thanks!
Thank you both for setting such a positive example of parents who put their children’s needs ahead of everything else. There are many of us who were strengthened by hearing your stories, as we relocated to different states and lost friends and family over our decisions.
One of the reasons most people are apathetic to Covidism seems to be what I call Santa Claus Syndrome - the idea that one can be dishonest with the ones we love, for 'a good cause'. I think those who perpetrate such fantasies as Covid (Bill Gates, Justin Trudeau, Jacinda Ardern, etc., etc...) might actually believe that they are doing the right thing.
Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing this, Jennifer. To me, the behavior of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPCL) is beyond appalling.
The schtick is clear: any person or group who isn't within the boundaries of their preferred policies and politics gets smeared as a "hate" group. Ironic that SPLC's tactics themselves are hateful. Not only to those they smear, but to the gullible, who SPLC treats as fools to manipulate.
I've noticed how, since the pandemic, the dissolving of boundaries between how we identify, categorize, and name things, is accelerating.
The underlying message seems to be: "Stay in line. Or we'll hurt you and your family."
Some examples:
* All Trump voters are Nazis and therefore, violence against them is justified.
* All Republican voters are "Nazis" and therefore violence against them (and GOP politicians) is justified.
* Anyone who has any policy view in common with anyone who happens to be Republican, is a racist Nazi and therefore, violence is justified against them.
* Everything is the fault of white people, therefore rioting and violence against them is justified.
* The guilt of white slave owners is magically transferred to all white people, who represent a 'dominant force' of "whiteness." All white people are an undifferentiated blob, bound together in a solidarity of sin and guilt.
* Any POC who agrees with a white person on any unpopular issue, may be derisively labeled "white" even if they're brown, black, or polka-dotted.
* Anyone who disagrees with radical trans activists is a transphobe and therefore violence is justified against them.
* Therefore women who want to retain women-only sports, or anyone who believes there's such a thing a male and female and that surgeries and treatments don't change that, are hateful transphobes.
Note: There are all sorts of products available on the web, advocating for violence against "transphobes," including t-shirts that read "Respect my pronouns or I will stab you."
Of course, none of the above is labeled "hateful" by those who congratulate themselves on having the 'correct ideas.'
It's all evidence of Manichaean thinking -- thinking that you'd expect to find among ignorant, primitive tribes, not in civilization.