Infiltrating Alaska: Moms for Liberty's Hateful Agenda Takes Hold
In recent weeks, a zealous faction of filthy book banners unleashed a barrage of book challenges on the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. School officials, succumbing to the far-right's shock and awe pressure campaign, have already stripped library shelves of certain books, deeming them "clearly inappropriate."
The school district has gone silent on the matter and refused to divulge details to the public and press, such as the number of books removed, their titles, or the reasons for their removal.
The surge in book challenges being filed appears far from coincidental, particularly when one considers the insidious presence of the far-right organization Moms for Liberty, which opened a chapter in the Matanuska Borough earlier this month.
"WELCOME TO THE FIGHT, ALASKA!" reads the April 5, 2023, announcement post.
Moms for Liberty is a 501(c)(4), which shields them from disclosing their donors. The Republican establishment has embraced the organization, and it has been featured heavily on conservative talk shows. Since forming in 2021, the group has amassed more than 200 Chapters and 100,000 members across the country.
The organization of right-wing radicals spent its formative days campaigning against COVID-19 restrictions in schools and school curriculums that mention critical race theory and LGBTQ+ issues. More recently, the maligned organization has waged a nationwide assault to ban school library books that address gender and sexuality.
The Moms for Liberty website page directs so-called "concerned parents" to third-party resources, including a link to America First Legal, a nonprofit organization formed by former senior Trump White House advisor Stephen Miller, whom the Southern Law Poverty Center credits with shaping the racist and draconian immigration policies of the Trump administration.
Moms for Liberty has faced persistent allegations of terrorizing schools under the guise of protecting children. Most recently, it was reported that a Moms for Liberty leader allegedly hijacked a dead woman's Facebook page to harass her foes. In March, a Moms for Liberty chairperson was charged with harassment. The allegations linking the organization to incidents of harassment and threats around the country are numerous.
For what it's worth, the founders of Moms for Liberty, Tiffany Justice, and Tina Descovich, have rejected the notion the organization is trying to "ban" books.
"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."
So yes, by attempting to curate library materials, Moms for Liberty has been trying to ban books in school districts across the country and now, in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. The organization even released a list of books they want to see banned from school libraries.
To all the awesome individuals in the Mat-Su who understand the importance of embracing diverse perspectives and opposing book bans and censorship, your commitment is truly commendable — stand firm, fight like hell, and good luck.
You're going to need it.
