Florida Shows the Way on Protecting Parents’ Rights and Children’s Minds
Score one for students, parents – and the positive impact and importance of pro-family legislation.
More than two dozen obscene books were ordered removed from Florida’s Indian County schools this past Monday night after moms, dads, and concerned citizens read aloud from them. Each of the recitations were abruptly halted by the board chair, triggering the books ordered withdrawal.
Under a Florida law passed earlier this year, anytime the chairperson shuts down a public reading, the featured books are required to be taken off the school shelves.
After one such public reading incident on Monday, Indian River County School Board member Jacqueline Rosario said, “We have a rule here. Nothing obscene.”
After another, chairwoman Dr. Peggy Jones shared a similar sentiment. “We are adults and if there are children out there, we don’t want to be reading that aloud.”
The impressive showing was planned and orchestrated by Jennifer Pippin, a local mother who heads up the area’s chapter of Moms for Liberty.
Moms for Liberty is an excellent and impressive non-profit organization co-founded in 2021 by Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich, former school board members who are trying to “stoke the fires of liberty.”
With a stated mission that they’re “dedicated to fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government,” what happened this past Monday night demonstrates that parents need not sit idly by and watch their children be indoctrinated and brainwashed by radical bureaucrats.
Monday night’s parental rights’ victory was only made possible by the passage of Florida Bill 1069 this past spring. You might recall how this legislation was dishonestly mislabeled the, “Don’t Say Gay Law” when, in fact, it was part of an expanded “Parental Rights in Education Act.” After hearing from parents and citizens, legislators were simply enshrining into law standards for school content that were age-or-developmentally appropriate.
Pushing back on woke educational policies may not be for the faint of heart, but it’s also not a quick or simple process. “Moms For Liberty” participants are well organized, strategic, and patient. They have 285 chapters in 45 states and show no sign of slowing down their efforts or desire to expand and serve more families.
As it often turns out, it’s not only parents who are unaware of what’s in school libraries these days – it’s often the administrators, too. Though not to give them a pass, it can be difficult to keep up with the onslaught of published propaganda – much of which is often packaged or hidden in seemingly innocuous material.
“We were looking at the books in the schools and doing keyword searches like rape, incest, pedophilia, bestiality, and then we were able to find, you know, books in our schools with those,” said Mrs. Pippin.
Not every state legislature has the courage nor the ideological foresight to similarly shepherd laws that serve parents and students – but Florida has provided both the blueprint and a sterling example of how to get it done.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paul J. Batura is a writer and vice president of communications for Focus on the Family. He’s authored numerous books including “Chosen for Greatness: How Adoption Changes the World,” “Good Day! The Paul Harvey Story” and “Mentored by the King: Arnold Palmer's Success Lessons for Golf, Business, and Life.” Paul can be reached via email: [email protected] or Twitter @PaulBatura