Joe Henderson
Tuesday is Primary Election Day, and the stakes in Pinellas County are enormous.
Wait, what? It’s just a Primary. The main event doesn’t come until November. That is true. That is when we’ll dust off Rick Scott’s charge six years ago that Bill Nelson needed to retire because he was a career politician. We might note that should Scott win, he will have secured his fourth public office totaling 20 years — two as Florida’s Governor, then two in the Senate.
Sounds like a career to me.
That’s a rant for another day, though, because if Tuesday’s election goes a certain way, the Pinellas School Board could be essentially under Moms for Liberty control. Three seats on the seven-member Board are up for election, and three challengers are aligned with Mommy Nation.
Given that two Board members already subscribe to the Moms agenda, that would give Moms complete control over what is said, taught, and thought in county public schools.
If that happens, dedicated educators should update their résumés and head for the exits as quickly as possible. Resistance would be futile.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who never hesitates to trash someone who doesn’t embrace his exclusionary agenda, strongly supports the Moms. His endorsements of Mom candidates throughout the state aim to turn local School Districts into conduits for the far right’s radical groupthink.
That’s the irony behind the (cough) “Liberty” in the Moms agenda. The only liberty they want is to tell each student what they can read and how they must think. They chafe when labeled “book-banners,” but that’s exactly what they are.
If it involves LGBTQ+ rights, sensitive racial topics, or pretty much anything that DeSantis can label “woke,” it will be off limits.
And, my goodness, don’t even mention (whispering) s-e-x. Kids need to learn about that the old-fashioned way, in the back of a car parked by the lake.
Danielle Marolf, one of three Moms on the Pinellas ballot, says on her website, “Pinellas County schools should be safe and full of opportunity for our kids. My priorities include valuing each unique child, empowering our teachers and keeping them safe, and involving parents actively by giving them a pivotal role in the educational process.”
Sounds benign enough. Let’s dig a little deeper.
She says she wants to “prioritize critical thinking.”
“We live in a society of broken communication. Students in public education do not typically learn the art of dialectic discussion or rhetorical argument … in laymen’s terms — we need to prioritize critical thinking,” she said.
We’ve seen the results throughout Florida when someone tries to communicate with DeSantis and share the results of critical thinking. They are mocked, called groomers and radicals, and there’s no reason to believe it would be any different if the Moms get control of the School Board.
Remember, DeSantis strongly endorsed Marolf.
They talk about “parental rights,” but they’ve repeatedly shown that their parent gets to tell your kid what they can read and what topics they can address.
If you don’t want your kid to read a certain book, that’s fine.
But you don’t get to take away that option from every other kid.
It’s called liberty.
I’m all for that.
18 comments
Ocean Joe
August 20, 2024 at 4:49 am
Correction:
It’s Moms for Threesomes
When somebody harps on morality or religion we are reminded where that ‘feet of clay’ thing originated
George Downs
August 20, 2024 at 5:01 pm
You’re blinded by the Pagan nation that Murders by offering up their unborn babies on the altar of convenience to the Pagan gods of old. Pagan gods have ‘CAPTURED’ many aspects of our society and even many of our churches. The Global so-called Elites have ‘donated’ Millions of dollars to American Christian Colleges. They are compromising some of the largest with filthy lucre. These Pagan worshippers are the Evil personifications of Demons. If you doubt that, look up the Olympic’s opening and closing ceremonies. The Spiritual battle is real, and Satan appears to have the upper hand. The foiled attempted assassination of TRUMP was an act of GOD. The plan was foolproof, and the evidence will eventually come out, maybe years from now. Voting for a Marxist and a Communist, Harris and Walz, will be the end of AMERICA, maybe even its total destruction. Our enemies know we’re weak without Trump. But too many Americans watch the News and believe the anti-American narrative. As with our schools, the Media has been ‘CAPTURED’ FOR DECADES.
rick whitaker
August 20, 2024 at 5:48 pm
GEORGE, your post was interesting. written from inside a psychiatric hospital no doubt. there is no god, there is no devil, nuts like you don’t realize that. wake up you christian fool.
Woke over Weird
August 21, 2024 at 6:55 am
WOW. I love my country, and I’m nothing like you. I am so glad people with your kind of insane thinking are NOT in charge right now, and you’ve just helped me decide to donate more to Harris/Walz.
I bet you wonder why your grandkids don’t visit much.
Queenbee
August 21, 2024 at 8:50 am
You are a sick man, but as one commenter stated this must have come from inside a psychiatric hospital. Hatred for the other oozes throughout the comment.
Larry Gillis, Libertarian (Cape Coral)
August 20, 2024 at 7:40 am
THE “TEACHER-ARIATE” AND YOUR KIDS
If the Teacher-ariate weren’t all Flaming Liberals, I might be a little less worried about the Government being in charge of pushing values onto our kids.
My party — the Libertarian Party of Florida — holds that the education of the young is primarily a parental responsibility. https://www.lpf.org
Live Free or Die.
rick whitaker
August 20, 2024 at 6:00 pm
LARRY, there are only a few more days left before you flush your vote. consider doing the right thing for the country like biden did. vote straight dem ticket.
Woke over Weird
August 21, 2024 at 7:06 am
Oh no! Whatever will happen when we teach our children how to be good to one another as individuals, how to behave in groups, and how to socialize!? What if they learn that the sun is not the center of the Universe and illnesses are not caused by “the vapors!?!” We might even – GASP – give each parent control over their own child’s reading, as it was before these crazies decided to tell parents what their kids could read. This isn’t even political. Only one side wants actual freedom for parents to make their own decisions, and it is not yours.
I don’t usually stoop this low, but Libertarianism is stupid sir. Individualism, bwahahahaha. Don’t drive on a road, don’t use a cell phone, ignore weather forecasts, don’t use regulated water or electricity, don’t call firemen or police when your house is on fire, don’t pay taxes at all, and see how long you last. Civilized society requires structure, dumba**.
Do you own a soverign citizen license plate?
Mr. Unnecessary Roughness
August 20, 2024 at 8:02 am
Henderson writes with the same insight, compassion and sense of fair play that he did when he was covering the games at Gulf High School. Fifty years and no improvement.
nail
August 20, 2024 at 8:37 am
It must be the ignorance that Fl breeder Moms do…Their motto: Keep Florida the dumbest we can!”
But they do love those 3somes and rape…Oh do they love rape…how many FL MAGAt state officers have been arrested for rape? Defascist hires them at $10,-15,000 to rape and kill so its not surprising that in this God forsaken part of the state, there is more incest than the rest of the country combined..to have 10 year olds dying from childbirth is something every MAGAt man dreams of…must be why the child trafficker Gaetz still picks up 10 year old…and the Moms love it…because they are known for hating their spawn…
ScienceBLVR
August 20, 2024 at 10:03 am
Thanks Joe! Gosh, I’m saying that a lot today.
If there is another occupation that is as denigrated and maligned as educators in Florida, I don’t know what it is. To be called groomers, indoctrinators, to have the lowest average pay in the country, good thing I didn’t know that 31 years ago, would have taken my LSAT and been a lawyer.. ok, maybe that is the profession that is just a little more attacked and abhorred..Odd, the years I spent with ESOL teaching English to new immigrants, every one from every country has the utmost respect and revere teachers. Vote today, and send these Ugly American Moms back to whence they came and let’s hope there is still time to save their children from ignorance and prejudice.
Woke over Weird
August 21, 2024 at 7:09 am
Yes sir! Educators are treated like political footballs in Florida, subject to the whims of a little-man governor and his deference for being terrible to people.
The “Party of Personal Responsibility” doesn’t even understand how to MAKE RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS.
Woke and Vote
August 20, 2024 at 12:49 pm
10 attributes of a
Woke mind
I You read books and don’t burn them
2 You embrace science
3 You are willing to change your mind when new information becomes available
4 You understand that most issues are not black and white
5 You believe in true equality for all people
6 You have empathy
7 You embrace cooperation
8 You respect others’ rights
9 You believe culture and the arts have value
10 You care for the planet
Andy
August 20, 2024 at 1:45 pm
Dictators, maniacs, and Autocrats, no place in public Education! A DeVos funded hate group!
Andy
August 20, 2024 at 1:45 pm
Dictators, maniacs, and Autocrats, no place in public Education! A DeVos funded hate group!
PeterH
August 20, 2024 at 3:14 pm
“Mom’s for Liberty” is neither!
Rob Fields
August 20, 2024 at 9:30 pm
Pretty rich coming from someone working for this scumbag of a “media” group. Has your founder bounced any checks lately?
Way too many teachers out there who think there’s 19 genders and BLM is a respectable organization. Maybe they should stop trying to indoctrinate kids and just teach coursework.
Woke over Weird
August 21, 2024 at 7:13 am
Are you… ever in a classroom? Ever? When was the last time you actually sat down and listened to any K-12 teacher do their job for 15 minutes?
“Do your research” does not mean “I saw a clickbait video on YouTube, it must be true!”