No, Moms for Liberty does not support Hitler
Jack Elbaum
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Conservative parental rights group Moms for Liberty has become a new bogeyman for the Left. But instead of opposing its activism using actual arguments, which would certainly be reasonable, as some of its stances are quite controversial, some liberals have opted to use hyperbolic, dishonest ad hominem attacks.
Likely the worst is the recent line that Moms for Liberty supports Hitler — yes, you read that correctly — because one chapter quoted him in a newsletter saying, “He alone, who OWNS the youth, GAINS the future.”
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In response to a video of the Moms for Liberty co-founder saying she stands behind the chapter that used the quote, the respected Atlantic writer Caitlin Flanagan wrote this is a clear case of “Moms for Liberty standing with Adolph Hitler.”
But this is a wholly unfair characterization of what happened here. For starters, the chapter that used a Hitler quote did not do so approvingly. This is the key point because it completely defangs the charge against the group that it supposedly loves Hitler and wants to follow in his footsteps. Instead, as Christopher Rufo points out, “The obvious intention of the Moms for Liberty quote was to say that left-wing ideologues are attempting to gain control over kids.”
In short, it was not an endorsement but a warning. That is the answer to Flanagan’s subsequent question: “What am I missing here? Tell me.”
Don’t get me wrong: This does not change the fact it is always a bad idea to quote Nazis in such a way — not only because it is gross and distasteful, but also because it will always be used by those who are politically motivated as a way to paint that person as a Nazi. It should not be this difficult for some to understand this. At the same time, we cannot pretend the efforts to claim Moms for Liberty is actually a neo-Nazi group is based on a fair assessment of anything it has actually done.
The local chapter that used the quote later confirmed as much, apologizing for using the quote and adding a “context” section that reads, “The quote from a horrific leader should put parents on alert. If the government has control over our children today, they control our country’s future. We The People must be vigilant and protect children from an overreaching government.” This was the right thing to do, even if others in Moms for Liberty do not believe in apologies.
So, in short, this is a noncontroversy. Moms for Liberty promotes ideas liberals do not like and that even some conservatives may not be fully comfortable with. But that is not the same thing as supporting Hitler. Nor is it an excuse to twist common sense to make it seem as though the group supports Hitler. A robust public debate is important, which is why railroading it with false accusations helps nobody.
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Jack Elbaum is a summer 2023 Washington Examiner fellow.