You’ve got us all wrong. Moms for Liberty isn’t about banning books.
Welcome to NC Voices, where leaders, readers and experts from across North Carolina can speak on issues affecting our communities. Send submissions of 350 words or fewer to opinion@newsobserver.com.
Moms for Liberty isn’t about bans
The writer founded the Wake County chapter of Moms for Liberty.
Saying that Moms for Liberty is “banning books” is a false narrative created by woke extremists to garner attention. In fact, there could be nothing further from the truth.
Moms for Liberty doesn’t advocate for bans. Books are still being published, printed, sold and placed in public libraries. Liberty for adults to read, express, think and speak are in no way being infringed.
However, the rules are different for children. Our society has restrictions for minors in many areas of life — TV, movies, gaming, alcohol, driving, tattoos, strip clubs, gambling, smoking and more. Many things that are acceptable for adults are also deemed inappropriate for children.
If N.C. statutes require parental consent for sex education, why are we freely allowing sexually explicit materials in our public school libraries and classrooms?
The issue of curating age-appropriate materials in school libraries is not a Republican or Democrat one, it is about parental rights. The “Library Bill of Rights” is merely a subjective viewpoint of a nonprofit with a misleading title; it isn’t a government organization to which adherence is requited by law.
Moms for Liberty also advocates for true and accurate history to be taught regarding racism, inequality, slavery and Native Americans. Our Declaration of Independence states that “…all men are created equal…endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Teaching students that that some races are forever victims is an egregious falsehood with many repercussions. The indoctrination of our children with this rhetoric is offensive and divisive.
Moms for Liberty is a nonpartisan nonprofit that stands for parental rights at all levels of government. Parents have the constitutional and God-given rights to direct the moral, ethical and religious upbringing of our children. Parents are the first and most important teachers. We simply want a seat at the table, and for our principles to be treated with the same respect as all others.
Julie Page
Black moms in NC deserve better
The writer is a Master of Public Health candidate at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Being a pregnant Black woman in America is gravely dangerous. According to the CDC, the maternal mortality rate of Black women is 2.9 times that of white women.
Not only do Black mothers face higher rates of childbirth-related death, many studies show that they also experience higher rates of severe morbidity and mental health disorders during pregnancy and after birth. This is a direct effect of the systemic racism built into this country’s foundation, which has continued to keep Black communities in cycles of poverty and ill-health ever since.
A state with a historical legacy of slavery, segregation and institutionalized racism, North Carolina has a responsibility to its Black citizens that it’s currently not fulfilling.
For every 100,000 Black families that welcome a child in this state, almost 60 face the unimaginable — a mother who never makes it home from the hospital. The state must expand access to pre and postnatal care, increase the number of Black OB-GYN providers, close health gaps in rural areas, and work to solve social determinants, such as lack of housing, that contribute to this heart-breaking reality.
A Task Force on Maternal Health was recently set up, a partnership between the N.C. Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Stakeholders and experts will come together to identify trends and solutions to the state’s Black maternal health crisis. Hopefully, this task force will invite real families to join the discussion. For lasting and meaningful change to happen, the voices of Black mothers must be at the center of this work.
House Bill 488 has stalled in the N.C. House. If passed, this law would make doula services more accessible statewide, and provide coverage for them under Medicare.
North Carolina has struggled to catch up in terms of maternal health policy. For the sake of our Black moms, we cannot continue to lag behind any longer.
Julia Granitto, Charlotte