“These are the people we are up against. Progressive social media trolls like Senator Mallory McMorrow (D-Snowflake) who are outraged they can’t teach, can’t groom and sexualize kindergartners or that 8-year-olds are responsible for slavery,” Lana Theis‘ campaign e-mail.
Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow responded in a swell speech – which almost made me cry for beautiful young white Christian mothers everywhere.
And she turned the other cheek on Twitter. Here is Senator McMorrow’s tweet.
“Senator Lana Theis accused me by name of grooming and sexualizing children in an attempt to marginalize me for standing up against her marginalizing the LGBTQ community…in a fundraising email, for herself. Hate wins when people like me stand by and let it happen. I won’t.
I sat on it for a while wondering why me? Then I realized… I’m the biggest threat to your hollow, hateful scheme. Because you can’t claim that you’re targeting marginalized kids in the name of “parental rights” if another parent is standing up and saying no.
So you dehumanize and marginalize ME. You say I’m one of THEM. You say she’s a groomer, she supports pedophilia, she wants children to believe they were responsible for slavery and to feel bad about themselves because they’re white. Here’s a little background on who I really am.
Growing up my family was active in our church. I sang in choir. My mom taught CCD. One day, our priest called a meeting with my mom and told her that she was not living up to the church’s expectations, b/c she was divorced, and because he didn’t see her w us at mass every Sunday.
Where was my mom on Sunday? She was at a soup kitchen. With me. My mom taught me at a young age that Christianity and faith was about being a part of a community, about recognizing our privilege and blessings and doing what we could to be of service to others –
especially people who were marginalized, targeted, who had less…often unfairly.
I learned that SERVICE was far more important than performative nonsense like being seen in the same pew every Sunday or writing “Christian” in your Twitter bio and using it as a shield to target and marginalize already-marginalized people.
I also stand on the shoulders of people like Father Ted Hesburgh, the longtime president of the University of Notre Dame who was active in the civil rights movement, who recognized his power and privilege as a white man, a faith leader, and the head of an influential and well-respected institution – and who saw Black people in this country being targeted and discriminated against and beaten, and reached out and locked arms with Dr. Martin Luther King when he was alive, when it was unpopular and risky, and marching with them to say, “We got you.” To offer protection and service and allyship, to try to right wrongs and fix the injustice in the world.
“So who am I? I am a straight, white, Christian, married, suburban mom who knows that the very notion that learning about slavery or redlining or systemic racism means that children are being taught to feel bad or hate themselves because they are white is absolute nonsense.
No child alive today is responsible for slavery. No one is this room is responsible for slavery. But each and every single one of us bears responsibility for writing the next chapter of history. We decides what happens next, and how WE respond to history and the world around us.
We are not responsible for the past. We also cannot change the past. We can’t pretend that it didn’t happen, or deny people their very right to exist.
I want my daughter to know that she is loved, supported, and seen for whoever she becomes. I want her to be curious, empathetic, and kind. I want every child to feel seen, heard, and supported, not marginalized and targeted if they are not straight, white, and Christian.
People who are different are not the reason our roads are in bad shape, or healthcare costs are too high, or teachers are leaving the profession.
We cannot let hateful people tell you otherwise to scapegoat and deflect from the fact that they’re not doing anything to fix the real issues that impact peoples lives.
I know that hate will only win if people like me stand by and let it happen. And I want to be very clear right now: Call me whatever you want. I know who I am. I know what faith and service mean, and what it calls for in this moment. We will not let hate win.”
4/19/2022
Hi, Jack, it’s Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow.
You may have seen me online or on TV this week. That’s because on Tuesday, after reading a fundraising email sent by a Republican colleague where I was accused of wanting to “groom and sexualize children” for defending LGBTQ+ rights, I took to the Michigan Senate floor to defend myself and the marginalized communities Republicans love attacking:
I’ve had people reach out to thank me for speaking out, but this isn’t about me, Jack. It’s about us – and how if enough of us come together, speak out, and take action to hold Republicans accountable for their hollow, hateful scheme, it will fail. Period.
As a Michigan state Senator, I’ve seen just how far state Republicans are willing to go to pass their backward agenda, and I know that if we can elect more Democrats to our statehouses, we can stop them.
Jack, hate will only win if people like us stand by and let it happen.
Throughout the country, state Republicans are waging war on our Democratic values, attacking the LGBTQ+ community, and passing legislation that blatantly denies the racism woven into our American story.
Electing Democrats to serve in state legislatures nationwide is the key to fighting back against state Republicans’ hateful crusade. But in Michigan, we’re already on edge – we have four special elections next month for critical seats in our state legislature. Electing Democrats to these seats is crucial to defending against a right-wing takeover.
We cannot stand by and let state Republicans continue their ruthless attacks – and we cannot let hate win.
Fighting back against hate starts with committed Democrats like you, Jack. Will you split a $25 donation today between DLCC and CommonGood to support state Democrats in this year’s midterm elections? This is a critical moment for Democratic state legislators and for Democrats in close races across the country, so we can’t back down now.
Together,
Mallory McMorrow
Michigan state Senate
(This is a sponsored send hosted by CommonGood. CommonGood is dedicated to helping Democratic campaigns and organizations win critical races in Virginia and across the country.)
Please note: I am not now – nor have I ever been – a “committed Democrat.”
It’s a form letter.
But I am – now and forever – committed to democracy.
End The Big Lie.
Stop The Coup.
Waterboard Kevin McCarthy.
