Why the war museum is taking fire from the Left

Another day, another Philadelphia museum controversy.

This time, it is fewer than half of the employees of the Museum of the American Revolution complaining that the museum has agreed to rent space to the Moms for Liberty for an event.

The Museum of the American Revolution

A few days earlier, the Inquirer carried a story that the new leadership of the (admittedly) bizarre Mutter Museum was dedicated to cleaning it up and reframing its mission as extolling “health and wellbeing.”

Moms for Liberty, the Inquirer reported, is described as an  “antigovernment extremist organization” by the Southern Poverty Law Center. I am not impressed by the SPLC’s opinion.

I used to be a member of the SPLC. I ceased supporting it when it switched from fighting for civil rights, and bankrupting the Klan, which it did, to a far-left group opposing most conservative ideas and organizations.

I became aware of the shift about two decades ago when it started referring to illegal immigrants in its publication as  just “immigrants,” as if there were no distinction between legal and illegal.

I called SPLC to complain, and I was told it was an innocent error.

Then it happened again, I called to complain, and cut my annual donation in half, and said I would halve it every time the “error” was repeated. My donation is now down to zero and SPLC has ceased returning my calls. 

That was a harbinger of other changes, as SPLC drifted further and further left. 

And then, ugly stories about  SPLC’s operations and focus started appearing, including the dismissal of founder Morris Dees. That sealed my low opinion of SPLC and I am frankly surprised that anyone takes what it has to say seriously.

Even the progressive Washington Post questions its ability to be a fair umpire.

From the Inquirer: “We do not feel that any dollar amount is worth endangering the safety of the museum staff members in the building on the day of the event, serving as a host to a group that does not stand with our values, and damaging the museum’s reputation that we have all worked so hard to build,” a petition signed by 39 staffers reads.

Renting space does not confer endorsement of ideas, but — “endangering the safety” of the museum staff? Where does that trigger come from? Have the Moms threatened someone?

“Does not stand with our values?”

The values the museum stands for is freedom and liberty. The complaining staffers seem to think they set policy. Can you imagine vegetarian servers telling restaurant owners they must remove meat from menus? Some people imagine a palpable sense of entitlement.

Moms of Liberty describes itself this way (on its website): “Moms for Liberty is an American conservative 501 nonprofit organization that advocates against school curriculums that mention LGBT rights, race, critical race theory, and discrimination, while multiple chapters have also campaigned to ban from school libraries books that address gender and sexuality issues.”

So there it is — Moms oppose in-school discussions of LGBT rights and critical race theory.

Whether they are right or wrong in their beliefs, this is why some on the museum staff (including gays) want to cancel Moms — they hold opinions that are in opposition to the Woke. (I sometimes get pushback when I use “Woke” or “Politically Correct.” My response is, if the shoe fits, wear it. Cancel culture is a joint production of Twitter and far-left progressives.)

Moms for Liberty is holding its annual summit in  Philadelphia at the end of this month. Speakers include GOP presidential candidates Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. “The site of the summit — the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown — has already been protested by queer and trans-led groups,” reports the Inquirer. (I note it uses the term “queer” rather than the traditional “gay,” assuming the more radical term.)

Peaceful protests are fine, but so are opposing points of view.

Because you don’t like them does not give you authority to cancel, or ban, them. 

One of the foundational principles of America is the right to express unpopular ideas, even wrong ideas.

In the blender of ideas, the theory goes, the good will triumph over the bad.

Moms for Liberty cofounders Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich said in a statement: “Name calling parents who want to be a part of their child’s education as ‘hate groups’ or ‘bigoted’ just further exposes what this battle is all about: Who fundamentally gets to decide what is taught to our kids in school — parents or government employees? We believe that parental rights do not stop at the classroom door and no amount of hate from groups like this is going to stop that.”

The museum seems to get this, as reflected in an official statement.

“The museum’s mission is to share diverse and inclusive stories about our nation’s history with the broadest audience possible. We welcome any opportunity to introduce visitors to these stories. In these polarizing times, our best hope to strengthen democracy is through dialogue. We understand that this can be difficult.”

Too bad the minority of its staff doesn’t understand what the American Recolution was fought for.