We had quite the discussion this week about the term “groomer,” which the Right is using to push back on opponents of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law. We saw people like MSNBC’s Chris Hayes call it “truly despicable ‘pro-pedophile’ slander” and New York Magazine’s Jonathan Chait, who claimed that “everybody who disagrees with the GOP is a ‘groomer’ now.” We also saw a lot of people on the Right — some of whom we respect, and some who are named David French — argue that it’s a cultural issue that the Right can win easily without resorting to smears and cheapening the argument. What do we think? We think it’s working — look at how many left-wing publications (that we know of) wrote about it all on the same day:
The last 24 hours in DC corporate media: pic.twitter.com/VR29ClrnvG
— Christina Pushaw 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) April 6, 2022
CNN, the Washington Post (twice), The Dispatch, MSNBC, New York Magazine, VICE News, Yahoo News … and that leaves out heavy hitters like The Atlantic (“That’s Not What Grooming Means”) and the New York Times (“Republicans’ Fresh Fixation on Vintage Homophobia”).
That “vintage homophobia” angle is a clever one, but it depends on how one defends “groomer.” We’ve seen this meme going around and it’s the definition we’re going with:
Don't make me tap the sign pic.twitter.com/Qu3ON6t4I2
— Joseph (@Hockeyjunkie88) April 6, 2022
One blue-check is fighting back against the “groomer” smear by reminding us that most child sexual abuse happens in the family and in church.
this "groomer" thing conservatives are trying to push is inconveniently silent on the fact that the majority of child sexual abuse happens within the cultural pillars of the right wing: the church and the family
— Jake Flores (@feraljokes) April 8, 2022
meant to say convenient i will not be fixing this
— Jake Flores (@feraljokes) April 8, 2022
This isn’t even true. Sexual abuse in schools far outpaces abuse in church. It’s actually not even close. https://t.co/qxzIHpOOn5
— Amber Athey (@amber_athey) April 9, 2022
Recommended
Lastly, for the people saying "what about the Catholic Church": I agree, the Church's crimes were sick, criminal, and rightly punished. And even worse, if we're comparing, public school teachers sexually abuse children at a scale more than 100 times greater than Catholic priests.
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) April 5, 2022
This sounds smart until you research stats related to family structure and abuse, or, indeed, simply google "mother's boyfriend".https://t.co/OeK508nl2W
— Ben Sixsmith (@BDSixsmith) April 9, 2022
Google: Mothers Boyfriend
— Magnetic Nightmares (@MagneticNightm1) April 9, 2022
Yep.
most of the child sexual abuse that happens "in the family" is in single mom households that have "live-in boyfriends" and not within a nuclear family structure, like you're implying. this tweet is dishonest but what can you expect from a leftist? https://t.co/ZfTTLFagtc
— Anti-Degenerate Uncle Ted (@antidegented) April 9, 2022
Dumbest tweet of the day
— Antonio Martinez (@djtechchicago) April 9, 2022
— Matteo™ (@bertchintus) April 9, 2022
What you are conveniently dodging is that the political left is seeking to institutionalize grooming practices, gender confusion, indoctrination, and the destruction of the nuclear family. This is right out of the Marxist playbook, and leftists are no longer trying to hide it. https://t.co/o32jai9oUv
— Ian McKelvey (@ian_mckelvey) April 9, 2022
We were talking about Black Lives Matter earlier, and among the elements of its mission statement was to “disrupt” the nuclear family.
Apparently having a family is a right wing thing now https://t.co/3NOI1CDFkf
— calexico 🇲🇽 (@calexicoooo) April 9, 2022
Today I learned I’m right wing because I have a family https://t.co/BDKpophuvV
— Mr. Landman (@Bender3352) April 9, 2022
This isn't true, but even if it was, what's the point?
"We can't prevent grooming in schools because it happens in places that aren't schools too"? https://t.co/5jj5izOMBQ
— A N (@MaxNordau) April 9, 2022
It's cool to groom kids in school cause it happened in church is not the steaming hot take you think it is. https://t.co/L4MeZH24lI
— Joe (@JoeC1776) April 9, 2022
The important thing is to be even dumber than your opponents https://t.co/DELoucEPHW
— jimtreacher.substack.com (@jtLOL) April 9, 2022
We’re still waiting on an argument for teaching sexual orientation and gender identity to kindergarteners other than if you don’t they’ll grow up to carry out mass shootings at gay nightclubs like jihadist Omar Mateen.
Related:
Ron Kampeas explains why the ‘you called us racist’ claim doesn’t justify calling people groomers https://t.co/bsx6LbHo1f
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) April 6, 2022
Join the conversation as a VIP Member