To the editor:

Oh, this is rich!!! Co-founder of the conservative group, Moms For Liberty, known for initiating massive numbers of book bans across the country, feels that our state legislators have gone too far in passing a bill that bans minors under 16 from using social media. In a Feb. 23, 2024 USA TODAY NETWORK article, by Doug Soul, Tiffany Justice stated that “the restriction doesn’t have an exception for a parent’s permission” and that concerns her. “Parents have fundamental rights to direct the upbringing of their children,” she said. “You’re not allowed to abuse your children. But should the government be controlling whether or not your kids use social media?”

Really? NOW you’re concerned about parents’ rights to make their own decisions for their own children? You didn’t seem worried in the slightest when your group initiated the removal of over 136,000 books from classrooms in Lee County, literally taking away the rights of thousands of parents, students and educators to decide which books students may read. Any restriction or removal of books from our school libraries undermines the right of every other parent in this school district to make a choice about what’s right for their child. But, I’m sorry. Are you now saying that there are different rules when a decision negatively impacts YOUR family?

You can’t have it both ways, Ms. Justice. Either parents have rights to do what’s best for their own children or they don’t. What ye say now?

Jill Pellis

Retired public school principal

The Purple Group

Fort Myers