So why do book banners insist that they don’t ban books? Because the level of doubling down as book banning increases is, on one hand, impressive and on the other hand, is concerning about several key components of literacy.

During Banned Books Week, Tiffany Justice — one of the founders of Moms For Liberty — got clever in dodging the question asked of her by Tamron Hall. Justice, who insists what her group does is simply “remove” books, which is different than banning, was asked several times to explain the difference between the two. She avoids answering it, getting in all of her group’s paint-by-numbers talking points; Hall continues to push and, even though she doesn’t say it, makes clear Justice has made no distinction and therefore has no distinction.

It’s a must-watch clip. I keep coming back to it, wondering how people like Justice and her fellow Moms For Liberty cofounder Tina Descovich are training their legions of fellow book banners to define the difference. I suspect it’s much like they’re simply training their followers that indeed, BookLooks/BookLook is their database of book ratings, but to deny the site affiliations with the group unless it serves them.

But I thought BookLooks/BookLook was so proud to not be affiliated with a group? That's what their "about" was updated to say after my reporting. It's convenient when a member of this hate group wants to have a role in book banning they ARE mom's creationhttps://t.co/RoPl9fORhz https://t.co/gCjHaQqtFq pic.twitter.com/3BMhc50uj9

— Buttered Jorts (fka kelly jensen) 🐱🐰 (@veronikellymars) October 1, 2022

Click through to see the Moms For Liberty member who cites BookLooks as a Moms For Liberty joint in order to get on a review team of a school library.

It is also impossible not to see something else in this clip between Justice and Hall: white supremacy falters the moment it is questioned. Justice is unable to answer a direct question — something she’s likely not been asked in such a way, on repeat. Hall’s audience, primarily people of color, is not the sympathetic white group Justice is accustomed to addressing. Suddenly, her insistence she and her group speak on behalf of parents looks pretty flimsy when she can’t even define what it is they do.

Here’s a little help for Moms For Liberty and their ilk, including the new-to-me Faith Impact, an arm of the American Council, currently challenging scads of books and assignments across California who define their work as such:

Book bans mean the removal of books.

Book bans mean the censorship of books.

And maybe most important, no matter how much you claim this is about “parental rights,” what you fail to address is how by removing books, you’re actually abdicating your rights as a parent. If the book isn’t there, you don’t have to do a damn thing as a parent.

Isn’t that convenient?