More Than Medicine
More Than Medicine
Interview : Ashley Jones, Moms for Liberty
Ashley Jones, Legislative Chair for Moms for Liberty South Carolina, pulls back the curtain on the systematic undermining of parental authority happening in our schools and healthcare systems. With remarkable clarity, she reveals how COVID became the catalyst that exposed government overreach into family decision-making across America.
"During COVID, people started asking questions," Jones explains. "All the crazy made sense because now everybody sees it. It's not hidden in the dark anymore." This awakening led to the formation of Moms for Liberty, which has exploded to nearly 300 chapters nationwide with approximately 100,000 members since its 2021 founding.
Jones shares alarming discoveries of explicit material in elementary schools, including biological picture books with inappropriate imagery accessible to seven-year-olds and books detailing suicide methods. "We do not loan our children to the schools," she assertively states. "We expect them to be taught reading, writing, arithmetic, history and come home for the morals and values."
The digital landscape presents perhaps the greatest modern threat to children. As a grandmother raising her eight-year-old granddaughter, Jones speaks passionately about the dangers lurking online that many parents remain completely unaware of. Her organization is tackling this head-on with an upcoming Technology Safety conference in Columbia on August 16th.
Legislative victories are accumulating through Moms for Liberty's persistent advocacy – from school choice initiatives to healthier school lunches free from harmful dyes. Looking ahead, they're fighting for fundamental parental rights legislation, particularly addressing the shocking reality that in South Carolina, parents can be legally barred from accessing their 14-year-old's medical records if the child objects.
Ready to protect your parental authority? Visit momsforliberty.org or their Facebook page to find your local chapter and join thousands of parents standing up for their fundamental rights to guide their children's education, healthcare, and moral development.
Ashley Jones - 843-956-7866
momsforlibertysc@gmail.com
https://www.jacksonfamilyministry.com
https://bobslone.com/home/podcast-production/
Welcome to More Than Medicine, where Jesus is more than enough for the ills that plague our culture and our country. Hosted by author and physician, dr Robert Jackson, and his wife Carlotta and daughter Hannah Miller. So listen up, because the doctor is in.
Speaker 2:Welcome to More Than Medicine. I'm your host, dr Robert Jackson. Welcome to More Than Medicine. I'm your host, dr Robert Jackson, bringing to you biblical insights and stories from the country doctor's rusty, dusty scrapbook. Well, I'm delighted today to have as my guest Ms Ashley Jones, who is with Moms for Liberty. Ms Ashley, thank you for being on More Than Medicine. Well, thank you for having me. Well, now, first of all, tell my listeners a little bit about who you are and what you do, and let them get acquainted with yourself.
Speaker 3:I am Ashley Jones. I'm the mother of three. I am the grandmother of nine. I raised. My oldest granddaughter is eight years old and I am her sole caregiver. I live in Florence County. What I do is I try to educate and advocate for all children across the state of South Carolina.
Speaker 2:And you do that with the organization Moms for Liberty, is that correct? Yes, sir, the organization, organization Moms for Liberty, is that correct?
Speaker 3:Yes, sir, the organization is Moms for Liberty. I am the legislative chair for Moms for Liberty, south Carolina, where we have 16 active chapters across the state. Moms for Liberty is a national organization that started in 2021 after the COVID pandemic. That started in 2021 after the COVID pandemic and we have roughly 300 chapters across the country and I want to say, at last count, it was 100,000 members that we had.
Speaker 3:Now, what prompted them to originate? During COVID, our co-founders, which was Tina Deskovich and Tiffany Justice, were both school board members in Florida on two different districts in Florida, and they seen what was happening with mask mandates, what it was doing to our children and things like that, and they both had similar views and wanted to do something about it and they started this organization for educating and empowering parents to stand up for their parental rights when they were being taken away or overlooked just overlooked by the school districts and by almost everybody at the time, and this organization took the country by storm.
Speaker 2:Well, I can imagine. I certainly understand, because there were a lot of folks' rights being trampled on during COVID. In fact, covid opened up the eyes of a lot of people, didn't it?
Speaker 3:I think COVID opened the door for people to start asking questions. I tell people a lot of times when they ask my views. I remember back when I was young you would hear people saying things and everybody's like, oh, she's just crazy, don't pay her any attention. And then COVID happened and all the crazy made sense, because now everybody's asking the questions and everybody sees it. It's not so hidden in the dark anymore.
Speaker 2:Well, they realize you weren't crazy, but you were right hidden in the dark anymore.
Speaker 3:Well they, realized you weren't crazy, but you were right, exactly.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I understand, I understand exactly.
Speaker 3:How did you get involved with Moms for Liberty, my granddaughter that I have, in order for me to get custody of her, my son, who is her father? We had to fight for his parental rights in order for me to be able to take her. And okay, I said, take her. He gave her to me willingly, but he had to. We had to fight for his parental rights. I didn't realize that it was so hard for to establish parental rights until it was time that you know somebody else was taking them. It's easier, government wise, to say I have parental rights when the government's trying to take them from you. Um, they can come in, you know, they feel they can come in your house and they can tell your. You know vaccines. They can tell you what to do with your child. And when you push back is when they want to say, well, we have the right, you don't. And I didn't understand that battle until I had her I got you, I got you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I understand that. I talk to parents all the time who are shocked at how much authority the government has and how little authority they have, or they think they have authority over their children until they deal with the government.
Speaker 3:Right. A lot of people don't understand, because we get asked all the time why are you fighting for parental rights when the Constitution gives you, you know, or you have, you know, god-given rights to your child, and that's exactly right. God gave us our child and that's, you know, our right under God. But the minute that they go to a doctor or need a doctor, the government's in that. When it's time for you to put them in school, the government's in that. And to establish I'm the authority over all of this is what's needed here that's exactly right, exactly, you're right.
Speaker 2:you're speaking the gospel truth, because as soon as you have anything to do with a government school or anything that has the government involved, their authority usurps your authority as a parent. Yes, and that's a rude smack in the face to my patients.
Speaker 3:I agree and a lot of people don't. So everybody's like well, don't put your child in school. That's not an option for all parents, that's right. There are parents who know I know, I know families where there's two working parents, some of them two jobs a week. I mean two jobs a day you're not able to to do the homeschool and provide the knowledge for the child that the child deserves and single parents can't there are many single and it's hard for them to balance that, and so they have to reach out to the schools.
Speaker 3:But just because I want my child to be educated doesn't mean I want to give authority over to someone else, and I know it's supposed to be that black and white, but it's not.
Speaker 2:We do not live in the world that we lived in 50 years ago we don't, we don't and the government does not value you as a parent, does not value your authority as a parent and all you got to do is say to the school system no, I don't want my child to have a vaccine and see what happens.
Speaker 3:I will say this I have found that South Carolina is a little easier for the exemptions than some of the other states, but it is still a process.
Speaker 2:It's still a problem. It's still a process and it's still a problem. And the COVID vaccine was a big deal for a lot of my patients. I'm talking about adults now. How many of our friends lost their jobs?
Speaker 1:over the.
Speaker 2:COVID vaccine and over refusing to wear a mask, which all of us know was not effective and didn't do anything meaningful. And lots of people lost their jobs because they didn't want to wear a mask or didn't want to get the vaccine. And their liberties, their freedom of choice, caused them to lose a job and lose friends or relationships with families, you know.
Speaker 3:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:I understand that. Well, now talk to me a little bit more. What else does Moms for Liberty do?
Speaker 3:Well, now talk to me a little bit more. What else does Moms for Liberty do?
Speaker 2:The organization we are all about, the safety what they're putting in front of our children.
Speaker 3:I'm familiar, go ahead. We found a book in Horry County Schools that is a picture book of biological how a baby's born for seven-year-olds. And is that appropriate for a seven-year-old? No, not, unless the mom and dad says, hey, this is what we want to teach our kid. And the picture is absolutely not. We have, you know, we found 13 Reasons why, which is actually a hot Netflix TV show about teenage suicide, but in the book it describes how this child killed themselves and things like that. That's a lot of mental health issue there. And we found it in an elementary school. In my mind, I have an eight-year-old who's in second grade, but she's reading on a fifth grade level. You know, I have an eight-year-old who's in second grade, but she's reading on a fifth grade level In my mind.
Speaker 2:If she were to read that because she is a sponge for knowledge and a sponge for everything she reads.
Speaker 3:That will in her mind. That would be reality to her and it's showing her how to. It would be showing her how to, how she could commit suicide. I don't, that is not age appropriate. That is conversations that need to be had at home, not reading a book with your friends or with a school teacher, who we do not loan our children to the schools. We do not loan our children to anybody. We let you know. We expect them to be taught reading, writing, arithmetic, history and come home for the morals and the values.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 3:And so that's an issue that's happening countrywide. That's not just a South Carolina issue, that is a countrywide issue.
Speaker 2:I understand.
Speaker 3:One of my biggest battles and passions right now is Internet safety. We have so many parents who have no idea about the dangers online.
Speaker 2:They're clueless, totally clueless.
Speaker 3:When I was a senior in high school, we had one computer lab and it had six computers in it and it was the big screens with the big monitor and I think we played Oregon Trail once every two weeks. That is a thing of the past. Now it's… Every child has a phone. Every child has a phone and every phone has access to the Internet.
Speaker 3:Yes, every child has a phone and every child has access to the Internet. Yes, every child that's enrolled in a public school is given a Chromebook, which is basically a laptop. Parents need to be aware of how to protect their child. We're not going backwards, that's not a you know that. Pandora's box is not going to close. Internet's here, technology's here. Parents need to know we can protect our kids from that and how to do that.
Speaker 2:Yes, exactly, exactly. Our church had a whole seminar on how parents can protect their children from the dangers of the Internet and it was very well received and lots of adults were shocked at what was available to their children on the Internet. They had no clue and they had no idea of how they could protect their children from what was on the Internet.
Speaker 3:I'm sure the knowledge is, the information's out there. There's just not a lot of knowledge on how to find it, because when you search the thing with technology, when you search something, it shows you everything. It doesn't show you exactly what you're looking for, but it shows everything, and so a lot of parents aren't aware of the dangers of the data tracking, the algorithms, the cyberbullying, the extortion, all of that, and so I think it's a very big, you know, that's a big thing that needs to be addressed.
Speaker 2:Well now, what were some of the legislative initiatives that you were involved with this year in South Carolina?
Speaker 3:Some that we got through Well, one that we got signed. We did support school choice and we have a lot of people who think that we are wrong for backing the school choice bill. But the problem is public education is not for everybody and, like I said, we have families across the state who are single, single moms, we have some single dads, we have families that are working two and three jobs to supply for their kids. Private school is not an option for them because they can't afford it and homeschooling is absolutely not an option, even though everybody says if you wanted to have that, you wanted it, you could make it happen. It's not as easy and it's not as black and white. So this school choice was really important.
Speaker 3:School choice passed last session and then the Supreme Court overturned the decision. So we had, I want to say, right at 4,000 children who started off in August at a private school and then found out in December that they were going to have to go back to public school. And I've talked to some of those families and those children were thriving in the schools they were in, they were learning, they were doing like a night and day difference and then they were going to be sent back to public school the schools that they were failing in, back to public school the schools that they were failing in. And so legislation came up in January and it was signed on Wednesday to take that back up and allow those kids to stay and open it up. I want to say to 15, I think it'll be 15,000 children that'll be eligible for that. That was one that we supported, um. We had a school safety bill that we were supporting that will be signed by the governor soon. That will allow public schools with um 15 000 students or more in the district to um hire private security um for the schools.
Speaker 3:Because a lot of the schools in South Carolina are working I have three in my district that the elementary schools are sharing an SRO so they're having to go back and forth. I mean it would be better, for you know we arm guard so many things in our country. You know our banks, our hospitals, our malls have security officers, but we have children in these schools and we need to arm them, guard them, the same way we're guarding all of the other things in our lives. They are what's going to make the difference here in 20 years of the other things in our lives. They are what's going to make the difference here in 20 years. Yep, I agree, so that bill will be signed this year. We are supporting an ABA therapy bill which will allow ABA therapists to come to, for the parents to hire an ABA therapist for autism.
Speaker 2:What does ABA stand for?
Speaker 3:It's a therapy for autistic children. It's a therapist that works with the child, usually 40 hours a week, to teach them their cognitive skills, their coping skills. It's better for a a therapist with a special needs child to work with them all the time rather than have this person today, this person tomorrow, because there needs to be some type of stability there and this will allow the parents to hire their own therapist to go into the schools with the child and be with the child.
Speaker 3:That will make a traumatic difference in the education of these children. It is a huge win and that passed the House this week and so it will go to Senate and we encourage the senators to dig into that and pass that as soon as possible.
Speaker 2:I got, you I got you.
Speaker 3:One other one we had passed this week was healthy lunches for schools, Getting the dyes and the chemicals out of our kids' school lunches. That will create, you know, a better, healthier future for all of our children.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, there's a lot of ADHD kids that can't tolerate the dyes, and it's a good idea to do all that.
Speaker 3:Yes, and that passed the House this week also.
Speaker 2:That's good. That's good. I appreciate y'all pushing that. From a medical perspective, I understand the value of that.
Speaker 3:Yes, thank you. Now, next session we are. You know, we have a parental rights. We have two parental rights bills, which is our big bills, and one's in education, one's for medical. We've been pushing them for about four years and South Carolina has yet to hear. You know, have a hearing on it.
Speaker 3:Now we are going into this next session encouraged that they will be picked up. The age of consent in South Carolina is, I want to say it's legally 16, but medically at 14,. If the child doesn't want their parents to give them access to their medical records, the parents can't access it. Yeah, that's foolishness. That is crazy. As a parent, it's our responsibility to pay that insurance premium that pays that doctor's bill and to take care of all that, but you're going to tell me I can't access that record.
Speaker 2:There's an issue there yeah, it's a big issue. I mean, legally you have to pay for and take care of that child until they're I I don't know 16 or 18. I'm not sure exactly what it is.
Speaker 3:So they are considered a minor until they're 18.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you're responsible for them until that age and yet you can't access their medical record. That's ridiculous.
Speaker 3:Absolutely so. That's one of our big bills. We're expecting and we're hearing we've had conversations, we're hearing that that will be picked up. Another one is separating bathrooms, and I know that sounds well for me. You know the fact that we have people identifying as opposite genders or walking in the bathroom with our kids not something I ever thought I would see in my lifetime but that's an issue and we have a bill that would require you to use the restroom according to your biological sex.
Speaker 2:That's correct and that's common sense. Yeah, you need to push it hard.
Speaker 3:Well, it's been there, for we had it last year. Well, I don't know if it was filed last year, but it's been there all session this year. It hasn't gotten a hearing.
Speaker 2:With.
Speaker 3:President Trump's help, it'll be socially acceptable now, Well we hope so. We hope so, but we are pushing for that one. That one's another big one we're pushing for currently. We need to make it socially unacceptable for our legislators to vote against a bill like that. Well, I wholeheartedly believe if either of these bills were brought to a vote, no one would vote against them just need to get them out of committee it's yes, they're.
Speaker 3:They're sitting in a committee somewhere yeah now the parental rights bill I've spoke to the committee chairs and that that one I feel. I really feel like those will move this year. The bathroom bill I'm a little concerned. We I don't know why, but they're holding it. Now. South carolina's budget there is a proviso in it that states the same thing. But a proviso is the same thing as an executive order. It expires, it can be overturned easily. It's not as easy, to you know, defend in court and I'm pretty sure our attorney general is currently fighting the bathroom proviso in the screen court right or in the court right now fighting against it he's fighting to uphold it oh, I see, uphold it okay um, you know it's, it's been said.
Speaker 3:You know this only affects about five children. No, it doesn't affect five children. It affects every child having to go in that bathroom with those five.
Speaker 2:That's right, exactly. Well, all of this is amazing information. Now tell my listeners how they, if they wanted to get involved with Moms for Liberty, how would they go about contacting you, and if they wanted to contribute to your organization, how would they do that?
Speaker 3:We have a website. If you were to go to momsforlibertyorg, you could find your local chapter from that. Or we have a Facebook page for Moms for Liberty South Carolina. You can find any of us there. I would be willing to give my phone number, my email address, to anybody that wanted to reach out. We take all donations. I will tell you. It will be the first place I've said it live. Moms for Liberty South Carolina is planning a tech talk for technology safety in August down in Columbia for all parents. We'd love to have everybody there. We have some people from DC coming in to give some explanation on what the dangers are of technology and how to prevent them.
Speaker 2:When's that?
Speaker 3:going to be. It's going to be August 16th.
Speaker 2:Where.
Speaker 3:I didn't hear you say that one more time.
Speaker 2:Where is that going to be?
Speaker 3:We are currently signing paperwork. We're going to hold it at one of the auditoriums at Carolina University.
Speaker 2:I got you Okay, but that will be on your website too, right?
Speaker 3:As soon as we get that up, and I'll make sure I send it to you and I do get it all up.
Speaker 2:Okay, good, good, I'll put it on my website as well, then.
Speaker 3:Yes, sir, that would be very appreciated. We do fundraise. South Carolina, the legislative committees of 501C3, our local chapters are 501C4s and your local chapters are standing at school board meetings holding the line with all educational, fighting for parents, educating parents, advocating for parents to get involved, to know what is going on in your child's school, to know what's going on in your child's life and be a part of it. And when they close the door and they don't want you there, we're going to stand with you and push forward.
Speaker 2:Gotcha.
Speaker 3:We always go back to Esther 414 for such a time as this If Esther wouldn't have spoke, then what would have happened to her? And we always go back to Esther 414 for such a time as this If Esther wouldn't have spoke, then you know what would have happened to her.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what would have happened to her people? Yes, how about that? All right, well, you're listening to More Than Medicine. My guest today is Ashley Jones, with Moms for Liberty. I found out that she's from Timminsville, south Carolina, originally, which is just about 20 miles from my hometown of Manning. She now lives in Florence, which is about also 20 miles from my hometown of Manning, so we all hail from the same part of the state. So, ms Ashley, I appreciate you being my guest. I appreciate the work that you do with Moms for Liberty. I appreciate the work that you do with Moms for Liberty and I hope maybe in the future you'll come back and tell us a little bit more about some of your legislative battles. How about that?
Speaker 3:Absolutely. I look forward to it.
Speaker 2:All right, thank you, ma'am. So you're listening to More Than Medicine. My guest today is Ashley Jones with Moms for Liberty. We'll be back again next week, and until that time, may the Lord bless you real good.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to this edition of More Than Medicine. For more information about the Jackson Family Ministry, dr Jackson's books, or to schedule a speaking engagement, go to their Facebook page, instagram or their webpage at jacksonfamilyministrycom. This podcast is produced by Bob Sloan Audio Production at bobsloancom.
