It's Official

 

The Republican Cult versus Rep. Justin Sparks

 

By Gretchen Garrity

The Shield Maidens have aptly coined the term "Republican Cult." Let's just get to it: any state representative who votes for John Patterson for Speaker of the Missouri House is a RINO.

The Maidens lay out the obstruction that has characterized Jon Patterson's time in the Missouri House. He often votes contrary to the Republican platform, contrary to the protection of children, contrary to second amendment rights, and has vowed not to oppose Amendment 3.

Go HERE to read and compare/contrast Jon Patterson's record versus Justin Sparks' record. One is Republican. One is a Republican In Name Only. This is a no-brainer, unless you are a bought-and-paid-for politician or a member of the Republican Cult.

Here in Christian County we have a representative, Jamie Gragg of the 140th district, who is supporting Jon Patterson. If you are in Gragg's district, please share with him Patterson's record versus Rep. Sparks' record.

From: Shieldmaidens

Right to Win Ozarks has also obtained an email that was sent out to members of the Christian County Republican Central Committee by Ron Sanders, who is secretary of the Christian County chapter of the Missouri Republican Assembly, and is running for president of the Christian County MRA.

Titled, "The Justin Sparks Issue," Sanders starts out by saying, "I would like you to consider rejecting any attempt to support Justin Sparks for Speaker." He goes on to opine about the Pilgrims, and the Mayflower Compact and suggest that "comfortable people in Republican central committees across the great state of Missouri cannot grasp this idea and work through issues with a respectable process..."

Then Sanders goes on the attack in a very partisan way, accusing others of what he himself is doing. "I know that people will speak of sour grapes or however the derision between Eigel and non-Eigel supporters will be portrayed as the issue and should be dismissed. This is the exact reasons that Eigel, the Shores and the others, who were so divisive and destructive after the State Convention, should not be trusted or followed with any of their initiatives with the Republican party. Their toxicity is destructive to no end, and if you disagree with them at all, they pull out the democrat playbook and use it full force."

Oh the irony.

Then Sanders continues. "It did not take long before I saw these tactics being used by people supporting Sparks against anyone who disagreed or questioned the idea of Sparks running for speaker." He goes on to suggest that a recent meeting of the CCRCC saw attacks "without discussion or good will...we cannot end this constant in-fighting until we stand together and condemn any and all behavior like we have seen."

Now, he gets on his high horse. "The consent of the governed should never include coercion, bullying tactics, lawfare, personal destruction, name calling and all of that..." He finishes off by saying, "...[we] should always consider the consent of ALL governed, and not just the loudest, or most obnoxious, or the likes of those behaviors that we find so vile with the democrat party."

At the very end he calls for discussion, debate, and votes for "moving an issue forward." All of this is very interesting if you happen to disagree with Sanders' description of the recent meeting. It would be fun to see him square off--in a very respectful manner, of course--with Stacy or Sophie Shore or Sen. Eigel. In fact, what Sanders has done is to ensure that the party will remain split while he connives to cut the grassroots from any meaningful engagement with local political organizations. It's a club, doncha know.

What we are seeing in this email is an illustration of the wide split in the Republican Party in Missouri. There are people like Ron Sanders, who can dish it out, but when it gets hot in the kitchen he lashes out with accusations and name calling. The RINO power structure in our central committees is being exposed, just like the MOGOP RINOs were outed at the state convention in May.

And remember, it was Ron Sanders who made that announcement about cars being towed at the convention. It was Sandy Karnes who was behind that. It was Jack Karnes who signed on to one of the two challenges to the grassroots election of a slate.

For background go HERE AND HERE and HERE.

Many in Christian County political leadership are in the Republican Cult. They need to be challenged. Good and hard. It's tough and it's not pretty, but if Missourians are to have a truly Republican Party then they need to hold their leaders accountable. That starts on the local level.

Rep. Justin Sparks is the person to lead the Missouri House. He will support the Republican platform and Republican values. Jon Patterson has demonstrably failed as a Republican leader, indeed as a Republican at all.

Come out to meet Rep. Sparks on Dec. 19th at the Stone County MRA meeting in Reeds Springs. Hopefully local leaders like Sanders and others will attend. They might learn that a Republican is one who follows the Republican Platform, and not a power player in the Jefferson City Uniparty.

SCOTUS Grapples with Childhood Mutilation

 LIVE:

 

Jon Patterson on gun rights--it's not pretty

 

🚨There is a major fight brewing in Jeff City between Jon Patterson and @JustinMSparks over who will be Speaker of the House. And it’s time that gun owners get involved!

Watch this video for 6 documented betrayals from Patterson, then email your State Rep. and tell him/her to… pic.twitter.com/XQpONvQaBo

— Missouri Firearms Coalition (@MOFirearms2A) December 3, 2024

CROSS POST: The Library Battle is Not a Local Fight

 By David Rice

UTurn's recent article attacking Echo Schneider's fitness to serve as library board president represents a departure from balanced journalism in favor of guilt by association tactics. While attempting to raise concerns about library governance, the article relies heavily on personal attacks and tenuous connections rather than examining Schneider's actual performance or qualifications.

The current controversy extends far beyond local issues though . As reported by Them: "Republican officials in at least eight states are pushing to completely withdraw from the American Library Association (ALA)... Montana State Library Commission withdrew all state libraries from ALA membership" (Riedel, 2023)

• Arizona

• Idaho

• Illinois

• Georgia

• Louisiana

• South Carolina

• Wyoming

• Montana (already withdrawn)

Montana State Library Commission's specific reasoning for leaving the ALA is because the supposedly storied organization "undermines the shared goals of Montana libraries.”

Further, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio, Kevin Cramer, and Mike Braun demanded suspension of federal funding.

American Library Association Controversy

The UTurn article ignores the significant context that eight states are currently considering withdrawing from the ALA, with Montana having already done so. This exodus follows the ALA president's self-identification as a "Marxist lesbian" and concerns about the organization's ideological shift. Many library professionals seek alternatives for professional development and policy guidance while maintaining core library principles.

ALA President Emily Drabinski's tweet: "I just cannot believe that a Marxist lesbian who believes that collective power is possible to build and can be wielded for a better world is the president-elect of [the ALA]. I am so excited for what we will do together. Solidarity!"

Historical Context of Marxism in Practice

To understand the justifiable concerns about institutional Marxism, it's important to note documented historical impacts:

The Black Book of Communism (Harvard University Press, 1997) compiled death tolls under Marxist regimes [I requested Christian County Library add this book to their collection but was denied.]:

• USSR: 20 million deaths

• China: 65 million deaths

• Vietnam: 1 million deaths

• North Korea: 2 million deaths

• Cambodia: 2 million deaths

• Eastern Europe: 1 million deaths

• Latin America: 150,000 deaths

• Africa: 1.7 million deaths

• Afghanistan: 1.5 million deaths

These numbers provide context for why many Americans are concerned about institutional embrace of Marxist ideology.

World Library Association

Rather than evaluate the WLA's stated goals or achievements, UTurn attempts to discredit it through selective portrayal of certain members. The organization appears focused on providing alternative resources for libraries seeking local control over policies - a legitimate aim in library governance.

• The WLA's stated mission focuses on:

• Local control over library policies

• Professional development alternatives

• Community standards in collection development

• Transparent governance processes

From their website: "Our mission is simple, Your Library, Your Way™. We make best practice suggestions, you decide whether to use them."

Echo Schneider's Record

Notably absent from UTurn's coverage is any substantive criticism of Schneider's actual work as board president. Instead, the article relies on attacking others associated with WLA and implying guilt through these connections. This approach sidesteps fundamental questions about her competence and performance.

Notable absences from UTurn's coverage include:

- Any specific criticisms of her board decisions

- Evidence of policy violations

- Complaints about her leadership

- Problems with her qualifications

Instead, UTurn relies on guilt by association through:

- Links to unrelated individuals

- Speculation about motives

- Attacks on WLA members

- Mischaracterization of professional affiliations

Assassination Tactics

The article employs several concerning techniques:

• Uses the tragic suicide of Shawn McBreairty to attack others

  • UTurn wants to tell us about the high rate of suicide among Trans teens. What about the high rate of suicide among men?

• Presents one-sided allegations against Vicki Baggett without evidence or response

  • They never quote Vicki or give evidence of racism from anything she actually says.

  • The articles that malign her use the same tactics as UTurn.

• Characterizes Dan Kleinman's criticism of public figures as harassment

  The lawsuit against Dan Kleinman for exposing the work of Amanda Jones, a public figure who entered the fight on behalf of the ALA demonstrates that the ALA will use Lawfare to defend themselves rather than Free Speech and Public Discourse.

  
  
  

  • Portrays Bruce Friedman's legal challenges as inherently illegitimate

    • Alternately, if Friedman was a leftist, they might have said, using the system to fight the system is brilliant.

    • It’s how you defeat an unjust system. You can’t win against a bureaucracy more interested in reelections than in children by fighting it fairly.

 

A More Balanced View:

A fair examination would:

• Focus on Schneider's actual decisions and leadership

• Consider legitimate debates about ALA's current direction

• Acknowledge that professional associations can have diverse membership

• Evaluate library policies based on their merits rather than personal attacks

The article ultimately fails to make a case against Schneider's fitness to serve, instead relying on character assassination by proxy. In doing so, it undermines rather than advances important discussions about library governance and community standards.

Analysis of UTurn's Coverage: Logical Fallacies and Source Review

Guilt by Association Fallacies

UTurn attempts to discredit Echo Schneider through WLA membership without addressing her performance:

"Echo Schneider (fka Alexzander), is a 'Team Member' of the 'World Library Association'. This new group's apparent goal is to damage the oldest, largest, and most respected library association in the world" (UTurn article)

This ignores that, as reported in the Gillette News Record:

"What I would like to see for it is that it be a resource for librarians, as well as those who want to make their libraries more conservative" (Bear, quoted in Gallardo, 2023)

Using McBreairty's death to taint Echo & WLA:

In 2024, Shawn McBrearity passed away. He took his own life. In the UTurn article, they state, “He’s also famous for baiting and suing multiple school districts in Maine. McBrearity died by self inflicted gunshot in June 2024.” Without taking a break, UTurn ties his suicide directly to his activism against radical school districts.

 

In another article, Uturn links to, it makes accusations against McBreairty that can’t be established. "It's not known whether Shawn McBreairty saw MFM's 'Attack' video during that time, but it seems likely he would have at least heard about it" (Busby, 2018)

This last quotation from Busby represents pure speculation presented as fact and neither Busby nor UTurn wants want you to dig deeper.

Ad Hominem Attacks

Against Dan Kleinman:

The defamation and false light lawsuit appears aimed at silencing criticism of public officials. As reported in Library Journal:

"Jones is still awaiting judgment on the re-petition of her original case in Louisiana, spent a year considering taking action against Kleinman before finally deciding to sue him" (O'Brien & Weidmayer, 2024)

Against Vicki Baggett:

The allegations rely entirely on unverified student claims. From Popular Information:

"Popular Information previously reported that, in 2015, Baggett posted an image of the Confederate Flag to her Facebook page" (Legum & Crosby, 2022)

However, no direct evidence of classroom misconduct is provided beyond student allegations. No quotes are provided of racism. Getting all of the information second-hand is some evidence, but what they have as direct quotes is not racism. None of the students provided direct quotes or video evidence about her beliefs related to intermarriage between people with different skin color. For these types of accusations, we need an exceptionally high standard of evidence. We cannot accept the word of people anymore.

False Equivalence

Equating ALA membership with endorsement of all member views:

The Gillette News Record reports a more nuanced reality:

"Butler said it's meant to give people a choice, and he likened it to car companies... 'Some people like Fords, some people like Chevys, and right now the only dealership you've got in town is a Ford'" (Gallardo, 2023).

The ALA is an organization that represents some Librarians. It is not homogeneous, nor is it the only one. To say it is the only one is a misrepresentation of nearly nine other organizations out there, some of them just as radical as the ALA. Why would it be wrong for some Libraries to have a place to go that doesn’t have the radical or Marxist beliefs that the ALA espouses? Shouldn’t Librarians have more than one politburo to apply to? More than one Commissar?

Previously, Dan Kleinman was accused of calling for Censoring of books, but he challenged the ALA writer, Marta L. Magnuson, and she conceded the points. Maybe UTurn in Education will concede they were wrong for using these fallacies against Echo Schneider and apologize as Ms. Magnuson did?

 

Conclusion

UTurn's coverage fails basic journalistic standards by:

• Ignoring relevant context

• Using guilt by association

• Presenting selective evidence

• Engaging in character assassination

• Avoiding substantive policy discussion

The broader debate about library governance deserves better than partisan attacks masquerading as journalism. Whenever I write about UTurn, I diligently work to apply the highest level of journalistic standards. I try to use these guidelines more and more in my writing for journalism, notwithstanding when I do Satire which is a separate animal.

I do so because they claim that we have no journalistic ethics on our side. UTurn’s article on Echo was demonstrably a hit piece with no journalistic integrity or value. It lacked any truth. It doesn’t frame the issue for why Echo shouldn’t be a board member or the Board president in a substantive way.

They have no arguments for or against Echo in their article beyond she has associated herself with patriots who fight against the Sexually Exploitative Material in our Libraries. Good on Echo, then. Shame on UTurn for supporting the wrong side of this issue once again.

I’ll begin to close with a quotation from Heterodoxy in the Stacks:

"Yet, I can't help but think the sheer, litigious drama of the years-long battle was high in emotion and low on results" (Dudley, 2024)

If we would have a more productive dialogue about library governance rather than personal attacks, maybe there wouldn’t be the need for a WLA or for heroes like Echo Schneider. 

Because the ALA has made that impossible and will continue to support directly or indirectly lawfare against anyone that stands against them, we need heroes in the Library standing against these Character Assassinations by people who lost their love for humanity a long time ago.

There be dragons in the stacks…

 You can access Rice's article by clicking here:

Journalism or Character Assassination: A Response to UTurn's Library Board Coverage by David Rice

Reform Under Fire: How Institutions Fight Back Against Library Independence.

Read on Substack

Hypocrisy on Steroids

 

By Gretchen Garrity

U-Turn in Education, a local progressive group, has written an article titled “Regarding Christian County Library Trustees.” While no one claims authorship, the article says the library “is having troubles due to an outside group.”

Immediately attacking Library Board of Trustee President Echo Schneider, the unnamed author claims Schneider is part of a plot to discredit the American Library Association. The ALA has been discrediting themselves with their bogus “Right to Read,” “Library Bill of Rights,” Marxist presidents, and so on.

The elderly Chicago ALA has had her clothes in tatters for some time. Advocating that all library patrons, regardless of age, should have access to all library materials will do that. Parents and citizens are not buying her wares.

In an appeal to authority, the article states, “This new group’s apparent goal is to damage the oldest, largest, and most respected library association in the world…likely as part of sowing distrust in American institutions for political gain.”

Board members who have stepped up to serve on a local board, with no pay and a contentious public, are “part of sowing distrust in American institutions for political gain.” Gotcha.

The article then questions Schneider’s supposed complicity or her being “duped” in this nefarious plot to attack the ALA. The “outside group” named is the World Library Association, a very new organization that the Connecticut Centinal described at the group’s debut: “Library watchdog Dan Kleinman has just launched the much-needed World Library Association (WLA) to compete with the Marxist-led American Library Association (ALA), which has come under fire most recently for a potential First Amendment violation over its attempt to silence Brave Books, while at the same time promoting highly sexualized "Drag Queen Story Hours" at public libraries across the country."

You can read more about the WLA HERE.

At any rate, the unnamed author then attacks the county commissioners for not properly vetting candidates. In another appeal to authority, they accuse the commissioners of “exclud[ing] expert input...breaking with 66 years of tradition.”

EveryLibrary either not knowing or misrepresenting the truth.

  

The Christian County Library’s policy handbook reads like a manual from the ALA—that outside group from Chicago, wink wink. These are the experts to which the library board apparently looks to when assessing fitness for a position on the Library Board of Trustees. But, according to the Missouri Public Library Trustee Manual, page 62, recommending new trustees is predicated on a trusted relationship with current board members. “Your influence and that of the director depends on how trustees are seen by the [appointing] officials. If your library is running well, serving well, is well-regarded by the people with whom officials talk, then the trustee should have a voice in new appointments.”

Considering that the public has had a contentious relationship with the Board of Trustees over the past two years, it is commendable that the commissioners took upon themselves the vetting process.

That some people seem unhappy with the present board is reflective of their own issues, and not that of the commissioners or the board. State law is also clear about the appointment process—it belongs with the appointing body.

Click on image for clarity

  

Describing board president Schneider as a “transplant from Oregon,” the unnamed author seems to suggest there is something wrong with a Missouri citizen who was not born and bred here. That is provincialism. It has no place here. We are all citizens of the United States. And when we move to and establish residency in a state, we exercise the same rights as a citizen born in that state. Was this intended as a slur against Schneider?

If they actually knew Schneider, they would reconsider their attack. Not only is she very well and widely known in our community, but she has been tireless in making connections and friends, and in serving her fellow man through several public avenues.

U-TURN’S ASSOCIATION WITH “OUTSIDE GROUPS”

U-Turn in Education is insinuating that Schneider is a member of the WLA in order to somehow harm the ALA, instead of supporting an alternative option.

WLA founder Dan Kleinman, who has been advocating for safe libraries for decades, is now suffering the scourge of lawfare. It is not surprising that a far left local group would frame their attack on a Christian County Library board member in such a way as to impugn her motives and attempt to harm her reputation. 

Calling the WLA an “outside group,” the unnamed author fails to come clean about several outside groups U-Turn is involved with. Each of these groups is involved in attacking local control of our institutions. Let’s take a look shall we?

The Missouri Association of School Librarians is a chapter of the American Association of School Librarians, which is the ALA. (Note: Clicking on the image makes enlarges and makes them clearer.)

 

And here is U-Turn describing PEN America as friends:

 

PEN America is suffering a bit from apparent elitism among its members. Read HERE. More HERE from the NYT. Dissension in the leftist ranks.

U-Turn is also friends with Unite Against Book Bans, which is a partner with the ALA, the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State. All far left national organizations. Outside groups, if you will.

 

U-Turn also refers to the Missouri ACLU as “our friend.” And then there is Fight for the First, an organization tied to EveryLibrary, which is tied to the ALA. U-Turn, is in fact, a chapter of EveryLibrary. You can read more about them HERE.

 

Here, the outside group EveryLibrary calls for signers to the petition against the board of trustees on their X account:

 

Instead of considering the community’s commitment to keep children safe in our libraries, and looking for ways to come together, the leftists in our community are doubling down on pernicious and personal attacks and overlooking influences from "outside groups" within their own organization. It’s the Chicago Way. 

Let us hope and pray it does not become the Missouri Way.