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A political ad from a Republican candidate for governor of Virginia is causing waves online. GOP gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin had a mother speak about her efforts to control what books are allowed in a school curriculum.
Her reasoning? Her son was terrified by a book assigned in one an AP senior English class.
However, that wasn't the whole story and it gets weirder from there.
What's it like to have Terry McAuliffe block you from having a say in your child's education?
This mom knows – she lived through it. Watch her powerful story. #VAgovpic.twitter.com/u8EjmMQX0n
— Glenn Youngkin (@GlennYoungkin) October 25, 2021
Youngkin's new ad features Laura Murphy, a Fairfax County mother who lobbied for a change to state policies regarding certain books in the school curriculum. She embarked on this journey, she claims, after her son suffered night terrors from reading a bookm assigned in class.
What Murphy does not mention in the ad is that the book in question is the Pulitzer Prize winning Beloved by Toni Morrison.
The book does have mature themes, and can be intense, but is also a highly acclaimed story about the psychological effects and pain of slavery. There are scenes involving rape, and the murder of an infant.
As the political ad was shared online, people realized they knew who Murphy's son was. Blake Murphy is a 27-year-old lawyer for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
His fear over the book about the horrors of slavery was so great, it's still being used as a political tool nearly ten years later.
This, of course, led to many ridiculing the situation.
Weird set of coincidences, that
— Trev E. Trev (@TrevvyTrev) October 25, 2021
Wait … is this Concerned Mother's son now a 27-year-old lawyer for the National Republican Congressional Committee?
Has he overcome his fear of Toni Morrison? pic.twitter.com/jKNkRIx9CJ
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) October 25, 2021
So what happened to Blake Murphy who had to get his mommy involved when he was a high school senior - he's a lawyer for the @gop now
Just like many crybabies before him https://t.co/436U1DwrcL
— Jonathan Jewel (@jonathanjewel) October 25, 2021
Glad to see the trauma of reading Toni Morrison didn't stop Blake Murphy from interning with President “Grab Them by The Pussy" Donald Trump. https://t.co/1GqansAriF
— Janet Johnson (@JJohnsonLaw) October 26, 2021
This was from 2013 and the lady is in an ad today for the GOP VA governor candidate. So that means her son is probably about 26 right now. What a snowflake Blake Murphy must be. https://t.co/sd7pLrq64a
— Drill Bill (@SarkastikB) October 25, 2021
Murphy sought to have school policies changed and have the book banned while she lobbied for more control over what is involved in school curriculum.
However, there are some important details being left out of her version of events.
To start, Blake was 17 or 18 years old at the time, old enough to see R-rated movies, including the one made based on Beloved. Additionally, the book was only assigned for an A.P. English class, a college level course, where one might expect the discussion of mature themes.
Finally, students had the option to opt out of any book they read if they felt uncomfortable with it.
So what was the point of Murphy's crusade?
Fact check: this lady tried to ban Toni Morrison's Beloved from an AP class, which is a college level course.
If you're taking an AP class, you should be mature enough to understand the topics discussed in Beloved.
— NoleMan 🪓🎬🥃 (@NoleMan22) October 25, 2021
This is pathetic. Banning books? He was in AP classes.
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) October 25, 2021
It was absolutely *breathtaking* to read that paragraph. I put my phone down and looked at the ceiling. The humiliation. The embarrassment.https://t.co/KhZZJCWfnc
— Grant O'Brien (@GrantOB) October 26, 2021
I'm down a hole on this kid. His name is Blake, obviously. He's a lawyer for the republicans now and his smile says "I told my mommy about a nightmare I had when I was 17 so she could look under my bed"https://t.co/PtbQD0JBFr
— Grant O'Brien (@GrantOB) October 26, 2021
The event occurred at least 8 years ago. He's 27 now. I hope he's recovered!
— 🏴☠️Not waiting for Godot (@DianaMcBlue) October 25, 2021
nothing says you love freedom like banning books, i guess
— Michael Dobozy (@dobozysaurus) October 25, 2021
Youngkin's stances don't end at literary censorship. The Republican candidate has also been accused of promoting election fraud conspiracies over the 2020 Presidential Election, rubbing shoulders with far-right extremists, and engaging in culture war fights over the pandemic response.