It's Friday, so let's Learn about Extremism! Today I want to tell you a little about one of the many women who played important roles on the far right in the United States. I present to you Mary Lyrl Van Hyning (1892-1973), who was a prominent far right activist from the 1930s
through the 1950s, as the editor of an antisemitic and conspiratorial publication, Women's Voice, as a publisher and distributor of a variety of right-wing tracts, and as a speaker and conference organizer. She also could rock a hat.
Van Hyning got her start with the isolationist Mother's Movement in the years before World War II. She and other far right women in Chicago formed the group known as "We, the Mothers, Mobilize for America, Inc." In early 1941, Van Hyning began what would be a 20 year career of
editing and publishing Women's Voice, the main outlet for her extremism and antisemitism. It wasn't particularly subtle in its message.
She hated Jews and Freemasons the most (linking them together), and of course hated Communists. She was also anti-Catholic but was not so explicit about it. The Jews were the real problem.
Here in one typical issue, two of her lead articles were about the United Nations being Jewish and promoting fake antisemitic quotes from Benjamin Franklin. One source alleges WV had a circulation of around 3,000, but its reach may have been broader, because in addition to
subscribing, many supporters bought additional copies to pass out or send to other people. In addition to newspaper, she also published stand-alone pamphlets, like this one.
Here's a little article in one issue calling for Congress to "OUTLAW all minority groups, or place them under close supervision and control" as well as to investigate Jewish control of the government behind the scenes.
@egavactip So, there were Gestapo agencies that were Anti Nazi? Who knew?
@JanaQuamSD @egavactip Some things don’t change: then calling anti-nazi forces Jewish gestapo, now hard right voices attach the label nazi to Antifa. Linking polio to a sugar-rich diet to trash vaccines is also reminiscent of “living healthy protects you from Covid” in the anti-vaxx wellness crowd.