A blueprint for battling the toxic extremism currently gripping much of the Republican Party was provided last week by, of all sources, a Democratic state legislator in Michigan. In a floor speech that went viral, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow issued an epic takedown of a Republican colleague who’d called her a sexual “groomer” of children in a dishonest and indecent fundraising appeal — part of GOP’s nefarious campaign to use schoolchildren as tools in their culture wars.

It began with a fundraising email from Republican state Sen. Lana Theis warning, “These are the people we are up against. Progressive social media trolls like Senator Mallory McMorrow (D-Snowflake) who are outraged they can’t ... groom and sexualize kindergarteners or [teach] that 8-year olds are responsible for slavery.”

The two senators represent different parts of Michigan and have never run against each other, but McMorrow has been outspoken about opposing the GOP’s cynical “don’t say gay” legislation in Florida and other efforts like it by conservatives around the country. That, apparently, was enough to merit a mass email that calls McMorrow, the mother of a 1-year-old, a sexual “groomer” of children.

McMorrow responded with a floor speech in which — unlike too many other Democrats — she didn’t play defense or let the right-wing disinformation machine set the parameters of the debate. With appropriate outrage but impressive eloquence, she took the fight to them, exposing their hypocrisy and demagoguery in the process.

“I am a straight, white, Christian, married suburban mom who knows that the very notion that learning about slavery, or redlining, or systemic racism somehow means that children are being taught to feel bad or hate themselves because they are white is absolute nonsense,” McMorrow said. “No one in this room is responsible for slavery ... (but) we can’t pretend that it didn’t happen or deny people their very right to exist.”

That is, in essence, what Republican legislatures are trying to do. On sexual orientation issues, as with the supposed danger of “critical race theory,” they are writing classroom gag laws in such vague and sweeping language as to intimidate schools away from any discussion of race or gender.

The stakes are clear. “I want every child in this state to feel seen, heard and supported, not marginalized and targeted because they are not straight, white and Christian,” McMorrow said. “We cannot let hateful people tell you otherwise.”

“So ... call me whatever you want,” she concluded. “I hope you brought in a few dollars. I hope it made you sleep good last night. I know who I am. I know what faith and service means and what it calls for in this moment. We will not let hate win.”

McMorrow’s speech forcefully exposed this crowd for the rhetorical terrorists they are. Other Democrats and Republicans of conscience should take a page from it.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial Board. Visit STLtoday.com