Actor Kirk Cameron shared his motivations for creating faith-based children's content during an interview on The Daily Wire's Morning Wire podcast, released on Wednesday. He emphasized the importance of helping children succeed amid cultural battles over library access. Cameron highlighted his experiences with denials and eventual invitations to read his books in public spaces.
Kirk Cameron, known for his role in the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains, has shifted his focus to engaging in cultural debates, particularly around children's education and media. In a recent interview on The Daily Wire's Morning Wire podcast, released on Wednesday, Cameron explained how fatherhood and grandfatherhood prompted him to consider his legacy. "Once you become a dad, and now I’m a grandfather, I’m beginning to think legacy," he said. "I’m beginning to think of how can I help my children succeed and win."
To support the moral and spiritual health of young people, Cameron launched Brave Books and the children's television series Adventures with Iggy and Mr. Kirk. He aimed to produce content that remains steadfast, without bending to political pressures, drawing inspiration from figures like Mr. Rogers. "Who’s our guy today who’s gonna do that?… If not me, then who?" Cameron asked.
The reception to his work has been polarized. "The drag queens don’t like the books much. And the libraries that support progressive agendas don’t like me entering much," he noted. Cameron reported being denied entry to about 50 public libraries, including those hosting drag queen story hours, on grounds that their values did not align. He questioned this exclusion, stating, "I thought the rules were… diversity, equity, and inclusion. Why do you exclude me? Why not diversity of thought instead of this monoculture that the kids are getting?"
After threatening legal action, some libraries reversed their decisions, leading to strong support from families. "Thousands of parents and grandparents showed up and said, ‘Thank you. We don’t want this other stuff, but we’re being marginalized and silenced,’" Cameron recounted.
Addressing criticisms that Christian values are discriminatory, Cameron countered, "Every view is inherently discriminatory, particularly the progressive inclusive view, as I experienced." He described being "run over by the tolerance bus several times" and warned, "If someone’s coming at you with a sign that says ‘love everybody,’ be careful. They might whack you over the head with it."
Cameron attributed cultural tensions to differing worldviews, praising ancient values from Moses that he believes foster liberty and great civilizations. He noted positive shifts, such as an invitation from the Library of Congress last year to read his books, compared to being locked out three years prior. Ultimately, he stressed the influence on youth: "Whoever rocks the cradle rules the future. Whoever gets to tell the kids the bedtime stories… you’re shaping the next generation’s hearts and minds."
