Commentary By Maureen Collins | May 10, 2021 | 1:21pm EDT Lydia Booth wears her "Jesus Loves Me" mask. (Photo credit: Alliance Defending Freedom) Mothers protect their children. Not only is this a natural inclination of mothers but a cross-cultural and even cross-species truth. Hikers know not to stand between a mother bear and her cubs. Bird-watchers know never to get near a mother bird protecting her hatchlings. Most mothers can think of a moment where their protective instinct kicked in, and they knew they needed to stand up for their child. For Jennifer, that moment came when she picked up her daughter, Lydia, from school one afternoon last fall.