The attacks on Gus Walz reflect Republicans’ anger at the fact that the Democrats can now present themselves as the party of family values.
Watch Tim Walz’s teenage son Gus react to him on stage
Tim Walz’s 17-year-old son suffers from ADHD as well as a nonverbal learning disorder and an anxiety disorder.
Matt Otto, a Geneva resident and Capital University graduate, is a progressive activist and Democratic Party volunteer who plans to pursue graduate studies at the University of Arizona.
I haven’t written a political article in a while because sometimes it’s better to enjoy historical moments from a more objective perspective and not let the voice in your head dictate current events.
When you have strong political views, they interfere with your perception of reality. This is especially true in the historic political moment we find ourselves in, when an incumbent president is ending his campaign and effectively handing the nomination over to his vice president.
Admittedly, I have a growing dislike for Republicans who distort the meaning of being an American. For them, freedom and family are everything.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz defined freedom in his nomination acceptance speech as follows:
“When Republicans use this word (freedom), they believe the government should have the freedom to invade doctors’ offices. Corporations should have the freedom to pollute the air and water. Banks should have the freedom to take advantage of their customers. But when we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean your freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people you love. The freedom to make your own decisions about your health care. And, yes, the freedom of your children to go to school without fear of being shot in the hallway.”
The message of this paragraph is extremely apt. If the Democrats don’t try to define freedom, the Republicans will – and that’s exactly what they have done.
During Walz’s speech, his son Gus could be seen crying and pointing at him.
Unfortunately, some Republicans have used his son as a political punching bag.
The attacks on a child suffering from a nonverbal disorder are grotesque, but they reveal something deep in the psyche of Republicans: They feel that they no longer have the monopoly of being the institution of “family values” in American politics.
The attacks on Gus are merely an exchange of blows.
Like Trump, many Republicans have a psyche similar to that of a tyrant, but when you stand up to a tyrant, they lose their grip.
This is especially true as stories have emerged about Trump claiming that the Obamas’ taunts against him during the DNC turned out to be “personal.”
That’s a strong performance from someone who began his political career by asking whether President Obama was born in the United States.
The attacks on Gus Walz are an expression of Republican anger that the Democrats can now present themselves as the party of family values. If JD Vance’s child started crying as soon as his father accepted the vice presidential nomination, we would see what a great father he is.
How manly it is to have a son who loves you, and how much the Democrats can only wish for such admiration from their children.
Considering that Project 2025, designed by the Heritage Foundation, where many of Trump’s advisory positions come from, would force a 12-year-old to carry her stepfather’s child to term by banning access to contraception and rejecting abortion as “health care” — I guess that’s what Republicans mean by “family values.”
Matt Otto, a Geneva resident and Capital University graduate, is a progressive activist and Democratic Party volunteer who plans to pursue graduate studies at the University of Arizona.
