this post was submitted on 23 Aug 2024
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A tearful, unscripted moment between Tim Walz and his 17-year-old son, Gus, has unleashed a flood of praise and admiration – but also prompted ugly online bullying.

Gus Walz, who has a nonverbal learning disorder as well as anxiety and ADHD, watched excitedly from the front row of Chicago’s United Center and sobbed openly Wednesday night as his father, the Democratic nominee for vice president, delivered his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.

...

Conservative columnist and right-wing provocateur Ann Coulter mocked the teenager’s tears. “Talk about weird,” she wrote on X. The message has since been deleted.

Mike Crispi, a Trump supporter and podcaster from New Jersey, mocked Walz’s “stupid crying son” on X and added, “You raised your kid to be a puffy beta male. Congrats.”

Alec Lace, a Trump supporter who hosts a podcast about fatherhood, took his own swipe at the teenager: “Get that kid a tampon already,” he wrote, an apparent reference to a Minnesota state law that Walz signed as governor in that required schools to provide free menstrual supplies to students.

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[–] [email protected] 85 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

It shouldn't matter whether he is LD. No one should be bullied.

Research shows that bullying behavior often stems from a combination of factors such as a desire for social dominance, a lack of empathy, or modeling of aggressive behaviors at home, said Kristen Eccleston, a former special education teacher and advocate for children with social-emotional needs.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Too bad some people just don't know about or choose to not follow the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

That’s because they’re “Christians” and nowhere in the Bible does it say to be kind to others, or to have empathy, or to respect each other… /s

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Love thy neighbor

Edit: I stopped reading before the /s. My bad. This one's on me

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I almost didn’t add that /s at the end figuring “surely nobody would think I’m serious”. Apparently my comment wasn’t dripping with enough sarcasm!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Case of not seeing the wit for the trees. In the topsy-turvy landscape of the last 8 years or so, the problem is that "dripping with" part. The weirdos do always go for the double-down after all, so adding more starts risking confusion with that tactic of theirs.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

I thought you were talking specifically about the golden rule at first

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I think many people in fact actively get a high from feeling powerful, and therefore doing the exact opposite of what they want done to them, and then are usually the people to whine the loudest when anything of the sort happens to them.

For example Trump’s speeches are like 85% insulting people, whining about those critical about him, etc. Huge middle school bully energy.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Yes and there was recently a speech he gave whining about how he was treated.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Recently? I can't recall a speech he's given since he started running for president where he didn't whine about perceived mistreatment

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

Lol. You're right

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

When you're a narcissist, "others" is nonsensical, because the only person worthy of agency and empathy is you. That's why the golden rule doesn't work - it's like if they were colorblind, they lack the capacity to even understand it.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It absolutely matters. It's like the difference between hitting someone who's weaker than you, and hitting someone in a wheelchair. When you're bullying, you're punching down. When your victim is an even more vulnerable member of society (disabled, poor, elderly, neurodivergent, etc), you're punching way down and are a piece of shit.

[–] zarkanian 9 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

you're punching way down and are a piece of shit.

Bullying still makes you a piece of shit even if the victim isn't disabled, though.

The article mentioned a conservative talk-show host who called Gus a "blubbering bitch boy" and then retracted the statement when he found out the kid has a disability. No, either way, that is not okay!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah, we're on the same page: bullying is bad no matter what. But surely you agree it's worse to bully someone with a disability...?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Bullying makes you a piece of shit even if the victim isn't disabled.

I don't think anyone is suggesting otherwise. But like everything in reality, it's not black and white. If you can't see how it's worse when the person has disabilities, then I don't know what to tell you.

I suspect you understand it just fine though.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I do understand, and I think if the only reason a person isn't bullying someone is because that person is differently abled, that doesn't make the person who refrained only because the potential victim is differently abled a genuinely decent person, just that they know they are less likely to get away without consequences, if anyone else finds out.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Who are you arguing with? Nobody here (that I've seen) has said or even suggested that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

Lol. Replied to wrong comment. I'm human, it happens.

[–] Mouselemming 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

You emphasized lack of empathy, but I think we also need to focus on "a desire for social dominance" because it describes exactly what these fascists have planned for America.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

Agreed. It's interesting to me that normal, healthy people just go about their business, and those not so healthy want to impose their sickness on the rest of us. It's contagious, for the weaker among us, too, apparently.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago