People making fun of Gus Walz, the son of Tim Walz, the choice of Kamala Harris to be her running mate, illustrates the problem with MAGA.

The Republican Party, especially in Minnesota in the last part of the 20th century, were champions of mental health. I truly can’t imagine any human being with even an iota of decency making fun of a neurodivergent child for the unbridled emotion he showed Wednesday night. But MAGA supporters like Ann Coulter did just that and felt OK to express vile thoughts publicly.

By making fun of people with physical disabilities and disparaging wounded veterans, the MAGA movement has made it OK to be cruel bullies. I have been so outspoken because cruelty is a slippery slope. We keep going lower and lower in public discourse and that leads to hateful actions. Take a look at Germany in the 1930s if you want an example.

I long for a day when we can once again disagree about ideas while retaining our core humanity. I want people to feel shame again when they are mean, racist and homophobic and transphobic. I want people to know it is not OK to hate or demonize anyone at anytime because those are shameful things.

You promote what you permit and the fish rots from its head.

America deserves better.