As someone on the autism spectrum, I saw Gus Walz break down [at the Democratic National Convention]. The joy he got out of seeing his dad [Gov. Tim Walz] speaks from his heart to that massive crowd brought out intense emotions in him.
You think that would make everyone happy to see? Nope, not Ann Coulter and many others who mocked him by calling him “weird.”
I grew up in Special Ed. I played adaptive sports and the Special Olympics. I’m proud of that part of me because it got me through one of the most difficult times of my life and it’s part of my story.
I had the pleasure of getting to know so many incredible people that also had disabilities who I competed with and against, who loved life and saw the good in everyone. Because to many of them, they look for the positive attributes in everyone. Not the negative ones.
That joy Gus expressed, that’s a joy that the people who mocked him will never know. It doesn’t matter how much money and wealth they acquire. It doesn’t matter how big their status is or even if they get to the very top of where they want to go. The joy that so many people with disabilities experience isn’t a weakness. It’s a strength that improves your life and it’s one we should all envy, not mock.
This isn’t to say everyone with disabilities is happy and those that are happy are happy all the time. We all struggle in life; we all have things we strive for and goals we want to accomplish. For so many people I know with rare diseases, physical, and learning disabilities, we face mountains of challenges in life.
But we are a resilient and strong people. And we accomplish things that the teachers in Special Ed and doctors that diagnosed us never imagined for us.
If only Ann Coulter could experience that joy that Gus expressed.
Chris Juhn
Minneapolis
This commentary was originally posted on Facebook and republished and edited with permission.