Gus Walz: Joy and Freedom
Heidi Goger discusses how Gus Walz truly embodies the theme of joy and freedom in the Harris-Walz campaign.
If Chicago's United Center had seismic sensors, the thunderous ovations reverberating through the city's West Side undoubtedly registered. However, the applause and cheers after individual speeches and calls to action paled compared with the deafening applause after just three words that captivated the convention: "THAT'S MY DAD!"
If any one individual perfectly manifests the theme of joy and freedom of the Harris-Walz presidential campaign, it’s Gus Walz. On the third night of the Democratic National Convention, millions of viewers witnessed an expression of uninhibited joy without restraint by a young man emboldened with the freedom to be himself due to the unconditional love of his family. Gus Walz, consumed with the happiness of seeing his father, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, on stage preparing to accept the vice presidential nomination, rose from his seat, pointed and through tears said, “That’s my dad!” If only we could be so lucky to demonstrate emotion with such freedom and abandon. Gus is a 17-year old with a nonverbal learning disability (NVLD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety. One characteristic of NVLD is difficulty recognizing social cues, e.g., body language, facial expressions, tone of voice and demonstrating what is considered “appropriate” societal behavior.
It didn’t take long for those individuals truly lacking appropriate behavior and social skills to post social media attacks and disgusting criticisms of this young man’s display of emotion. Thankfully, the public at large countered and shut down these disgusting attacks against a young person with a disability or, as Tim Walz so aptly states, “a super power.”
The day of his DNC speech, Gov. Walz announced that Minnesota will invest $10 million to support and train special education teachers in more than 35 school districts. Walz said, "By investing in our special education workforce, we can help ensure every student in Minnesota receives the support they need to thrive in their education." It’s also important to note that the 2024 Democratic Party platform voted on at the convention includes language addressing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: “We support fully funding IDEA to prioritize students with disabilities and the special educator workforce. We support efforts to provide more timely, well-rounded, actionable feedback on student learning and progress to educators and to families that will support instruction and student success, while upholding rigorous academic standards.”
The bullying of people who are perceived as different or “less than” is not new. What is new is the strong and swift counter defense and the social media platforms used to fight back against these behaviors. Take the courageous and emotional post with over 6 million views by comedian, teacher and therapist Tell Williams, @mrwilliamsprek, revealing how Gus Walz “healed some childhood trauma I didn’t know needed healing.” Today, society is more aware than ever of the impact targeted verbal and physical attacks have on young people and even adults. The toll of mental anguish is well documented, and resources allocated to address mental health needs have steadily increased to meet these needs.
I’m so thankful for Gus Walz and his family who have shown us a true embodiment of freedom and joy.
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A passionate advocate on behalf of diverse learners. Experience as an educator, consultant, and district administrator. Philosophy: Practitioner of equity and social justice.
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