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* USA Today…
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ running mate, has spoken openly and lovingly about his 17-year-old son, Gus, who has ADHD, along with a nonverbal learning disorder and an anxiety disorder. Walz and his wife, Gwen, both former teachers, said recently in a statement to People magazine that they never considered Gus’ conditions an obstacle.
“Like so many American families, it took us time to figure out how to make sure we did everything we could to make sure Gus would be set up for success as he was growing up,” the couple said.
“It took time, but what became so immediately clear to us was that Gus’ condition is not a setback − it’s his secret power,” they said.
* Tribune…
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s son Gus moved the audience Wednesday night in the United Center with a display of emotion as his father spoke that many saw as heartwarming.
After 17-year-old Gus was shown on national television at the DNC in Chicago tearing up, clapping and yelling out, “That’s my dad!” People magazine posted a statement from the older Walz and wife Gwen that Gus has “a non-verbal learning disorder,” along with anxiety and ADHD.
The Tribune talked to experts, who used the terms “neurodivergent” and “disability” to describe conditions like Gus Walz’s. The Walz family statement did not use those terms.
Viral clips like the one between Gus Walz and his father can make all the difference for neurodivergent people, said Kimi Matsumura, founder of the nonprofit Chicago Autism Network.
“Exposure is huge,” she said. “The world getting to see the beauty of Gus Walz and his relationship with his dad I think will open up a lot of hearts.”
* Not everyone saw a heartwarming moment, however. Here’s Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson…
Ugh.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 12:45 pm
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Just when I think Dan Proft couldn’t act like more of a fool…what a classless human being. Must be a miserable existence.
Comment by PercyPlantagenet Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 12:54 pm
Thanks for highlighting how classy these two are.
I don’t have anything printable left to say. I don’t want to get banned for life for expressing my thoughts about these two. That goes for Ann Coulter as well.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 12:56 pm
A reminder of just how much they are disconnected from reality and the struggles of everyday Americans. Hard to imagine thousands of people listening to this during thier commute and not throwing their radio out of the window with rage at these callous shills.
I can’t wait for credible local media outlets to quote these two as “conservative activists” during the next election, continuing to give them a spotlight.
Comment by NIU Grad Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 12:56 pm
Some people thrive on hatred and knocking others down. It is quite literally the difference between a MAGA disciple and a decent human being.
Comment by Travel Guy Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 12:58 pm
Speaking as a mom, I find it appalling that Gus Walz was made fun of but also discouraging to call his disabilities a “secret power.” Being unable to interpret body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, etc., to understand others’ nonverbal communication is a disadvantage. The best you can really do is try to mechanically learn these skills that come naturally to others, or, failing that, be aware that you aren’t getting the whole picture. There’s no secret advantage that comes along with it.
I suppose this is part and parcel with our general desire to feel like everything is fair and balanced. “The other kid is good at sports and you’re not? Well, you’re smarter than he is.” Took me a long time to realize that talents are simply not evenly distributed and being athletic does not mean being dumb but that athletes are no more or less likely to be smart as anyone else.
And here’s the other thing that bugs me (and I can say this because I’m anonymous): kids don’t necessarily want their disabilities to be known. At least my kids would feel it to be a terrible invasion of their privacy if I said, “hey, Son A has ADHD and Son B has high-functioning autism.” I don’t know how Gus feels and maybe he’s on board with it but maybe he was never given a choice.
Comment by Beth Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:00 pm
Ugh x 10. Bad people trying to spread hate about an intrinsically loving act.
Comment by Norseman Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:02 pm
Did not realize & 2 Piece were still an item Thanks for the update
Comment by Annonin' Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:03 pm
Haters gonna hate, no matter what. Those who belittle and make fun of those who differ in some way are really the lowest sort of human being.
Comment by Manchester Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:04 pm
You knew it was coming from the people you knew who would go there…
It was a heartwarming moment and expression of love and support and it made a lot of people who watched feel good and proud….
…and I just knew almost instantly, some personalities were just going to use it to show us once again who they were and how they see the world.
Comment by Josh Evans Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:07 pm
Craig Stebic could not be reached for comment.
Comment by Save Ferris Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:08 pm
Fundamentally, right wingers are not good people. Certainly not the people are the forefront of the right wing media machine and activist groups.
At best right wingers tolerate being represented by and consorting with these actively bad people.
How can you say things like “sure we can disagree about policy without hating each other” when the most vocal members of one side behave like this on every issue, and against every person they consider ‘others’?
Comment by Homebody Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:08 pm
Comments from Jacobson and Proft are despicable. Their ignorance towards individuals who are neurodivergent is astounding. That they choose this topic to broadcast to their listeners is a new low. Their commentary is vile.
Comment by Rudy’s teeth Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:11 pm
Interesting that the so-called party of family values scoffs at a 17-year-old kid genuinely proud of his father.
Comment by Steve Rogers Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:12 pm
Good: There is no denying the depths these two will sink to for the sake of a viral video and to normalize the vile now increasingly available mainstream.
Bad: No remorse. No apologies. No attempt whatsoever to reconcile or even consider the pettiness of mocking differences among politico kids. They’re still on the air, and it draws an audience and sponsor dollars.
I’m now old enough remember when a less obvious breakdown in broadcast ethics, human decency and civility like this would mean you pack up your things and walk out into a world with few landing spots in the industry.
Comment by Dirty Red Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:13 pm
Utterly despicable.
And Proft serves on the Board of Envision Unlimited, a nfp whose mission is:
We provide people with disabilities or other special needs quality services that promote choice, independence, and inclusion.
https://www.envisionunlimited.org/board-members
Comment by Henry Francis Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:14 pm
Both of these people claim to be Christians and followers of Jesus Christ. They are who Jesus threw out of the temple. If they believe in an after life, I hope it is very very hot for them.
Comment by Almost retired Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:16 pm
=but also discouraging to call his disabilities a “secret power.”=
Discouraging is you having and issue expressing love and support for their child. How do you know it isn’t his super power?
Speaking as a parent with a child with disabilities, my child’s disability also helped make them incredibly empathetic and sensitive to others. That is a SUPERPOWER for my child.
To the post…two people more deserving of a strong attitude adjustment would be challenging to find. Sick, pathetic people.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:20 pm
There’s a few things to not like about Walz, however, his son should have nothing to do with it in any way…
Comment by Levois Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:22 pm
As the saying goes… “when people show you who they are - believe them.” Works with both the Walzes and the despicable pundits.
Comment by DwnState Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:23 pm
1) (Banned Word) Proft and Jacobson. I wonder if Signature Bank, whose name is prominently all over Proft’s background, knows how he speaks about 17 year old’s?
2) Thanks for your post, Beth. I’m a Neurodivergent with Autism. Growing up, both were poorly understood. I was socially awkward, had poor communication skills, and wasn’t particularly good at sports.
Thus, people thought of me as the “weird” kid. Since I was weird kid, it was assumed I must be really smart and therefore would be a millionaire some day.
As you probably guessed, that didn’t happen. As I result, I felt like a total failure for a big chunk of my life. It took a couple years of therapy to get over it.
Yes, because Autism effect each individual differently, it can give people the ability to do great and incredible things. But that’s not the case for everyone, or even most people.
To most of us, it’s no superpower at all. Instead, it’s an obstacle we have to overcome just to survive and function in a world clearly not built for us.
Comment by Former Downstater Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:26 pm
This is just yet another example of why I’ve starting cutting some Republicans out of my life.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:28 pm
Mr Mill, I don’t know what your child’s disability is, and unless you’re using a pseudonym or your child is on-board with it, I won’t ask you to reveal it, but generally speaking, my experience/understanding regarding neurodivergent people (at least those with autism, though people with other disabilities have adopted that label) and related disorders are impaired in exactly this manner, not being able to experience the “theory of mind” that enables them to feel empathy or sensitivity to others’ feelings.
Sometimes there is a “hoo, boy, that kid can hyperfocus when he finds what he loves,” and he gets snapped up for mad coding or quant skills, and sometimes you’re just grateful for whatever level of independence your child achieves.
Comment by Beth Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:32 pm
“There’s no secret advantage that comes along with it.”
Maybe you’re right about this child, but please consider the possibility that his parents know him better than you do.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:34 pm
===don’t know how Gus feels and maybe he’s on board with it but maybe he was never given a choice.
They only recently revealed it and Gus was fully on board according to the stories at the time (this was before the VP vetting).
While I agree we can overly focus on asset based discussion of disabilities to the detriment of supporting the kids, I think the parents understand the best way to discuss their child’s abilities and disabilities.
Comment by ArchPundit Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:36 pm
Some quick notes I got from watching that clip.
1. That show sounds pretty boring.
2. It’s weird to me that anyone would think twice about a emotional expressions of support between family members, which tells me they feel under pressure and need to reach really hard this campaign.
3. I assume these two support former president Trump who quite clearly and publicly made fun of a reporter who had a disability. So the brand is strong, I guess.
Comment by Blitz Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:38 pm
Oh yeah, Dan and Amy are awful people. Nothing new there, but they talk a game about being Christians and believing in family values and yet Dan is a bachelor. Weird.
Comment by ArchPundit Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:38 pm
@Beth =but also discouraging to call his disabilities a “secret power.
Beth, I encourage you to dive deeper into the specifics of neurodivergent conditions. All individuals are different, obviously, but there is a pattern of strengths associated with these conditions that isn’t typically found in neurotypical people. It’s fascinating! Temple Grandin is a great example of someone with very uncommon “super powers”.
NeuroTribes by Steve Silberman is an incredible book and a great place to start. Incidentally, Temple Grandin endorsed this book.
Comment by BD Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:41 pm
Double embarrassment on my end as I graduated from Benet Academy (as did Proft) and the University of Iowa (as did Jacobson) at roughly the same time as these two. I cannot believe how disgusting this is coming from two of my former classmates. As Henry Francis states, utterly despicable.
Comment by Diver Down Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:44 pm
I don’t know if there’s anything else to add apart from what so many have expressed here. Very disappointing behavior from these two. I was about to say I’m not surprised but I am! This is so much worse than their usual schtick.
Comment by BD Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:45 pm
They should be shown the door, immediately, a la Don Imus.
From an electoral perspective, this is very shortsighted. 15 million special needs children in the country, (30 million parents, 60 million grandparents) - almost 1/4 the of the country’s population loves someone who’s been bullied and mocked like this. Mean, and an election loser, what’s the upside?
Comment by Shark Sandwich Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:46 pm
I Heart Radio just pulled a host of the air for similar comments. I know 560 doesn’t have standards, but I wonder if this show is carried on other platforms that will be pressured to remove them?
Comment by NIU Grad Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:51 pm
I seriously wonder what it is like to not feel shame. Talk about a disability. There is something very wrong with those two.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:52 pm
Proft should be extra embarrassed because he reacts the same exact way when he sees Dick Uihlein.
As for Amy, she’s gotta do what she can to get by, she flushed her career down the pool drain years ago.
But I don’t kid myself, debased miscreants like these two have no shame.
Comment by Excitable Boy Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:53 pm
Proft doing his Impression of Trump mocking the reporter with cerebral palsy. That’s classy any day of the week. Amy puts the boot in as well. These are bitter, mean, resentful, spiteful, hateful people. The only thing more disturbing about them is that apparently they have an audience of like-minded adult followers.
And Proft works to put people like himself in charge of our government. Ladies and Gentlemen, your GOP leadership.
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:55 pm
==but I wonder if this show is carried on other platforms that will be pressured to remove them?==
Is Signature Bank, their apparent sponsor, ok with this?
Comment by Former Downstater Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:55 pm
Proft apologized this morning.
Comment by Center Drift Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:56 pm
I think they’ve maxed out their ability to attract bullies to their low rated program. And if the goal is to appeal to voters (and listeners) beyond the base how exactly does this help? So my only conclusion is that this is just more pablum for bigots.
Comment by Pundent Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 1:57 pm
I’m sure Jacobson and Proft would say that they are pro-life Christians who believe that all lives matter, too.
Comment by Formerly Unemployed Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 2:02 pm
Unless they commit crimes, minor children of politicians should be off limits, period, no matter political party or if their last name is Walz, Obama, Clinton, or Trump.
Those who trespass this line gleefully demonstrate not only a lack of empathy but really poor political sense.
Comment by JB13 Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 2:10 pm
I’m sure it was a “sorry, not sorry “ kind of apology for all of about a minute, and then right back to the daily hate right out of Orwell. Proft has only one schtick and man is it tired. Just remember he’s not paid to be on the radio, he’s paying the radio to carry his show. I mean, who would pay money for listening to that guy?
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 2:12 pm
I hereby award 100 points to Excitable Boy at 1:53
Comment by Linus Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 2:14 pm
The immaturity and lack of talent exhibited by Jacobsen and Proft resulted in the comments on this broadcast. With so many topics to discuss, these two choose to disparage a young man who shows enthusiasm towards his father.
Their intentional criticism is lacking judgment and compassion. A sad commentary from two adults who are grasping to be relevant.
Comment by Rudy’s teeth Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 2:26 pm
I won’t even give those two Bozos my time.
I have a friend who was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD as an adult. He struggled throughout school but today he is a VP at a large insurance company. He said he wouldn’t trade his condition for anything because he knows he thinks differently than others and that it gives him an advantage over conventional thinkers.
As a special education teacher, spouse of someone with a learning disability, and father of someone who has a boyfriend who is neurodivergent, I am well versed with this population and it disgusts me when people who I love are attacked.
Comment by Proud Papa Bear Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 3:01 pm
Why do I think Proft looks at a guy like Tim Walz and feels how little of value he has done with his own life? If not, he should.
Comment by Lincoln Lad Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 3:05 pm
https://www.envisionunlimited.org/board-members
I’ve personally contacted every board member I could find an email address for as well as using multiple contact forms through their website. I encourage everyone else to do the same. I also contacted Signature Bank media relations.
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 3:06 pm
This should be shocking to no one at this point, they’ve long ago distinguished themselves as ignorant haters.
.
Comment by PublicServant Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 3:07 pm
=but also discouraging to call his disabilities a “secret power.”=
I can tell what your superpower is.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 3:17 pm
It’s many a man’s mouth that got his nose broken.
Comment by Dotnonymous x Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 3:27 pm
Horrible human beings acting horribly. Go figure. People who watched Gus’s pride and emotional response to his father and reacted this way have no hearts and no souls.
Comment by New Day Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 3:39 pm
==That show sounds pretty boring==
Back when Feder was doing his column and running radio ratings, WIND rarely made the charts and when they did, they had about a 1% share. So it appears most listeners agree with this appraisal.
Comment by Socially DIstant Watcher Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 3:49 pm
Guess they don’t walk the walk.
=Envision Unlimited does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in employment or any of its activities or operations.=
Comment by OurMagician Friday, Aug 23, 24 @ 3:49 pm