"Family Values"

It struck me today that perhaps the clearest illustration of the difference between Republicans and Democrats, is the difference between Gus Walz and Claudia Conway.

Gus Walz is the son of VP candidate Tim Walz. Gus was recently criticized by conservative pundit Ann Coulter as "weird" for openly, unashamedly weeping with pride and joy and calling out "That's my dad!" when his father gave a speech.

Claudia Conway is the daughter of former Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway and founder of the Lincoln Project George Conway (who finally divorced after over 20 years of marriage). Claudia has been an outspoken critic of Trump, the Republican party, and her mother since her early teens, and sought emancipation from her parents at the age of 15. She claimed that her mother was verbally, physically, and sexually abusing her. 

And it strikes me that the self-styled "party of family values" that insists the country was better off, and families were stronger, back when both were run by conservative authoritarians... that philosophy led to the destruction of the Conway family. The party that insists their philosophy is the way to keep families together... was the force that drove this family apart.

On the other hand, you have Tim Walz, whose philosophy of "treat children like humans worthy of respect, protect vulnerable kids from being attacked, and make damn sure that no kid ever goes hungry" has his kid so overwhelmed with love and respect, even awe, that he can't contain it and doesn't try. 

I've seen a similar dynamic with my own teenaged kid. My kid loves and respects me, far more than I'd expected to see at their age to be honest. They have a number of friends who have very liberal parents, and those kids love and respect their parents. And they have friends who have very conservative "spare the rod and spoil the child" parents, and those kids may FEAR their parents, but they do not RESPECT their parents. Those kids have even said aloud, in my hearing, that they are jealous of the relationship my kid and I have. 

SO... which philosophy of how to use power and authority ACTUALLY builds stronger families? Which one ACTUALLY earns respect? Which one ACTUALLY promotes family values?