In a tweet last Sunday, Meshawn Maddock, the co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, labeled Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. transportation secretary, former officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, and a gay man, a "weak little girl." Some people were offended. Some even called for her immediate removal. All that is understandable but not likely productive. It certainly was not outside the typical bounds of Maddock or the Michigan Republican Party, so it wasn't surprising. Frankly, offending somebody is often exactly what they are aiming for.
Me? I'm not offended at all. I'm baffled. Absolutely baffled. I mean, did Meshawn "Shecky" Maddock really think that she was being clever or funny by channeling Mr. Roper from Three's Company? Does she honestly consider promoting the adoption of electric vehicles to be "gay," and therefore, a bad thing? Why in the world would she imagine calling anybody "a little girl" to be a zinger insult? In freakin' 2022?
And, of course, the topper: How does any of this reconcile with being a good Christian?
Baffled.
John Auchter is a freelance political cartoonist. His views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Radio, its management, or its license holder, the University of Michigan.
