Instead of whiny little brats such as Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith who dissolve into tantrums every time someone gives them a side glance.
A few days ago, our lieutenant governor once again demonstrated just how tender—even fragile—his ego and sensibilities are. He had another of his Micah meltdowns when the superintendent of the Valparaiso Community Schools tried to do some damage control following a Beckwith appearance at Valparaiso High School.
Beckwith spoke at the school as part of its career fair on April 17. His remarks during his scheduled speech—which was a surprise to both Valpo students and their parents—apparently weren’t exceptional or controversial.
Afterward, though, Beckwith talked privately with some students who objected to what he told them. Their parents complained to the superintendent.
The superintendent did what superintendents try to do in such situations—move themselves and their school systems out of the dispute. All educators in public schools these days are incredibly skittish about getting dragged into political disputes—in large part because of guys like Beckwith who have tried to turn classrooms into socio-political battlefields.
The superintendent reassured those parents that no political agenda—conservative or liberal, Republican or Democratic—would be shoved down their children’s throats. He also said that speakers at the school would be vetted more carefully in the future.
Beckwith reacted like … Beckwith.
This is to say he behaved like a toddler who’d been denied his nap and also had a favorite toy yanked away.
He complained on social media that Valpo was “WOKE,” which in Micah-speak seems to include everyone and everything that refuses to unquestioningly accept the notion that every syllable that strays from the lieutenant governor’s lips is a divinely inspired revelation of fundamental truth.
Beckwith also demanded that the superintendent resign.
Which shows that, once again, the Beckwith talent for research, information-gathering and attention to detail remains in a class by itself. The superintendent already had announced, long before Beckwith wandered into Valparaiso to bloviate at length, that he intended to leave the school system on July 1.
So, our easily wounded lieutenant governor demanded that the superintendent—who doubtless at this point is just trying to get to the end of the school year—do what the superintendent already has done.
I’ve got to admit that I find guys like Beckwith hard to fathom.
It’s not as though anyone held a gun to his head and forced him to become lieutenant governor. In fact, he hustled, maneuvered and manipulated the process to get the gig he has, largely because it was only through hustling, maneuvering and manipulating the process that he ever could have found his way into public office.
The one time Beckwith directly sought the support of the voters was in 2020 when he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in a solidly Republican district. He finished third in the GOP primary, collecting just under 13% of the vote.
That means that—in that conservative congressional district—more than 87% of Republicans and presumably an even higher percentage of Democrats preferred someone else.
No wonder he decided to leverage the convention system and foist himself on an unwilling Mike Braun.
Since Braun became governor, dragging Beckwith along with him, Beckwith has acted as if he was the unfiltered voice of the people. Anyone who disagreed with him, he seemed to suggest, was attacking America itself.
Before he’d spent a year in office, he’d already recorded at least one dubious achievement—the first single-digit (9%!) public approval rating in a poll that I’d ever seen.
For a Republican to do that in one of the most GOP-friendly states in America takes a special skill.
What helped Beckwith rack up this peculiar accomplishment is a peculiar temperament. He honestly seems to think that he should be able to say whatever offensive or provocative thing he wishes and that no one else should be allowed to object.
That’s not engaging in vigorous public debate.
That’s a case of delayed childhood development—a man in his 40s still thinking like a thumb-sucking infant.
The school in Valparaiso didn’t try to impose particular political views on its students.
Micah Beckwith did—and students and their parents protested.
That’s how free speech works.
As adults understand.
