Love Isn't Weak

by Craig Wiesner - San Mateo Daily Journal - July 13, 2026

Scrolling the Interwebs the other day I came across a talk Senate
candidate James Talarico gave where an audience member asked “You talk about love, but isn’t that just too weak for the moment that we’re in?” Talarico said his faith teaches him that “love is the strongest force in the universe, and love is not passive, love is not neutral, love is not weak, and sometimes love means that we have to stand between the bullies and the bullied…” His words took me back to the months after September 11th 2001, when I was a confirmation partner
with a youth at our church. We spent many hours together talking about
what we believed, what we felt called to do in this world, what scared
us and what inspired us. After many weeks together our final assignment was for us to each write statements of faith. During our final gathering we sat around the fireplace and shared our statements. Mine included saying that after having been in the military, where if called upon I would exercise violence to protect my country, now, I believed, it was time for me to stand between those who would do violence and those who would be the victims of such violence, even if it meant getting hurt or killed myself. I wondered as I left that evening what call might come from me making such a statement. I didn’t have to wait long. Shortly after sharing that statement, I got a call from Global Exchange. “We need a Jewish person to join our interfaith peacemaking delegation to Afghanistan and someone said you’d be a wonderful addition to our group.” My husband, a Presbyterian elder, and I and a dear friend went. Our lives were forever changed.

Talarico, an 8th generation Texan, currently a Presbyterian seminary
student, member of the Texas legislature, and former public school
teacher, reminded me of all that. I watched another video where,
wearing his faith on his sleeve, he argued against a Texas law forcing
every public school teacher to display the Ten Commandments on their
classroom walls. One of my favorite moments was him asking a sponsor
of that bill why, given that it was Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, they
were debating the bill and why they planned to vote on the bill on
Sunday, the Christian Sabbath (against the 4th Commandment). He also asked whether members of the legislature always obeyed all the other commandments. Like most of us, yes on some, no on others.

He’s a firm believer in the separation of church and state (Congress
shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof) while acknowledging that his
policy positions are aligned with his faith. Me too. In the time since
he won the Democratic primary running against Republican Ken Paxton,
opposition vitriol against him has been obnoxious. They’ve been
questioning his sexuality and gender, with Senior White House aide
Stephen Miller calling him Texas’ “first Transgender Senate
candidate,” Ted Cruz questioning his “masculinity,” and FOX News host
Jesse Waters calling him a “gay vegan.” The president accuses Talarico
of being “weird,” “taking hits against Jesus,” believing “there are
six genders” and “being a vegan.” Paxton often repeats the charge of
Talarico being a vegan which Talarico responded to by saying that he’d
been “eating Texas BBQ since before Paxton’s first indictment.”
Touche! Paxton nicknamed him “Talafeako,” which Talarico’s pragmatic
campaign embraced by putting out “I’m A Talafreako!” T-Shirts. Bam!

BTW, if you throw the words gay, vegan and transgender at someone as
though any of those are bad, you may just be a bully. When I was
little and being teased by bullies on the playground, surrounding me
singing that I was a “weasel” (being bucktoothed with a name like
Wiesner, it didn’t take much creativity to go there), my grandfather
said I should just join in and sing along the next time. I did and the
kids stopped. With the polls having him neck and neck with Paxton, the
bullying probably won’t stop but Talarico’s sure channeling my grandpa
with the way he responds.

I’m writing this today because I agree with Talarico that love is the
strongest force in the universe. Presbyterian minister and TV icon Mr.
Rogers liked to tell people that when trouble arose they should “look
for the helpers.” I believe our country is in trouble. As we enter the
midterms I’m asking myself which candidates are bullies and which are
the helpers. Which ones will I support and which ones will I stand
against? I urge everyone who cares about our future, Republicans,
Democrats and Independents, to do the same. Let’s start our next 250
years with love as our North Star.

Craig Wiesner is the co-owner of Reach And Teach, a book, toy and cultural gift shop on San Carlos Avenue in San Carlos.