Not everyone is going to agree on every issue. That’s obvious to anyone with a fully-functioning brain. We’re different people with different experiences and those inform how we view various issues.

Take gun control, for example. We have different views because of different experiences and different ways of processing the information surrounding the issue.

So not everyone is going to agree.

That doesn’t mean you should be a jerk to a United States senator who is just trying to take a flight.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) was confronted by a Beto O’Rourke supporter on a plane over his stance against gun control.

The man posted the video of his encounter on Twitter under the name “Beto For Everyone.” In the video, he attacks Cruz mainly for his refusal to support a gun control bill in light of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 students and two teachers dead. He also made jabs at Cruz’s highly publicized family trip to Cancun, Mexico, last winter when most of Texas lost power and his podcast. Fellow passengers mostly showed support for Cruz, while the senator himself debated the man before dismissing him as a “partisan.”

Senator Cruz was on my flight, and I asked him to name any of the Uvalde victims.

He couldn’t. Texas deserves better than spineless hacks like this. Right the wrongs of 2018, and make @betoorourke our next Governor. #betoforgovernor #cancuncrus #uvaldestrong pic.twitter.com/AW34oxuUNv

— Fix Your Tie (@Nathan_VBB) September 15, 2022

“Hey, we’re in Houston? I thought we were going to Cancun,” the man sarcastically asked at the beginning of the video, filming Cruz as he gathered his belongings to exit the flight.

“Senator, thank you for everything you’ve done since Uvalde. All those podcast episodes must have raised a lot of money for you,” he added after getting Cruz’s attention, referring to Cruz’s news and politics podcast Verdict.

The Texas senator responded by pointing to his legislative efforts to increase security at schools and asking the man why Democrats don’t support it. The man retorted by asking how he had any time when he was “recording a s***ton of podcast episodes.”

Now, Cruz rebutted by mentioning his efforts to increase school security–efforts Democrats seem to want nothing to do with, actually–and eventually dismissed the guy.

Since the individual in question is a Beto supporter, though, we shouldn’t be too surprised to see something like this. Beto O’Rourke isn’t exactly known for his own restraint.

The idea that one of his supporters would heckle Cruz during a flight isn’t surprising. However, it should be noted that it seemed no one else on the flight was supportive of the heckler’s efforts. That should tell you something right there.

Again, though, this is predicated on the idea that we all secretly think gun control works and are just refusing to pass it because of other reasons. This guy probably thinks Cruz knows Beto’s policies are the answer, so he feels justified in pressing the senator.

Then again, he’s also likely following in Beto’s footsteps. As noted, he’s not above heckling people, particularly when it’s completely inappropriate to do so. While Beto isn’t directly responsible for this, nor should be held accountable as if he were, he certainly laid the groundwork.

Look, Cruz isn’t untouchable. Yes, he should have to answer to the people of Texas for his views. People of that state have a right to demand answers from any and all of their lawmakers.

But it just seems like a cheap move to do so when he’s sitting in an airplane trying to get to his destination and cannot disengage if he so desires. After all, while he’s answerable to the people, that doesn’t mean he has to take abuse.

Yet this is what American politics has become, I’m afraid.