Ngl I find it odd that there are a number of fans for Wally that genuinely believe that because he was abused himself and is mentally ill, he is therefore absolved from any wrongdoing with Bart EVER and any conversation about his shortcomings are invalid unless his own past is taken into consideration. Being in this fandom for over 20 years, closer to 30 if we count early childhood, I can honestly say this is fairly recent behavior.
Wally isn't a real character, first and foremost. He has no thoughts of his own and has zero agency. His history is a story of abuse, trauma, growth, and love in all its messiness, so it's weird to me to see such dense approaches to him.
Yes, his own anxiety, trauma, and abuse is a factor that explains his approach to Bart - but also he is a jerk and there is no way around it. He was written as not believing in Bart and his capabilities and outright refused to meet him where he actually was and was a bully in many such cases. These are facts. The story still unfolded the way it did for a reason. It means something. But that meaning is so very seldom looked for in many readers who want only to pay attention to the best and excuse the worst.
