Does it sometimes seem as though too many people have never learned the lessons of the schoolyard? If you capitulate to a bully, you will be bullied forever. If you stand up to him, he will back down. What’s true on the playground is also true in the office, in politics and in international relations.

Standing up to bullies is not free of risk. You might get bloodied in the process. But afterward, the bully, having learned that there is a price, will hesitate to push you around, whereas if you fail to stand up to him, he will grow ever more menacing.

All of the bowing and scraping before the reelected Donald Trump last year by corporate leaders, university presidents, major law firms, leading journalistic outlets and European allies wasn’t just demoralizing — it was foolish. If he had met firm opposition in all directions, his power would have been diminished. Each pushback would have inspired others, creating a flood. Instead, we saw a cascade in the other direction — a cascade of capitulation.

But the other path — etched in tragedy and martyrdom in Minneapolis — has shown repeated success. When you stand up to the bully, he backs down.

We don’t yet know from whence a national political leader will arise, but the people of Minneapolis have reminded us that this country is still planted thick with inspiring, selfless, heroic people who will put their very lives on the line rather than submit to MAGA’s naked barbarism. Renee Good, Alex Pretti and so many others who have braved bitter cold, pepper spray and tear gas and even being shot are the best of us. All honor to them.

That’s the spiritual message of Minneapolis. The political message is this: The bully backed down. In the face of opposition not just from his opponents but from some of his allies who found that their vocal cords were actually operative, Trump announced that the ogre Greg Bovino was being demoted and removed from Minneapolis in favor of the slightly less brutal Tom Homan. Republican Sens. John Curtis, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis, Dave McCormick and Jerry Moran called for investigations of Pretti’s murder. Sen. Rand Paul has asked the heads of ICE, CBP and USCIS to testify on the Hill.

Before there was Minneapolis, there was Chicago. Recall that in September, Trump posted that “I love the smell of deportations in the morning. … Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.”

The governor of Illinois struck back, vowing that his state “won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.” Other Illinois elected officials joined in. Thousands thronged the streets in protest, and lawsuits were filed challenging the legality of Trump’s National Guard deployment. Eventually, the courts ruled against the administration, and Trump backed down.