Punching down gets laughs. It’s no shocker: being mean and hurtful can be incredibly funny. There’s almost nothing funnier than a perfectly crafted savage takedown. Ask any queer kid ’round these parts– they’ll tell you that read (is what?!) fundamental. Reading is the perfectly crafted take-down. It doesn’t always have to be mean, but when its done well, it can make you howl so hard your sides hurt. This raw humor, though, often teeters on the edge of Ahimsa, the yogic principle of non-harming. Choosing humor that doesn’t harm, even when it’s more instinctive to do so, is a reflection of kindness in thoughts, words, and actions. In the comedy club where I worked in my 20s, I saw the allure of such humor. I…