Courageous, brave and fearless are the buzzwords that we usually hear when an athlete speaks up for something he believes in. But, that was not the case this week when Harrison Butker spoke from the heart and talked about his beliefs. Suddenly, there was outrage aimed at Butker for speaking his mind and the vitriol and scorn that has followed has hit epic levels.
Here's the thing ... Harrison Butker was right.
Before we go any further let's set the stage about what happened. Harrison Butker is a kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was asked to give the commencement speech at Benedictine College, a Catholic College in Kansas. Butker has been known not only for his tremendous kicking talent for the Super Bowl champion Chiefs, but also as an outspoken advocate for Christian beliefs. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and is a pro-life supporter. So, when he took to the podium no one should have been shocked at what would be said, but the left became predictably outraged.
Butker addressed the students by telling them that woman should take pride in being a mother and that while some of them may lead successful careers, the majority of them would be most excited by becoming a mother. He also made it a point to speak about leaning into his own vocation in life, that was not as an NFL star, but rather a father and husband. He continued with tears in his eyes to praise his own wife and express his love for her and her support. Butker then went on to take on the new culture of America and told young men to "Be unapologetic in your masculinity. Fight against the cultural emasculation of men. Do hard things. Never settle for what is easy." Saying that broken families and specifically absentee fathers is problematic.
So why are people upset? Those beliefs that he expressed were twisted and turned by his detractors. They have taken to social media and news programs saying that he told woman to stay in the kitchen. They have tried to make people believe he was attacking woman and a lifestyle that he doesn't agree with. Instead of listening to the speech of what was truly said. The hatred for Butker has gotten so big that change.org has a petition for the Chiefs to throw him off the team that has over 100,000 signatures and the official Kansas City X account doxxed the star kicker, before giving a half hearted apology.
Sadly, that is where we are in society. Former Chief Tyreek Hill was arrested on domestic violence charges in college while current Chief Rashee Rice is facing eight felony charges and multiple civil lawsuits in relation to his role in a multi-vehicle crash in Dallas, Texas, this March and he was accused of assault in May. These are just two examples of NFL players that don't have a petition for them to lose their job, but Butker does, for speaking his mind. Neither of those players, nor any others I could find with legal troubles were ever called out by their city the way he was. I could go on and on about NFL players that have a multitude of legal issues, yet there was hardly an outcry for them to be thrown off the team. The reaction here is what Butker said, is somehow worse than what players have done.
Even in writing these words I expect a blow back on myself for "agreeing" with Harrison Butker. Few will read until the end and just make assumptions, much like his speech. We live in a cancel culture, but only people who don't agree with the cancel culture get cancelled. For the record it doesn't matter if I agree with what Butker said, but I certainly agree with how he said it and his right to say it. Unlike players like Colin Kaepernick, who chose to have their voice heard while in uniform, inside his employers building, Butker said what he did outside of the Chiefs or anything to do with football. He didn't stop an interview or interject his moral compass in the locker room or on the field. This was done at a Catholic College that he was invited to speak at, and spoke about Catholic beliefs. In fact, even the woke driven NFL had to agree that Butker chose the right place and wouldn't receive any league discipline. Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, in a written statement to people stated “Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity." The mere fact the NFL felt a need to address his personal beliefs is outrageous in itself. Especially because many people, and many woman, agree with him. The left want you to believe that there is something so wrong with what Butker believes, that he should lose his job. But, the fact is there were more woman at the Right to Life Rally, a cause he supports so strongly, than the Women's March. He left the sage to a standing ovation, and an 18 second applause after he told woman that the most happy they will be is when they become a mother. Then, just days after his speech the Chiefs #7 jersey skyrocketed in sales, above his own teammate's Patrick Mahomes for men, and is the #1 selling jersey among woman. Butker clearly isn't alone in his beliefs.
Harrison Butker was right and we should ALL agree with that, perhaps not what his beliefs are, but he is right. You may disagree with Butker stating that he believes that the most rewarding job in the world is raising your children, but he was right where he said it. You can disagree with his take that men should be masculine and not have to apologize for that, but he was right when he chose that forum to say it. You can even disagree with the fact that he called out our current president and his conflicting religious beliefs, but he was certainly right to choose that audience to express those views. I am not asking you to like Harrison Butker, but we should all agree that he was right on when, how, and why he said what he said. If we live in an America where you believe that people should be allowed to express their opinions and fight against what they believe is morally wrong, then we all have to agree that Harrison Butker was right. I can only imagine the response if an athlete stood in front of a left leaning audience and told the crowd that woman should not take pride in being mothers and rather focus on their career. That being a feminine male is perfectly ok and don't let anyone tell you different, and ended the speech by bashing Donald Trump. There certainly would be no petition.
I tip my cap to Harrison Butker for his courageous, brave and fearless speech. Whether I agree with what he said isn't the topic here, I I agree with his right to say it and he chose the right forum to do so.