May 20, 2024
By Rebecca Heiner
If hearing the name Harrison Butker doesn’t immediately catch your attention, there’s a good chance you haven’t been paying attention to the news or social media within the past week. Butker, an NFL player for the Kansas City Chiefs, recently delivered a commencement speech to the graduates of Benedictine College, a Catholic liberal arts school. Shortly after the 20-minute address, negative chatter about the speech began flooding social media and infesting the internet like a highly contagious disease.
Within a week, Butker’s name was at the center of controversy. He was accused of using antisemitic hate speech, and labeled a misogynist, a bigot, homophobic, and sexist. People who have never met this man began a virtual smear campaign putting down his abilities as a football player, petitioning for him to be fired from his job, and demanding his peers and team speak out against him.
So, what exactly was his crime? What was terrible enough to merit the heinous attack and complete degradation of a man after delivering a 20-minute graduation speech? If you are at all familiar with cancel culture, you may have an idea. He committed the ultimate and unforgiveable sin of our day: he expressed his beliefs about the importance of family, the existence of gender roles, the influence of motherhood, and the sacred sanctity of life.
The Attack
When controversy spreads throughout the online “village” community, an angry internet mob combines forces and attacks with pitchforks and torches in the form of bitter words. They demand accountability and seek vengeance disguised as virtue. And without honorable attempts to understand the full story, they make judgements, based on judgments, based on partial truths.
The first few days following Butker’s speech, media outlets began creating headlines and stories based on excerpts of his words taken out of context. This is all too common when it comes to the media. Soon, an inspirational speech given at a private, religious college gathering was painted as a vile and vicious attack on diversity, inclusion, and equality.
The Context
But if you truly want to understand what Butker said, it’s important to read or listen to the full 20 minute speech. Without the full context, it’s easy to lose some of the most important and essential pieces needed to accurately interpret meaning and intent. It’s like trying to put together a puzzle with only half of the pieces. Of course, It’s possible to form an opinion based on partial information, and it’s also possible to put together part of a puzzle. But to get the full picture, we need all the pieces.
The Criticism and Support
Butker received ample criticism for declaring that getting married and having a family was the most important endeavor one can pursue. He received bitterness and hate for claiming that nurturing mothers are essential to the wellbeing of families. And he was mocked and ridiculed for denouncing abortion and expressing the importance of gender and gender roles. The media portrayed him as a man hated by the world for his “outdated”, hurtful, and dangerous beliefs.
The attack on traditional families and values is nothing new. Our country, which was founded upon basic religious principles and “In God We Trust”, is now run by leadership that demands counterfeit equality and ends public religious prayers in “Amen, and Awoman.” The traditional values of the past that have served our country and communities for decades are being pushed aside by extremist organizations, which often have hidden agendas and loud messages.
But after the initial noise died down, something that had been drowned out by the intensity of the pitchfork mob began to emerge. Butker had something that nobody seemed to be talking about….support. In fact, he had quite a bit. The half-truth articles failed to mention that Butker’s speech received a standing ovation by those in attendance at the graduation. The wife of the Kansas City Chief’s CEO spoke out in support of him and what he said. And various celebrities, talk show hosts, news outlets, and TV personalities spoke out in his defense.
Hold On
In an environment plagued by divisive opinions and ideals, it is refreshing to see moments of clarity, focus, and unity surrounding important issues in our nation. Seeing people defend Butker restored some of my faith in humanity and gave me a sense of hope. It showed me that not everyone is sold on the idea that traditional families and values should be a thing of the past. And that is something to celebrate.
For those of us who still believe in the importance of family, the sanctity of life, and the relevance of gender, we need to continue to hold on and fight for these principles every day. We do this through our actions and words, exercising love and respect as we continue to live the way we feel is of utmost value. We need to remember that we are not alone in this fight. The opposition is loud, but we don’t have to let it drown out truth. Hold on, don’t give up, and in a world of crumbling values, be a Harrison Butker.
