Last week, Harrison Butker, the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl champion place kicker, ignited a firestorm of derision from the woke left after he committed the unforgivable sin of speaking honestly and passionately about the dignity of life, masculinity, and motherhood during a college commencement address.
Just what did Butker say that caused the fatuous dimwitted shrews of The View to fly into a rage? What unspeakable things did he articulate that triggered the nattering bobbleheads at CNN, MSNBC, and other leftist/socialist media outlets?
Did Butker demean the faculty or graduating seniors at the Catholic Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas? Did he disparage women and girls? Did he besmirch men and boys? Did he denounce organized religion, the Catholic Church, or the Pope?
Butker must have done all of those things during his 20-minute speech because it’s the only way to explain the bewildering backlash his address generated from the woke mob.
Let’s take a look at Butker’s address and see just what it was that got the left’s knickers in such a twist.
After thanking Benedictine College’s president for inviting him to speak, Butker lamented that COVID-19 caused many graduating to “miss out on so many milestones the rest of us ‘older’ people have taken for granted.”
Butker is just 28 and barely six years older than the graduates sitting before him, so that remark was sardonic.
Then he got serious.
“While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique,” Butker said. “Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as growing support for degenerate cultural values in media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder.”
Butker is a serious practicing Catholic who believes strongly in the conservative values of the archetypal Catholic Church, including TLM, otherwise known as the Traditional Latin Mass. He aligns with the church’s conservative views on abortion, euthanasia, etc.
Does that make him a social Luddite who deserves to be pilloried?
“Our nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the Sign of the Cross during a pro-abortion rally,” Butker continued in a clear reference to Joe Biden. “He has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that I’m sure to many people it appears that you can be both Catholic and pro-choice.
As we know, Biden likes to have things both ways—from his pro-choice Catholicism to his purported support for Israel while giving a thumbs up to Hamas.
“He is not alone,” Butker continued. “From the man behind the COVID lockdowns to the people pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America, they all have a glaring thing in common. They are Catholic. This is an important reminder that being Catholic alone doesn’t cut it.”
“These are the things we are told not to bring up in polite society. You know, the difficult and unpleasant things. But if we are going to be men and women for this time in history, we need to stop pretending that the “Church of Nice” is a winning proposition. We must always speak and act in charity but never mistake charity for cowardice.
I suspect a few of Benedictine College’s faculty shifted uncomfortably in their chairs at those words. Butker would not pull any punches regarding issues he cared passionately about.
“It is safe to say that over the past few years, I have gained quite the reputation for speaking my mind,” Butker resumed. “I never envisioned myself, nor wanted, to have this sort of a platform, but God has given it to me, so I have no other choice but to embrace it and preach more hard truths about accepting your lane and staying in it.”
He then spent several minutes analyzing the modern Catholic Church, some of its new and controversial doctrines and canons, as well as the Bishops, priests, and the current Pope who support them.
Then, his talk shifted to the secular world.
“The world around us says we should keep our beliefs to ourselves whenever they go against the tyranny of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We fear speaking truth because now, unfortunately, truth is in the minority,” Butker said.
Amen to that, brother.
Harrison Butker is not afraid to speak the truth, and he plowed ahead, tilling the social and emotional furrows that the woke mob abhors.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2024, you are sitting at the edge of the rest of your lives,” Butker said. ”Each of you has the potential to leave a legacy that transcends yourselves and this era of human existence. In the small ways, by living out your vocation, you will ensure that God’s Church continues and the world is enlightened by your example.”
Butker’s next few minutes of comments are possibly what enraged leftist feminists and perhaps a few of the more parochial nuns in the audience.
“For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.
“I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and mother. I’m on the stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation. I’m beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.”
Feminist denunciations and reproaches notwithstanding, those words generated applause and a few cheers that lasted almost 20 seconds. Then Butker continued, conceivably buoyed by his success.
“She is a primary educator to our children. She is the one who ensures I never let football or my business become a distraction from that of a husband and father. She is the person that knows me best at my core, and it is through our marriage that, Lord willing, we will both attain salvation.”
Nothing particularly controversial there unless you think it’s inappropriate to honor and praise your wife.
Then, Butker addressed the men in the audience, once again offending feminists, man-haters, and those who condemn what they call “toxic masculinity.”
“To the gentlemen here today: Part of what plagues our society is this lie that has been told to you that men are not necessary in the home or in our communities. As men, we set the tone of the culture, and when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction, and chaos set in. This absence of men in the home is what plays a large role in the violence we see all around the nation. Other countries do not have nearly the same absentee father rates as we find here in the U.S., and a correlation could be made in their drastically lower violence rates, as well.
“Be unapologetic in your masculinity, fighting against the cultural emasculation of men. Do hard things. Never settle for what is easy. You might have a talent that you don’t necessarily enjoy, but if it glorifies God, maybe you should lean into that over something that you might think suits you better. I speak from experience as an introvert who now finds myself as an amateur public speaker and an entrepreneur, something I never thought I’d be when I received my industrial engineering degree.”
It’s the kind of sage advice that I would offer my grandsons—and the kind that I hope they would embrace, notwithstanding the squawking harpies on The View.
“As you move on from this place and enter into the world, know that you will face many challenges,” Butker continued. “Sadly, I’m sure many of you know of the countless stories of good and active members of this community who, after graduation and moving away from the Benedictine bubble, have ended up moving in with their boyfriend or girlfriend prior to marriage. Some even leave the Church and abandon God. It is always heartbreaking to hear these stories, and there is a desire to know what happened and what went wrong.
“What you must remember is that life is about doing the small things well, setting yourself up for success, and surrounding yourself with people who continually push you to be the best version of you. I say this all the time: that iron sharpens iron. It’s a great reminder that those closest to us should be making us better. If you are dating someone who doesn’t even share your faith, how do you expect that person to help you become a saint? If your friend group is filled with people who only think about what you’re doing next weekend and are not willing to have those difficult conversations, how can they help sharpen you?”
Those are words to live by, not words deserving of disparagement and ridicule by the radical leftists who dominate America’s dishonest legacy media.
“I’m excited for the future,” Butker continued, “and I pray that something I have said will resonate as you move on to the next chapter of your life. Never be afraid to profess the one holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church, for this is the Church that Jesus Christ established, through which we receive sanctifying grace.”
Perhaps sensing that he was leaving his audience on a downer, Butker ended his talk this way:
“I know that my message today had a little less fluff than is expected for these speeches, but I believe that this audience and this venue is the best place to speak openly and honestly about who we are and where we all want to go, which is Heaven.
“Make no mistake: You are entering into mission territory in a post-God world, but you were made for this. And with God by your side and a constant striving for virtue within your vocation, you too can be a saint.”
Few of us ever achieve sainthood, but I see nothing wrong in Butker suggesting it as a possibility. After all, in today’s violent, war-weary, socially and politically fragmented world, we could use more saints and fewer sinners.
It was a message that the mulish doyens of the National Football League apparently missed. The league stumbled all over itself, trying to distance itself from Butker’s message at Benedictine College.
“Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity,” Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president & chief diversity and inclusion officer, said in a written statement. “His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
I wonder why the NFL felt the need to distance itself from Harrison Butker while focusing on its indefatigable commitment to the divisive dogma of DEI. Are Butker’s views anathema to the NFL’s ideals?
Perhaps that explains why the NFL does not refer to the 117 players and coaches arrested over the years for domestic violence. Instead, it feels compelled to single out one player who is not afraid or ashamed to profess his belief in (gasp) God, country, and family.
And what about the seven NFL players that have been indicated on homicide charges? Hmmm. I guess those are inconvenient truths thou shall not speak.
Meanwhile, to their credit, the Kansas City Chiefs say they have no comment about Butker’s speech. Moreover, they are ignoring the absurd pleas from the left to dismiss him from their Super Bowl-winning team.
Smart.
Their award-winning kicker has a First Amendment right to express himself as he wishes. Why muddy the waters with some lame attempt to dissociate themselves from him?
By the way, Butker’s rookie teammate Rashee Rice is currently facing eight criminal charges for a recent multi-vehicle crash he was responsible for in Dallas, Texas. Is anyone calling for Rice to lose his position on the team?
Absolutely not. I guess you are denounced and scorned only if you have conservative values and if you dare to share them in a commencement address.
Legendary college football coach Lou Holtz praised Butker for his speech and thanked him for “standing strong in your faith values.
“Your commencement speech at Benedictine College showed courage and conviction, and I admire that. Don’t give in,” Holtz wrote on X.
Several of Butker’s teammates have also endorsed him and his remarks. That’s good for them.
During my almost 30-year career as a reporter, I always looked for humor in any distressing story I covered. For one thing, it was cathartic. For another, it provided a different perspective—something that all fair and balanced news stories should include.
So, I will leave you with this. Many years ago, Country-Western singer Bobby Bare recorded a song called “Drop Kick Me Jesus through the Goalposts of Life.” It was written by the late songwriter Paul Craft.
I can’t think of a more appropriate song that exemplifies the overblown hissy fit Harrison Butker’s Benedictine College commencement address has triggered. If nothing else, it will allow you to laugh a little. It might even possibly reduce the temperature Harrison Butker’s tempest in a teapot has generated.
Give it a listen, and then buy Harrison Butker’s #7 Kansas City Chiefs jersey if you can find one. I hear the sales are setting records, and they are just about all sold out.
And guess what? The Chiefs say it is women who are buying most of them!
As we used to yell in the Army, “Hua!”
Take that, you slatternly crones of The View!
Amen.
Here are links to the song and those Butker jerseys:
–30—
If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to ForeignCorrespondent and tell your friends to subscribe. IT’S FREE! WHAT A DEAL! If you’ve received this from a friend and would like to be added to our distribution list for future blog posts, please enter your email address in the sign-up in the notifications box at:
https://ronaldyatesbooks.com/category/foreign-correspondent.
You can also find my commentaries on Substack at https://ronyates.substack.com/ and the American Free News Network at https://afnn.us.
Please feel free to comment. WE LOVE COMMENTS!
Yep. He nailed it and addressed the real issues precisely in his speech. The US population is not sustainable given the low birth rates (and governmental promotion of abortion). And I still cannot comprehend how a political activist who wants to reform the church ever got elected as Pope. I am not Catholic but it is readily apparent that this Pope is doing to the Catholic Church what Biden is doing to America! And the results are disastrous!
The sad thing is I thought we put an end to communism when we won the Cold War. The fact is, we didn’t win it, and now socialism/communism is winning. The proof is what is happening in our own country. The Democrat Party has been co-opted by socialists and communists–and they are in the White House. If Trump doesn’t win in November, America, which has always been a bulwark against communism, will be lost, and China will be the new global superpower. Their invasion of America has already begun with those 56,000 military-age men who have crossed our border to set up cells for sabotage and intelligence gathering. Let’s Go Brandon! What an asshole..
He told the truth and has nothing to apologize for. Chris Hemsworth just praised his wife for putting her dreams on hold to support his. Will he lose movie roles now?