Last week we heard in the news about the commencement speech by the kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs named Harrison Butker. He gave the address at Benedictine College a Catholic school so let's at least acknowledge the context. He has been criticized by many groups including not getting support from the NFL which stated that, “Butker’s views are not the views of the NFL as an Organization.”
The speech was appropriate as far as a Catholic organization would support. As a Catholic, I myself am aware of the values and the importance of family to the church and those that are members of the faith. Personally, speaking I agree with Butker as far as what is most important to me in my life. Family in general and my own family have been first and foremost what I have focused on in my life. That being said I think those feeling outraged over what he said should stop and think for a second, put the speech in context and realize that was his right to speak about the topic that he saw fit.
Do I think it was appropriate for a commencement speech? I do in that context, but I can certainly understand the controversy it may have caused. Maybe instead of focusing on family life it may have been more appropriate to prioritize the speech to the hard work and dedication it took for all the students to get to graduation. I think that is where he fell short. Prioritizing that the women there will only be happy if and when they bear children is a tall order for any woman especially a young woman just beginning their life. While he did mention that the women would be dreaming and thinking about their jobs and promotions the controversy arises when he said that the only true happy path would be to marry and have a family. While that may be true for some it is not true for all.
So where do we go from here? Take it with a grain of salt. Realize it was a Catholic school and move along. I think especially in lieu of many colleges cancelling their commencements due to the radical ideas and speech brought by those speaking against Jewish people, Americans and the American flag we can stomach or at least appreciate a man who loves his wife and family life and is promoting something that is good. Is it good for everyone? No, but I think it beats the pure hatred that has been brought by radical groups protesting on college campuses what is happening to our allies in Israel. It beats blocking a Jewish student from attending a class. It beats saying death to America, death to Jewish people.
The fact that the NFL has literal rapists on some of their teams is apparently part of their value system, but being a father and supporting a family is extremely offensive to the NFL. That is very interesting. But the NFL can say whatever they want and support whatever they want. This is still America and we as a people of the United States need to get over the fact that just because we don't agree with someone doesn't give anyone the right to cancel another person-unless there is inciteful violence in the speech which there was not in this case. We still have freedom of speech the last time I looked, although it is being tested every day in this country.
My younger self as an eighteen-year-old may have found that speech to be offensive, but now I can appreciate the value that my family has given me and that I have dedicated to them. It was a long road for me to get there and it certainly did not happen at my college graduation or even years after. But that is me and that was my choice. Maybe if Butker had spun his speech about different paths and choices that the grads would take in the course of their lives the speech would have been more received. But he did not. So what? We hear things all the time that we agree with or disagree with and that is absolutely fine. We need to get over ourselves and realize that each person has their own views and own experiences, and it doesn't dictate who each of us are as individuals.
So instead of being outraged over a college commencement speech that you may not agree with move along and remember that we live in a country that we can speak our own truths. When we can't do that, we are not in our country any longer.
See attached link to hear Butker’s address
No comments:
Post a Comment