I’ve written often about how I would love to see cancel culture and the success of online outrage mobs become a thing of the past.
While they’re not (yet), an important victory was scored against them earlier this month thanks to the target’s unwavering commitment to his values and the support of not only his teammates but millions of Americans.
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is Catholic and unapologetically pro-life. He gave the commencement address at Benedictine College, a Catholic college in Atchison, Kansas, on May 11.
In it, he talked about traditional values from a Catholic perspective, tore into Joe Biden on the abortion issue, and had some very pointed things to say about woke/LGBTQ culture. He also paid homage to motherhood in what was perhaps his worst “offense” according to his critics.
After congratulating the female graduates on their “amazing accomplishment” and saying they “should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives,” here’s what Butker said to them:
“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.”
Outrage ensued among the Usual Suspects, who proceeded to brand Butker as a “misogynist” for the crime of giving a Catholic-themed speech to Catholic students at a Catholic college.
A change.org petition demanding the Chiefs organization fire Butker “for discriminatory remarks” has nearly 230,000 signatures as of this writing.
Butker’s comments “were sexist, homophobic, anti-trans, anti-abortion and racist,” the petitioner declared. “These dehumanizing remarks against LGBTQ+ individuals, attacks on abortion rights, and racial discrimination perpetuate division and undermine human rights.”
The official Kansas City Twitter/X account posted personal information about where Butker and his young family live, perhaps so critics could pay him a visit.
Though they deleted it and apologized, saying it was “shared in error,” it was enough to get the attention of Missouri’s attorney general, Andrew Bailey, who vowed to investigate whether the city had violated the Missouri Human Rights Act and the First Amendment.
A column that appeared in the Kansas City Star and written by a former journalist called on the team to replace Butker with a female kicker so as to “make a statement.”
Some two weeks later, Chiefs coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes finally commented on the issue during an offseason press conference.
Both men defended Butker.
“I didn’t talk to him about this, didn’t think we needed to,” Reid said. “So we all get along, we all respect each other’s opinions and not necessarily do we go by those, but we respect everybody to have a voice.”
Mahomes told reporters, “I understand the person that he is.”
“He’s trying to do whatever he can to lead people in the right direction, and that might not be the same values that I have,” Mahomes added. “But at the same time, I’m going to judge him by the character he shows every day, and that’s a good person.”
Butker, too, has spoken out in the aftermath, saying over the weekend, “Our love for Jesus, and thus, our desire to speak out should never be outweighed by the longing of our fallen nature to be loved by the world.”
It’s a good day when outrage mobs fail in their mission. Suffice it to say they’ve lost this one, and in a big way.
North Carolina native Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym Sister Toldjah and is a media analyst and regular contributor to RedState and Legal Insurrection.
