We've heard a lot about commencement ceremonies around America's colleges in recent days and, unfortunately, a lot of it has been bad, with pro-Hamas protesters trying to disrupt the events or -- even worse -- some colleges even canceling their commencements in the wake of those same antisemitic and violent protests.
So, when we hear of a genuinely positive commencement, we want to highlight that. This is exactly what happened over the weekend at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. The private, Catholic school invited Kansas City Chiefs placekicker and three-time Super Bowl champion Harrison Butker to deliver the commencement address to its 2024 graduating class.
If you haven't listened to the full speech, it is well worth 20 minutes of your time:
We won't recap the entire speech here, but Butker talked a lot about traditional Catholic values, including what it means to be a Christian, what it means to be a father, and the right to life for unborn children, including a hard-hitting attack on President Joe Biden for claiming to be Catholic and pro-choice. He talked about how our leaders -- including leaders in the Catholic Church -- betrayed their responsibility during COVID.
Butker then moved on to talk about the role of mothers in our society, saying that raising a family is the most rewarding vocation that any woman could embrace, one which will offer far greater fulfillment than any career success they may achieve.
It was this part of his speech that has now landed him in hot water with the anti-religion, anti-family left.
To borrow a phrase from the media: The left POUNCED on him. On Tuesday, Change.org announced a petition to have Butker kicked off the Kansas City Chiefs.
(Yeah, good luck with that. With the exception of Baltimore's Justin Tucker, who is the G.O.A.T., Butker is the best kicker in the league and the competition for third place really isn't even close.)
A https://t.co/ncqnFwPAMH petition is calling on the Chiefs to dismiss kicker Harrison Butker for making several dehumanizing remarks during his commencement speech at Benedictine College on May 11th. Here’s what the three-time Super Bowl champion said about women, Pride Month,… pic.twitter.com/8iYltWDVLB
— Change.org (@Change) May 14, 2024
'Dehumanizing.' Give us a break.
Were Butker's comments about motherhood for every woman? Of course not. But that doesn't make them 'controversial,' let alone cancelable. He is expressing a pretty common view for Catholics. And Benedictine College IS a Catholic school. Nor did he ever say that women shouldn't or couldn't pursue careers, just that motherhood is their primary calling.
But context doesn't matter for the left. They were in full 'RRREEEEEEEEEEEE' mode. One person even tried to go after Butker's mother.
His. Mother.
This man makes me sick. I am very sorry for his mother, who is a clinical medical physicist. She works in the department of radiation oncology at Emory University School of Medicine where she treats cancer patients.
— Jocelyn J. Fitzgerald MD (@jjfitzgeraldMD) May 15, 2024
https://t.co/zeUH9mOhvi
That's just insane. And this person wasn't alone. At the time of this writing Wednesday evening, the petition had received nearly 70,000 signatures.
Even the official account of the city of Kansas City tried to dox Butker with a now-deleted tweet telling everyone the suburb in which he lives (we won't screenshot that tweet here). They got caught and hurried out a lame, misspelled apology.
We apologies for our previous tweet. It was shared in error.
— Kansas City (@KansasCity) May 16, 2024
Again, the Chiefs won't cut or trade him. Butker is the best in the business. But Twitter was happy to chime in to tell Change.org what they could do with their signatures.
I want to petition them to stfu https://t.co/gpZtNGA3mq
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) May 15, 2024
We'd sign that. Every writer at Twitchy.
I’m submitting a https://t.co/Wry5alaKWn petition, calling all of you huge douchebags. Bet I get more signatures by tomorrow. https://t.co/fV9bqz6mJv
— Deebs (@DeebsFLA) May 15, 2024
We hope so.
A Strangetweet . org petition is calling on @Change to get a life and stop being soft bellied wennies scared of a different opinion. https://t.co/zBijo7rUQx
— Dr Strangetweet 🍌 Or How I Learned To Love The RT (@lone_rides) May 15, 2024
They will always be soft-bellied weenies. But we'd still sign that petition too.
The contrast between Butker and some ... ahem ... other players who the NFL celebrates wasn't lost on Twitter either.
There’s currently a petition on https://t.co/PIR4blNFRj calling for the Chiefs to release Harrison Butker for his commencement speech.
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 15, 2024
You think of all the horrible things current NFL players have done — Tyreek Hill beating his kids, DeShaun Watson, the various deadbeat Dads.… pic.twitter.com/87k8HFNTKO
Price's tweet concludes, 'But it’s the Catholic guy telling women that families are more important than careers where people draw the line.'
There’s an alarming number of football players who have domestic violence charges, DUIs, etc. but God forbid this guy say having a family should come before a career. https://t.co/VMWP30YwtF
— Hayden Cunningham (@haydencunning) May 16, 2024
Lmao… there are football players with 5 baby mommas, who are on video beating their wives and kids, DUIs, etc… but this was a bridge too far https://t.co/dpy7WBiYB9
— swêêt savagé (@lovemylife81) May 15, 2024
This is the Communist left. ANY deviation from their worldview must be punished. It is the only way their worldview can survive.
Never mind that Butker is a Catholic speaking at a Catholic school. That doesn't matter to them.
You can like or dislike the speech, but he's addressing Benedictine College. This is not a captive audience at a secular institution, this is a very religious audience hearing a religion-influenced speech-- nobody is being imposed upon.
— Literally Chad (@literally_chad) May 15, 2024
are.... are you AWRE that Benedictine is faith based? and faith is not illegal for all your efforts to make it so?
— Rani, Last of The Red Hot Boomers (@ShadesOfRani) May 15, 2024
Oh, how much they would LOVE to make Catholicism (and Christianity in general) illegal. Just like every other Communist regime has throughout history.
Oh no a Catholic talking about Catholic values at a CATHOLIC university https://t.co/ZBZ0pCJZdM
— Anna Lulis (@annamlulis) May 15, 2024
In the words of Greta Thunberg, 'HOW DARE HE.'
This is a defining moment in our culture war. 👀
— Theo Jordan (@Theo_TJ_Jordan) May 15, 2024
Below, the activist sect is calling for this man's employer to terminate him. Why? For speaking to Catholic views boldly at the commencement of a Catholic school graduation.
Why would this even be wrong, much less sanctionable? https://t.co/GUKCzKK6aE
A Catholic talking at a Catholic School about Catholic values is now hate speech.
— Real Political Data (@RealPData) May 16, 2024
If the NFL bends the knee and punishes Butker for this, I think it would be the final straw for me and many others, and refuse to watch the NFL. https://t.co/eCV85QRnEo
The NFL has been BLEEDING viewers ever since it embraced the BLM movement (more Marxists). If they take action against Butker, we believe their viewership would tank to unprecedented lows.
You know you're the fascists here, right? https://t.co/CSzEU5V2a6
— RBe (@RBPundit) May 15, 2024
They know. They don't care. Because it's OK when they do it.
So…
— Christina Herrera (@christinaireneh) May 16, 2024
We have to listen to celebrities and athletes push/celebrate abortion, pride month, IVF, men purchasing babies via surrogacy, trans surgeries for minors, and other morally reprehensible positions on a regular basis but Catholics can’t offer their point of view?
We aren’t… https://t.co/NKns3bhJQO
This tweet continues:
We aren’t allowed to openly talk about our faith in a Catholic setting? We can’t push back and publicly praise Jesus and His sacraments? We can’t publicly acknowledge the sanctity of Holy Matrimony, motherhood, fatherhood, or any traditional viewpoint? We can’t call a sin a sin?
Suddenly it’s hate speech?
Make it make sense.
They want to demoralize you into silence. That's how it makes sense. Don't let them.
The actual wording of the petition is dumber than I thought possible https://t.co/vuBVoS5PpC pic.twitter.com/DZ1O1YkKmB
— DarkPrinceFrost (@darkprincefrost) May 15, 2024
It's just the leftist playbook. They trot out made-up narratives about 'hate crimes' and 'suicides' with no evidence to back those claims up. No one is falling for it anymore. No one with half a brain is, anyway.
But even with all of the crying from the left, the support Butker has received in the wake of his commencement address has DWARFED that criticism.
I loved Harrison Butker before this speech, and I love him Even more now. He's my kicker. Go Chiefs!! https://t.co/xjDGiqO8HW
— Royal Chiefcat 🔪🏈 (@ksueller54) May 16, 2024
Time to go buy his jersey. Harrison Butker is not only a great athlete but a great example of a faithful Catholic man and husband. God bless him.
— Garet (@Garetjax975) May 15, 2024
Based
— Kaya (@sisterinferior) May 15, 2024
Sincere gratitude to Harrison Butker for his respect for LIFE 💕
— Sandy 〽️ (@RightGlockMom) May 15, 2024
Sign the petition? I'm buying his jersey
— Zachary (@osuzack) May 15, 2024
When NHL defenseman Ivan Provorov refused to wear a rainbow 'pride' jersey during warmups because of his Russian Orthodox faith, sales of his jersey skyrocketed. Soon after, the NHL abandoned mandatory 'pride' celebrations by players.
We're certain that Butker's jersey -- already a good seller because of his talent on the field -- is going to be flying off the shelves as well for his unapologetic adherence to his Catholic faith.
And there's nothing Change.org can do to stop it.
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