Freedom of Speech is Under Assault

I saw the story about Kansas City Chiefs kicker, Harrison Butker, and his comments made during a commencement speech this past Saturday. Butker, a devout Catholic who was speaking at a small Catholic school, expressed his personally held belief that women are designed by God to have children and raise families and he believes those who do are happier and more fulfilled than those who choose a career and status instead. He also expressed his disagreement with the transgender movement,  another traditional Catholic belief. From what I've read, his remarks were well received by the male and female audience.

But it's 2024, and the non-conservatives across the country went nuts. You know the ones... those who weren't there but have a deep need to be outraged for the people to whom the speech was addressed, and for all of the poor women and trans people who might feel verbally abused, and even threatened, by Butker expressing his (harmless) personal beliefs, because his beliefs are different than theirs. How dare he tell women what to do??! 

Except he didn't tell anyone what to do. He expressed personally held beliefs with which others many or may not agree. He has a Constitutional right to do so. And he was invited to do so by the school.

Butker's employer, the Kansas City Chiefs, in the name of "inclusion," put out a statement distancing the team from his remarks.

“Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization,” said Senior Vice President Jonathan Beane, the league’s chief diversity and inclusion officer. “The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”

You had to know the woke NFL wouldn't be able to stay silent. It wouldn't surprise me to learn of some punishment inflicted on Butker in the near future.

The official X page of the city of Kansas City, Missouri, published a tweet informing the public of the rather small suburb where Butker lives, then took it down eight minutes later. Eight minutes is long enough for crazies to see it and plan. Whoever did that should be fired immediately.

The Western world has become a place where freedom of speech is under assault. In some countries, (Canada, Great Britain, and other European nations) people are already being prosecuted and jailed for what is being called "hate speech," which in fact is merely expressing beliefs that are not main stream/woke. Conservative beliefs; political, religious, social, etc., are being vilified by the left and by secular groups, and prohibited in other countries. There are, without a doubt, people in these United States who would do away with the First Amendment right to free speech. The cancel culture is about just that.

People need to stop getting irate about the opinions of others with which they disagree. Life is too short.