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TanRabbitry (talk | contribs) Doesn't it make more sense to combine all of the sections on the commencement addresses? Tags: Reverted Visual edit Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
TanRabbitry (talk | contribs) m I combined two sections. This flows better, don't you think? Tags: Reverted Visual edit Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
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In his 2024 commencement address at [[Benedictine College]], he stated that some first-century [[Jews]] were [[Jewish deicide|responsible]] for the death of [[Jesus Christ|Jesus]] while criticizing a provision of a bill condemning [[antisemitism]]. Butker stated, "We fear speaking truth, because now, unfortunately, truth is in the minority. Congress just passed a bill where stating something as basic as the biblical teaching of who killed Jesus could land you in jail".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.ncregister.com/news/harrison-butker-speech-at-benedictine|title= Full Text: Harrison Butker of Kansas City Chiefs Graduation Speech|website= National Catholic Register|access-date= May 18, 2024}}</ref> Yvette Walker of the ''[[Kansas City Star]]'' criticized Butker's speech: "The church long has held that Jews could not be held collectively accountable, since the [[Second Vatican Council]] in the 1960s. In 2011, [[Pope Benedict XVI]] [[Nostra aetate|affirmed this...and wrote]] there is no basis in Scripture for blaming Jews."<ref>{{cite news |last=Walker |first=Yvette |date=May 14, 2024 |title=Chiefs' Butker is welcome to his conservative beliefs — but he's wrong on women, Bible |url=https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/yvette-walker/article288491813.html |access-date=May 14, 2024 |newspaper=[[The Kansas City Star]]}}</ref> Some, including [[Dave Zirin]] of ''[[The Nation (magazine)|The Nation]],'' interpreted Butker's comments to be "[[anti-semitic]]" in nature.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.thenation.com/article/society/harrison-butker-nfl-kansas-city-chiefs/|title= Harrison Butker Is a Jerk, a Bigot, and a True Representative of the NFL|website= The Nation|access-date= May 18, 2024}}</ref> Andrew Perez and Nikki McCann Ramirez of ''[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]'' agreed, writing "[Butker] promoted an insidious piece of antisemitic misinformation... Historically, claims that Jews were ultimately responsible for the death of Jesus have been wielded as an [[antisemitic trope]] against Jewish populations."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/chiefs-kicker-butker-antisemitic-lies-college-graduation-speech-1235021459/|title= Chiefs Kicker Spreads Antisemitic Lies in Benedictine College Graduation Speech|website= Rolling Stone|access-date= May 16, 2024}}</ref>
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Butker was the 2023 undergraduate graduation commencement speaker at his alma mater [[Georgia Tech]], receiving widespread attention<ref>{{Cite news |first=Pete |last=Grathoff |date=May 8, 2023 |title=Chiefs' Harrison Butker delivers poignant commencement speech at his alma mater |url=https://www.aol.com/chiefs-harrison-butker-delivers-poignant-143039860.html |access-date=January 10, 2024 |newspaper=[[The Kansas City Star]] |via=AOL.com |language=en-US}}</ref> for his exhortation to "get married and start a family." He was also quoted as saying, "Sadly, we are encouraged to live our lives for ourselves; to move from one thing to another with no long-term commitment. To have loyalty for nothing but ourselves and sacrifice only when it suits our own interests. This loneliness is rooted in the lies being sold about self-dependence and prioritizing our career over important relationships."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Green |first=PJ |date=May 7, 2023 |title=Chiefs' Harrison Butker gives commencement speech at alma mater |url=https://fox4kc.com/sports/chiefs/chiefs-harrison-butker-gives-commencement-speech-at-alma-mater/ |access-date=January 10, 2024 |website=[[WDAF-TV|FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2024 he gave a commencement address at Benedictine College. The speech received a standing ovation from the graduating class and others in attendance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/257720/kansas-city-bishop-prominent-catholics-back-harrison-butker-following-speech-backlash|title=Harrison Butker supported by Kansas City bishop, prominent Catholics amid speech backlash|first=Joe|last=Bukuras|date=May 16, 2024|website=Catholic News Agency}}</ref> During the address, he said, "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." He added, "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."
Several articles highlighted that Butker's mother, Elizabeth Keller Butker, has been a clinical [[medical physicist]] at [[Emory University]] and holds two university degrees.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="auto2" /><ref name="auto1" /><ref name="auto3">{{Cite web |title=Faculty and Staff | Emory School of Medicine |url=https://med.emory.edu/departments/radiation-oncology/divisions/medical-physics/faculty-and-staff.html |website=med.emory.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/news/kansas-city-chiefs-kicker-harrison-butkers-mom-is-a-physicist/|title=Kansas City Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker's Mom Is a Physicist|first=Ryan|last=Hudgins|date=May 15, 2024|website=Us Weekly}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/10497739/nfls-harrison-butker-slammed-grad-speech-women-homemakers/|title=NFL's Harrison Butker slammed for urging women grads to be 'homemakers' - National | Globalnews.ca|website=Global News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://winshipcancer.emory.edu/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/2020/super-bowl-kicker-with-ties-to-winship|title=Super Bowl kicker has deep ties to Winship|website=winshipcancer.emory.edu}}</ref>}}<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 17, 2024 |title=The Chiefs kicker who told women to be 'homemakers' rather than have careers has a physicist mother |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/harrison-butker-speech-mom-physicist-chiefs-homemaker-masculinity-2024-5#:~:text=posted%20on%20X.-,Harrison%20Butker's%20mom%20is%20a%20medical,the%20oncology%20department%20at%20Emory.&text=Elizabeth%20Keller%20Butker's%20name%20and,as%20a%20clinical%20medical%20physicist.}}</ref> His speech, which included other personal and political opinions, was widely spoken about on social media and was met with significant controversy.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="beliefs" /><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/chiefs-kicker-harrison-butker-faces-backlash-over-homemaker-remark/ |title=Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker Faces Backlash Over 'Homemaker' Wife Comments During Graduation Speech |magazine=[[Us Weekly]] |access-date=May 14, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Dan |last=Treacy |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/harrison-butker-chiefs-kicker-commencement-speech-benedictine/c41b0afd31caab13561cc0ec |title=What did Harrison Butker say? Chiefs kicker gives controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College |website=[[The Sporting News]] |access-date=May 14, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Amy |last=Eley |url=https://www.today.com/news/harrison-butker-speech-benedictine-college-rcna152297 |title=Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker criticizes working women, Pride month and more in graduation speech |work=[[Today (American TV program)|Today]] |access-date=May 14, 2024 |date=May 14, 2024}}</ref>}}<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 17, 2024 |title=Harrison Butker 'homemaker' speech sparks backlash |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-69021543}}</ref> Former Kansas City commissioner Justice Horn criticized Butker, writing, "Harrison Butker doesn't represent Kansas City nor has he ever. Kansas City has always been a place that welcomes, affirms and embraces our [[LGBTQ+]] community members."<ref name="beliefs">{{cite magazine |first=Rachel|last=Looker|title=Chiefs' Harrison Butker Criticized for Graduation Speech Attacking Working Women While Quoting Taylor Swift |url=https://people.com/chiefs-harrison-butker-criticized-graduation-speech-attacking-working-women-quoting-taylor-swift-8648547 |date=May 15, 2024 |access-date=May 14, 2024 |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]}}</ref> On May 15, 2024, in response to Butker's comments and the ensuant backlash, Jonathan Beane, the NFL's senior vice president and [[Chief diversity officer|chief diversity and inclusion officer]], told ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' in a written statement that, "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."<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=NFL Says They Do Not Agree with Harrison Butker's 'Views' in Graduation Speech, Are Committed to 'Inclusion' |url=https://people.com/harrison-butker-nfl-does-not-share-views-in-graduation-speech-8649229 |access-date=2024-05-16 |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |language=en}}</ref>
During the speech, Butker condemned President [[Joe Biden]]'s political stance on [[abortion]], saying, "Our own 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."<ref>{{cite web |title=Kansas City Chiefs kicker blasts Biden, pro-choice movement in commencement speech |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/4661793-kansas-city-chiefs-kicker-blasts-biden-pro-choice-movement-in-commencement-speech/ |access-date=May 14, 2024 |website=The Hill}}</ref> He also criticized President Biden's response to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]]. He spoke about other issues including [[In vitro fertilisation|IVF]], [[surrogacy]], [[LGBT movements]] and [[Pride Month]], the concept of [[women in the workforce]], [[diversity, equity, and inclusion]], and a bill condemning [[antisemitism]].<ref>{{cite web |date=May 14, 2024 |title=Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker rails against Pride month, President Biden during commencement address |url=https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-harrison-butker-e00f6ee45955c99ef1e809ec447239e0 |access-date=May 14, 2024 |website=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Boren |first=Cindy |date=May 14, 2024 |title=In commencement speech, Chiefs kicker targets 'diabolical lies' told to women |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/05/14/harrison-butker-commencement-speech-women-biden-pride/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 14, 2024 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Weese |first=Lukas |date=May 14, 2024 |title=Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker says Pride Month is example of 'deadly sin' during commencement speech |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5493651/2024/05/14/chiefs-harrison-butker-pride-month-sin/ |url-access=registration |access-date=May 14, 2024 |work=[[The Athletic]]}}</ref>
==== Pro-life advocacy ====
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