Comedian and activist Whoopi Goldberg, known for her erratic statements and embarrassing gaffes, surprised audiences on her show “The View” when she made a reasonable point in defense of NFL kicker Harrison Butker. The saying “a broken clock is right twice a day” seems to apply in this case, as Goldberg’s rare moment of mental clarity left many stunned.
Myself included…
The ladies of “The View” were discussing the controversy surrounding Butker’s commencement speech at Benedictine College, a Catholic liberal arts college. In his speech, Butker expressed views that were in line with Catholic teachings and uncontroversial until recent times. He called out cowardly bishops, condemned the LGBT agenda, and urged students to live out their faith in the world.
Predictably, Butker’s speech garnered outrage from liberals, with some even demanding that he be cut from his NFL team, the Kansas City Chiefs. The NFL itself released a statement distancing themselves from Butker’s views and reaffirming their commitment to inclusivity. However, Goldberg saw through the hysteria and reminded her co-hosts that Butker was speaking at a Catholic college and as a staunch Catholic, he was simply expressing his beliefs.
Goldberg continued, “These are his beliefs, and he’s welcome to them. I don’t have to agree with them, and neither did the ladies in that audience.” This was an important reminder to the outrage mob that they didn’t have to agree with Butker’s beliefs, but they also didn’t have to try to silence him. Goldberg then made a comparison to Colin Kaepernick, saying, “The same way we want respect when Colin Kaepernick takes a knee, we should give respect to people with different beliefs.” However, Goldberg went off the rails when she brought up President Donald Trump, wrongly claiming that he has tried to silence people’s right to free speech.
Goldberg’s point was that people should be allowed to express their beliefs without fear of repercussions, even if those beliefs differ from our own. This is a reasonable and fair stance to take, and Goldberg was brave for standing up for it on a show like “The View.” However, her comment about Trump attempting to stifle free speech was unfounded and detracted from the important message she was trying to convey.
One key difference between Butker and Kaepernick, as pointed out by sports media site OutKick, is that Butker was speaking in his personal capacity, while Kaepernick protested during NFL games, in his uniform, in a professional context. This is an important distinction that many seem to have missed.
Speaking about Chiefs’ kicker Harrison Butker’s commencement address to Benedictine College, Whoopi says she doesn’t agree but argues: “The same way we want respect when Colin Kaepernick takes a knee, we want to give respect to people whose ideas are different from ours…” pic.twitter.com/c4BnaZDaCv
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) May 16, 2024
Goldberg’s moment of clarity on “The View” was like an oasis in a desert sandstorm of woke madness. It is rare for someone in the liberal media to defend a conservative’s right to free speech, and Goldberg should be commended for her stance.
For the first time in my life, I agree with Goldberg. At least on this one point. That just goes to show that even a looney toon like her understands some semblance of freedom of speech.
Just like we expect others to respect our right to express our views, we should also give that same respect to those whose beliefs differ from ours. Let us hope that more people, especially those in the public eye, follow Goldberg’s lead and promote a culture of respectful discourse, even when we disagree.