Butker’s graduation speech sparks heated discussion on The View, and Whoopi surprised everyone with her take
Whoopi Goldberg and her fellow panelists on The View recently discussed the controversy surrounding Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s commencement speech at Benedictine College. Butker’s speech criticized abortion, euthanasia, IVF, surrogacy, and the LGBTQ community, while promoting the idea that women should embrace being “homemakers.” His remarks sparked significant backlash on social media.
Goldberg defended Butker’s right to express his views, despite not sharing them. “I like when people say what they need to say,” she said. “He’s at a Catholic college, he’s a staunch Catholic. These are his beliefs, and he’s welcome to them.
I don’t have to believe them, I don’t have to accept them, and the ladies sitting in that audience don’t have to accept them.” She emphasized respecting different viewpoints, comparing it to the respect sought for Colin Kaepernick’s protests.
“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,” she added.
Differing Views on Free Speech and Accountability
Co-host Sara Haines disagreed with Butker’s comments but argued against punishing people for their views. “I don’t think people should be ‘shut down or fired’ for their views,” she said, referencing calls for Butker to be removed from the Chiefs.
However, Haines disagreed with Goldberg’s comparison to Kaepernick, noting that Kaepernick was advocating for social justice, while Butker’s comments are “divergent from the majority of Catholics.”
Alyssa Farah Griffin agreed with some of Butker’s points but criticized his remarks on the LGBTQ community and the “tradwife homemaker” concept.
“He chose to target the LGBTQ community,” she said. “There was a way you could speak with humility about the beliefs you stand for, but you can’t alienate certain parts of the scripture.”
Sunny Hostin found Butker’s comments problematic, particularly towards the LGBTQ community. “He said it was sinful behavior,” she noted.
Hostin highlighted that Pope Francis has been more supportive of the LGBTQ community than any previous Catholic leader and pointed out that President Joe Biden, also a Catholic, understands the separation of church and state.
Goldberg reiterated her stance on free speech, stating, “When you say to somebody, ‘I don’t like what you said, and so I’m going to get your job taken away because you disagree with me,’ for me that’s an issue.”
