Squint, and you’ll see it. The latest episode of ABC’s The View wasn’t exactly a beacon of tolerance with its hard take on Sarah Haines targeting Harrison Butker, a Chiefs kicker, for his Catholic faith in unmistakable fury, fitting him into their often-trotted-out stereotype of an “extremist”.
Butker’s crime? Offering a commencement speech at Catholic, Benedictine College discussing the fulfillment homemaking brings to some women. But in Haines’ eyes, he practiced a “very extreme religion,” dubbing his attendance of the traditional Latin mass as a “cult-like and extremist” practice akin to fringe beliefs in the Middle East and Asia. She provided no proof, yet loudly berated Butker, declaring he didn’t “walk with Jesus”. All while she shook a finger at Butker, urging him to seek out the ‘best parts of faith’ instead of drifting into ‘extremist beliefs.’
Alyssa Farah Griffin, another co-host, threw gasoline on the fire, bashing Butker for his audacity to interweave politics into his commencement speech—something many other speakers have done without a blip. Griffin criticized Butker for calling out President Biden while failing to condemn former President Trump.
Joy Behar, following suit, armchair diagnosed Butker with “mother issues,” a classic move from the liberal playbook. In her opinion, Butker was “angry” at his highly accomplished mother for prioritizing her career over him. Similarly, she reckoned he despised Taylor Swift due to her notable achievements, a contempt stemming from his supposed “mother issues”. Again, all unfounded claims, just pure conjecture.
Shortly after in the same segment, they hosted actor Nick Offerman and his female farmer friend, who they praised for transitioning from the fine art world to homemaking. Despite scolding Butker earlier for promoting the same idea, The View hosts cheered this woman, stating her “masterpieces” were now on the dinner table or in the values she taught her children.
Surprisingly, moderator Whoopi Goldberg turned out to be the episode’s voice of reason, highlighting Butker’s right to express his Catholic beliefs at a Catholic college. She underlined the importance of mutual respect between people with differing viewpoints, reaffirming freedoms we all hold dear in the United States.
But let’s get one thing clear; this incident isn’t just about an NFL player rattling the staff on The View with his opinions. It’s about maintaining our shared right to have and express diverging thoughts, without being berated by the media. A reminder that in our diversified nation, tolerance isn’t a selective principle, but a universal one—even when it rubs up against your narrative.
