In today’s media world, where every issue sparks controversy and opposing views, there’s little room for subtlety and practicality. This makes it even more important when those qualities do emerge.
We’ve aimed to approach the controversy surrounding Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s speech at Benedictine College with nuance and practicality. From our initial analysis of Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s response to questions about how Butker’s actions might affect his performance, it’s unrealistic to expect any nuanced approach to escape scrutiny in today’s climate of outrage and counter-outrage. (Nevertheless, we tried.)
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce also attempted to this complex terrain. He managed to strike a balance amidst the often polarized discourse of today.
“I value him as a teammate,” Kelce said of Butker on the New Heights podcast, alongside his brother Jason. “Pat [Mahomes] said it perfectly: he’s truly a good person and teammate. He treats my family and everyone else with respect and kindness. Even though I might not agree with most of his views, especially his religious ones, I believe we shouldn’t judge him based on that. Everyone has their own way of living.”
That’s how we should approach others. You live your life, I’ll live mine. If you express views I don’t agree with, I might respond, or I might not. I’ll just keep living my life the way I choose.
Of course, this approach doesn’t grab attention. The loud voices at each extreme like to fit everything into a “fascist” or “woke” category.
The reality remains that most of us fall somewhere in the middle. We don’t really want to dictate what others can or can’t do. Most of us are rational and reasonable. However, it’s not beneficial to cater to the silent majority because they have other priorities than constantly complaining about differing views.
This complaining happens on both sides. It’s no longer about having a fair debate to change minds. It’s about keeping the like-minded base ready to hear more complaints that align with their own.
But haven’t we had enough of all this complaining?
The only issue with this approach is that the party in power can appoint judges who share their views, which can affect our rights and responsibilities as American citizens for a long time. This pragmatic detail seems to be overlooked by many, especially those in the middle who are tired of all the complaining and don’t want to pay attention to what’s going on.
