Between 1800 and 1900, women constituted only about 10% of the world's authors. Evelyn Beatrice Hall, who was born in 1868, adopted the pseudonym Stephen G. Tallentyre to improve her chances of being published, and in 1906 wrote one of the most important defenses of free speech in history: “I do not approve of what you say , but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
To this day, it is often mistakenly attributed to Voltaire.
opinion columnist
LZ Granderson
LZ Granderson writes about culture, politics, sports, and living life in America.
The publishing world didn't see a sharp rise in female authors until the 1970s, but today, women write more books than men and read more than men. Women also compose now almost 60% of master's graduates in the United States and almost 70% of top high school students.
For some of us, this represents progress.
However, for men like Harrison Butker, the Kansas City Chiefs kicker whose controversial graduation speech At a small Catholic liberal arts school has sparked a debate about free speech, women's achievements seem like a threat.
“As men, we set the tone of the culture, and when that is missing, disorder, dysfunction and chaos ensue,” he told male graduates last week at Benedictine College in Kansas. Addressing the rest of the audience, he said: “It is you, the women, who have been told the most diabolical lies. … Some of you may go on to have successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that most of you are more excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.”
He also took a rare swipe at LGBTQ+ people, talking about pride but “not the mortal sin kind of pride that an entire month is dedicated to.”
In response, the National Football League said that Butker's “views They are not the ones from the NFL”, adding: “The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only strengthens our league.”
To paraphrase Hall, I don't approve of Butker's comments, but I will defend his right to say them.
That's what freedom of expression means.
Outrage over what he said is also freedom of expression.
Butker doesn't need to lose his job. No need to cancel anyone. In this case and many other situations where a minor celebrity says something stupid, it would be best if we all moved on.
The attention paid to your comments far exceeds their importance. He is not an elected official capable of setting policy. He's a seventh-round pick who contributed to three Super Bowl victories.
Before his commencement speech, most Americans probably had no idea who he was or what he looked like. It's not like she has a State Farm commercial or is Taylor Swift's love interest. He is a prominent man who decided to use his time in front of new college graduates to parrot outdated ideas about gender roles that were disproven a century ago.
During World War II, women flooded into the workplace and helped hold this country together, as they had done in countless ways before and have continued to do ever since. Few would suggest that we are worse off because of women's contributions outside the home.
Anyway, Butker appears to have married a woman who agrees with his views. Good for him. I married a man who matches mine.
There are people who support what Butker said, including famed football coach Lou Holtz, who said on social media that the commencement speech “showed courage and conviction.”
This week Butker's T-shirt sales skyrocketed., and currently has the second most popular on his team. People who loved your comments can wear those t-shirts. All of that is free speech protected by the First Amendment. Like displaying the Pride flag or asking why conservatives are so offended by men dressed as women when our Founding Fathers wore makeup, heels, and wigs.
I suspect that in a few years Butker will look back on his comments with some regret. I certainly believed and said many things when he was 28 that I no longer believe or say. When Butker has that revelation, my hope is that he remembers this moment, shakes his head, and uses his right to free speech to admit that what he said was stupid. That would show courage and conviction.
