Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker believes that guns themselves are not to blame when mass shootings occur, but rather fatherlessness.
Speaking in an interview with EWTN News’ "In Depth," Butker recounted the tragedy that occurred during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade in February when one woman lost her life, and 23 people, including nine children, were injured as a gun fight involving Lyndell Mays and Dominic Miller (who were both young adults) broke out in the crowd.
Many people, including President Joe Biden, called for more gun control in the wake of this event. However, Butker did not irresponsibly go along with this narrative, and instead said that young men would be less likely to commit “degenerate” acts of violence if they had strong fathers.
"I had to do a lot of thinking about what took place at the parade. I know that gun violence was a big discussion, but at the end of the day this is degenerative violence, and it should not be occurring," Butker said. "I think we need strong fathers in the home. We need men that are leading, that are setting good examples, that are teaching the young men in our society that violence is not the way to handle our disputes.
He went on to reiterate that he believes that guns are not to blame in violent situations, and that younger men having role models would help solve some of these issues.
"It’s very unfortunate what happened. Unfortunately, many, many children were injured. A beautiful young lady was killed over someone getting offended and turning to violence to handle that dispute. It’s so sad. I don’t think guns are the issue. I think we need fathers in the home that are being great examples for our youth."
Now it's unclear whether or not the two men involved in the parade shooting had absent fathers, and experts debate just how much fatherlessness can lead to gun violence. But Butker is right in saying that guns are not the problem when gun violence breaks out, and that there are deeper issues that must be addressed. And of course, having a positive, influential father in your life is never a bad thing.
Just like most of his kicks, his assessment of gun violence was good.
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