In 1967, Reagan became the governor of the State of California. In his inaugural address, he talked about the peaceful of power, something he described as “the simple magic of the commonplace routine, which makes it a near miracle to of the world’s inhabitants.” He then went on to utter an iconic that would be repeated by politicians for decades to come. “Freedom is a thing,” he said, “And it’s never more than one generation away from extinction.”
Now like countless others, I have used that quote many times, but I have confession to make. I never really believed it. Surely, after 250 years of this stuff, we no longer have to worry about losing it. I’m not to report that I actually believe it now.
The first cracks in my confidence came during one of those commonplace routines of transferring power Lieutenant Governor of the State of Utah. It was my duty to the votes of the electors for the presidential election. While the meeting to so was open to the public, it was so commonplace routine that no one ever showed up. As I walked into the room, I was stunned to see dozens of angry protesters screaming that the election had stolen and demanding that we violate state law and change the votes of the electors.
Now I know what you’re thinking, and you’re probably wrong. This was not 2020. This was 2016, and the protesters were Hillary supporters.
Now it got far worse somehow, four years later. With the election than two months away, a friend and I were talking and lamenting about the state of our country following a summer of destructive protests by the extreme left an extreme right that was already undermining the validity of an election that hadn’t even happened yet. “Isn’t something you can do,” she asked.
Well, that question haunted me weekend, so I picked up the phone and called my opponent. By way, I was running for governor at the same time that Trump and Biden were battling for the presidency. I called my opponent, a Democrat named Chris Peterson, whom respected, and I said, “Hey, Chris, this is Spencer Cox. I have a crazy idea. What if we filmed a campaign ad together?”
I could almost the confused look forming on his face. To his credit, he agreed, and one week later, we were in a together. Let’s watch.
(Video) I’m Chris Peterson. And I’m Spencer Cox.
CP: We are currently in final days of campaigning against each other to be your next governor.
SC: And while I think you should vote for me —
CP: Yeah, but really, you should vote for me.
SC: are some things we both agree on.
CP: We can issues without degrading each other’s character.
SC: We can disagree hating each other.
CP: And win or lose, in Utah, work together.
SC: So let’s show the country that there’s a better way.
CP: My name is Peterson.
SC: And I’m Spencer Cox.
(Together) And we approve this message.
(Applause)
Well, response was instantaneous and overwhelming. The ad went viral. Neither of us saw it coming. There were requests from all over the world, millions of views and shares. Perhaps there really an exhausted majority, I remember thinking to myself, and maybe this is message they want to hear.
I could actually feel my faith in the American idea start to rekindle. The of the ad validated my hope that most people really do want their political leaders to uphold the values that we teach our kids. we can disagree without hate and contempt, even that we can find ways treat each other with respect even when we disagree. It like there was a hunger for architects instead of arsonists.
My was confirmed one year later, when a professor submitted a version of our ad to the Stanford and Social Change Lab as part of a huge experiment. It was chosen as one of 25 interventions to be tested on over 30,000 people. result? Our ad actually had a measurable depolarization effect, including a reduction in urges towards violence. It turns out there really are that we can do to alter the trajectory of the States.
Now look, I get it. It’s easy to feel a little hopeless as Americans again barrel towards an election with unsatisfying candidates and campaigns. But there is news. Over the past six months, 20 governors from all across the country have filmed similar ads, most of them with a public servant the opposing party. And the data continues to show that people really are for something different. According to polling from More in Common, 70 percent of Americans hate the divisiveness in politics. And also turns out that … Americans aren’t as far apart as we think we are. The problem isn’t how far apart the average Republican and the average Democrat is on actual issues. In fact, we’re not much different than other Western democracies. The problem is how far apart think we are. Due in large part to conflict entrepreneurs in the media and politics, both sides overestimate the extremism on the other side by about 30 percent. Now interestingly, this perception gap actually strongest amongst progressive activists on the left and amongst extreme conservatives on the right. the people most engaged in the political process also the most inaccurate views of the other side.
But perhaps the best news of all is that are very practical things that every one of us can do every day to help heal the divides in our nations and our neighborhoods. First, we can start by turning and tuning out some of those conflict entrepreneurs. My and I, we stopped watching cable news 11 years ago and immediately saw an improvement in our marriage, family, and our mental health.
(Laughter and applause)
Now that always elicits laugh, but we’re not alone. Studies have found that more time spent on the latest headlines, through social media or traditional media outlets, is really bad for mental health. Psychologists refer to this phenomenon in different ways, like saturation overload or doomscrolling or headline anxiety. You see, more news, on all the time, isn’t making us smarter, it’s just stressing us out.
Second, can spend more time, preferably offline, with real people who are different than us. In the words of Bryan Stevenson, proximity will empower you. You see, it’s just harder to hate up close. “Tell more about why you feel that way” is a magical request.
Twenty ago, we rarely identified each other by our political identities first. As for me, I’m father. I’m an NBA fan. I’m a terrible aspiring bassist in a band. I’m Utahn. I’m an American. How about you? You see, if we beyond our political tribes, we can actually find shared identities and friendships that unite instead of divide.
Now third, we serve others. Service and volunteering help build up communities and improve our outlook on and the people around us. Some forms of regular volunteering have even been associated with lower blood pressure. There is nothing better for the soul or than giving back. Aristotle really was on to something when he described and up the essence of life as: “Serve others and do good.”
Fourth, and finally, we can work to develop the classical political virtues of humility, patience and moderation, without which, as John explained, we all become ravenous beasts of prey. Now look, I know it’s almost to talk about words like humility in political discourse, but I truly believe that is the only way for us to remember how to disagree without hate and contempt. the words of Judge Learned Hand, who so eloquently stated, “The true spirit liberty is the spirit which is not too sure it is right. The spirit of liberty the spirit which seeks to understand the minds of other men and women.”
And I started a quote from Ronald Reagan. He went on to say freedom is not ours by way of inheritance. It must fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people and those history who have known freedom and then lost it never known it again. Ladies and gentlemen, it is our solemn duty our generation to once again secure the freedoms endowed to of us from on high. We cannot wait for politicians or media to do it. It will take real work, hard work by each of us. But must remember how to disagree without hate.
We must rise up and meet that radical call to love our — even, especially, our political opponents. It’s … It’s not an … It’s an easy answer, but it is a simple one. If we really want to the world, we have to start by changing our own hearts.
Thank you.
(Applause)