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