In 1967, Ronald Reagan became the governor the State of California. In his inaugural address, he about the peaceful transfer of power, something he described as “the simple of the commonplace routine, which makes it a near miracle to many 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 fragile thing,” he said, “And it’s more than one generation away from extinction.”
Now like others, I have used that quote many times, but I a confession to make. I never really believed it. Surely, after 250 years 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 as Lieutenant Governor of the State of Utah. It was my duty to certify the votes of the electors for the presidential election. While the meeting do so was open to the public, it was so commonplace and routine no one ever showed up. As I walked into the room, I was stunned to 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 all thinking, you’re probably wrong. This was not 2020. This was 2016, and protesters were Hillary Clinton supporters.
Now it got far worse somehow, four years later. With the election less than two months away, friend and I were talking and lamenting about the state of our our 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 there something you can do,” she asked.
Well, that question haunted me all weekend, so I up the phone and called my opponent. By the way, was running for governor at the same time that Trump Biden were battling for the presidency. I called my opponent, a named Chris Peterson, whom I respected, and I said, “Hey, Chris, this is Spencer Cox. I have a crazy idea. What if we a campaign ad together?”
I could almost hear the confused look forming on face. To his credit, he agreed, and one week later, were in 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 other to be your next governor.
SC: And while think you should vote for me —
CP: Yeah, but really, you should for me.
SC: There 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 or lose, in Utah, we work together.
SC: So let’s show the country that there’s a better way.
CP: My name is Chris Peterson.
SC: And I’m Spencer Cox.
(Together) And we approve this message.
(Applause)
Well, the 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 is an majority, I remember thinking to myself, and maybe this is 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 to uphold values that we teach our kids. That we can disagree without and contempt, even that we can find ways to treat each other with respect even we disagree. It seemed like there was a hunger for architects instead of arsonists.
My hunch confirmed one year later, when a professor submitted a version of ad to the Stanford Polarization and Social Change Lab as part a huge depolarization experiment. It was chosen as one of 25 interventions to be tested on over 30,000 people. The result? ad actually had a measurable depolarization effect, including a reduction in urges towards violence. It turns out there really are things we can do to alter the trajectory of the United States.
Now look, I it. It’s easy to feel a little hopeless as Americans once again barrel towards an election with unsatisfying candidates and campaigns. But is good news. Over the past six months, 20 from all across the country have filmed similar ads, most of them with a public servant from the opposing party. And the data continues to show that people are hungry for something different. According to polling from in Common, 70 percent of Americans hate the divisiveness in politics. And it also turns out … Americans aren’t as far apart as we think we are. The problem isn’t how far the average Republican and the average Democrat is on the issues. In fact, we’re not much different than other Western democracies. The problem is how far apart we think we are. Due in large part conflict entrepreneurs in both the media and politics, both sides the extremism on the other side by about 30 percent. Now interestingly, perception gap is actually strongest amongst progressive activists on the left and amongst extreme conservatives on the right. the people most engaged in the political process also have the most views of the other side.
But perhaps the best news of all is that there are practical things that every one of us can do every day to heal the divides in our nations and our neighborhoods. First, we can start by turning off and out some of those conflict entrepreneurs. My wife and I, we stopped watching cable news 11 years ago and immediately an improvement in our marriage, our family, and our mental health.
(Laughter applause)
Now that always elicits a laugh, but we’re not alone. Studies have found that more time spent on latest headlines, whether through social media or traditional media outlets, is really bad for our 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 smarter, it’s just stressing us out.
Second, we can spend time, preferably offline, with real people who are different than us. In the words of Bryan Stevenson, proximity empower you. You see, it’s just harder to hate up close. “Tell me more about why feel that way” is 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. How about you? You see, if look beyond our political tribes, we can actually find shared identities and friendships that unite instead of divide.
Now third, can serve others. Service and volunteering help build up and improve our outlook on life and the people around us. Some forms of regular volunteering have 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 summed up the essence of as: “Serve others and do good.”
Fourth, and finally, we can to develop the classical political virtues of humility, patience and moderation, without which, as John Adams explained, we become ravenous beasts of prey. Now look, I know it’s almost laughable to talk about words like humility in political discourse, but I truly believe that it the only way for us to remember how to disagree without hate and contempt. In words of Judge Learned Hand, who so eloquently stated, “The true spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure it is right. The spirit of liberty is the spirit which seeks to understand the minds of other men and women.”
And I started with quote from Ronald Reagan. He went on to say that freedom is not ours by way inheritance. It must be fought for and defended constantly 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 in our generation to once again secure the freedoms endowed to all of from on high. We cannot wait for politicians or the media do it. It will take real work, hard work by each of us. But we 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 not an answer, but it is a simple one. If we really want change the world, we have to start by changing our own hearts.
Thank you.
(Applause)