In 1967, Reagan became the governor of the State of California. In his address, he talked about the peaceful transfer of power, something he described as “the simple magic of the commonplace routine, which it a near miracle to many of the world’s inhabitants.” He then went on to utter an iconic phrase that be repeated by politicians for decades to come. “Freedom is a fragile thing,” said, “And it’s never more than one generation away extinction.”
Now like countless others, I have used that quote many times, but I a confession to make. I never really believed it. Surely, after 250 years of this stuff, no longer have to worry about losing it. I’m not pleased to report that I actually believe it now.
The first in my confidence came during one of those commonplace routines of power as Lieutenant Governor of the State of Utah. It was my duty to certify votes of the electors for the presidential election. While the meeting to do so was open to the public, it was commonplace and routine that no one ever showed up. I walked into the room, I was stunned to see dozens of angry protesters screaming that the election had been stolen 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 the protesters were Hillary Clinton supporters.
Now it far worse somehow, four years later. With the election than two months away, a friend and I were talking lamenting about the state of our our country following a summer of destructive protests by extreme left and an extreme right that was already undermining the validity of an election that hadn’t even happened yet. “Isn’t there you can do,” she asked.
Well, that question haunted me all weekend, so picked up the phone and called my opponent. By the way, I was running for governor at the same that Trump and Biden were battling for the presidency. I called my opponent, a Democrat named Chris Peterson, whom I respected, I said, “Hey, Chris, this is Spencer Cox. I have a crazy idea. What if we filmed a campaign ad together?”
I could almost hear the confused look forming on his face. To credit, he agreed, and one week later, we were in a studio together. Let’s watch.
(Video) I’m 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: There some things we both agree on.
CP: We can debate issues without degrading each other’s character.
SC: We disagree without hating each other.
CP: And win 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) we approve this message.
(Applause)
Well, the response was instantaneous and overwhelming. The went viral. Neither of us saw it coming. There were media from all over the world, millions of views and shares. Perhaps really is an exhausted majority, I remember thinking to myself, and maybe this is the message want to hear.
I could actually feel my faith in the American idea start rekindle. The popularity of the ad validated my hope that most people really do want their leaders to uphold the values that we teach our kids. That we can disagree without and contempt, even that we can find ways to treat other with respect even when we disagree. It seemed like there was a hunger architects instead of arsonists.
My hunch was confirmed one year later, when a professor submitted a version of our ad to the Stanford Polarization and Social Change as part of a huge depolarization experiment. It was chosen as one of 25 to be tested on over 30,000 people. The result? Our ad actually had a measurable depolarization effect, including a in urges towards violence. It turns out there really are things that we can do to alter the trajectory the United States.
Now look, I get it. It’s to feel a little hopeless as Americans once again barrel towards an election with unsatisfying candidates campaigns. But there is good news. Over the past six months, 20 governors from all across country have filmed similar ads, most of them with public servant from the opposing party. And the data to show that people really are hungry for something different. According to polling from More in Common, 70 percent of Americans hate the in politics. And it also turns out that … Americans aren’t as far as we think we are. The problem isn’t how apart the average Republican and the average Democrat is on the issues. In fact, we’re not much different than other democracies. The problem is how far apart we think we are. Due large part to conflict entrepreneurs in both the media and politics, both sides overestimate the on the other side by about 30 percent. Now interestingly, this perception gap is strongest amongst progressive activists on the left and amongst extreme conservatives on the right. So the people most engaged the political process also have the most inaccurate views of the other side.
But perhaps the best news of all is that there very practical things that every one of us can do every day to help heal the divides our nations and our neighborhoods. First, we can start by turning off and tuning out some of those conflict entrepreneurs. My wife and I, we stopped watching cable news 11 years ago and saw 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 the latest headlines, through social media or traditional media outlets, is really bad for our 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. the words of Bryan Stevenson, proximity will empower you. You see, it’s just harder to hate up close. “Tell me more about you feel that way” is a magical request.
Twenty years ago, we rarely identified each other by our political identities first. As me, I’m a father. I’m an NBA fan. I’m a terrible bassist 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 and friendships that unite instead of divide.
Now third, we can serve others. Service volunteering help build up communities and improve our outlook on life and the people us. Some forms of regular volunteering have even been associated with lower blood pressure. There is better for the soul or society than giving back. 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 classical political virtues of humility, patience and moderation, without which, as John Adams explained, we all ravenous beasts of prey. Now look, I know it’s almost laughable to talk about like humility in political discourse, but I truly believe that it 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 of liberty the spirit which is not too sure it is right. The spirit of liberty is the spirit which seeks to understand minds of other men and women.”
And I started with a quote from Reagan. He went on to say that freedom is not ours by way of inheritance. It must be fought for defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people and those in history who have known freedom then lost it have never known it again. Ladies and gentlemen, it is our solemn duty in generation to once again secure the freedoms endowed to all of from on high. We cannot wait for politicians or the media to do it. It will take real work, hard by each of us. But we must remember how to disagree without hate.
We must rise up and meet radical call to love our enemies — even, especially, political opponents. It’s … It’s not an … It’s not an easy answer, but it is a simple one. we really want to change the world, we have to start by changing our hearts.
Thank you.
(Applause)