In 1967, Reagan became the governor of the State of California. In his inaugural address, he about the peaceful transfer of power, something he described “the simple magic of the commonplace routine, which makes it a near miracle to many of the world’s inhabitants.” He then went on to utter an phrase that would be repeated by politicians for decades come. “Freedom is a fragile thing,” he said, “And it’s never more than one generation away from extinction.”
Now like countless others, I have used that many times, but I have a confession to make. I never really believed it. Surely, after 250 years of this stuff, we no longer to worry about losing it. I’m not pleased to report that I actually it now.
The first cracks in my confidence came during one of those routines of transferring power as Lieutenant Governor of the State of Utah. was my duty to certify the votes of the electors for the presidential election. While meeting to do so was open to the public, it was so and routine that no one ever showed up. As I into the room, I was stunned to see dozens of angry protesters screaming that the election had been 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, the protesters were Hillary Clinton supporters.
Now it got far somehow, four years later. With the election less than two months away, a and I were talking and lamenting about the state of our our country following a summer destructive protests by the extreme left and an extreme right that was already the validity of an election that hadn’t even happened yet. “Isn’t there something you can do,” she asked.
Well, question haunted me all weekend, so I picked up phone and called my opponent. By the way, I was running for governor at the same time Trump and Biden were battling for the presidency. I called opponent, a Democrat named Chris Peterson, whom I respected, I said, “Hey, Chris, this is Spencer Cox. I have a crazy idea. What if filmed a campaign ad together?”
I could almost hear the confused look forming his face. To his credit, he agreed, and one week later, we were in studio together. Let’s watch.
(Video) I’m Chris Peterson. And I’m Spencer Cox.
CP: We are currently the final days of campaigning against each other to be your governor.
SC: And while I think you should vote for me —
CP: Yeah, really, you should vote for me.
SC: There are some we both agree on.
CP: We can debate issues degrading each other’s character.
SC: We can disagree without hating each other.
CP: 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) 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 media requests from all over the world, millions of and shares. Perhaps there really is an exhausted majority, remember thinking to myself, and maybe this is the message they want to hear.
I could actually feel my faith in the American idea start to rekindle. The popularity of the ad validated my hope that people really do want their political leaders to uphold the values that we teach our kids. That we can disagree without hate and contempt, even that can find ways to treat each other with respect even 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 our ad to the Stanford Polarization and Social Change Lab as part of a huge experiment. It was chosen as one of 25 interventions to tested on over 30,000 people. The result? Our ad actually a measurable depolarization effect, including a reduction in urges towards violence. turns out there really are things that 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 towards an election with unsatisfying candidates and campaigns. But there is good news. Over the past six months, 20 governors from all across the country have filmed similar ads, of them with a public servant from the opposing party. the data continues to show that people really are hungry for something different. According to polling from More in Common, 70 percent of hate the divisiveness in politics. And it also turns out that … aren’t as far apart as we think we are. The problem isn’t far apart the average Republican and the average Democrat is 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 entrepreneurs in both the media politics, both sides overestimate the extremism on the other side by about 30 percent. Now interestingly, this perception gap is actually strongest amongst progressive activists on left and amongst extreme conservatives on the right. So the people most engaged the political process also have the most inaccurate views of other side.
But perhaps the best news of all is that there are very things that every one of us can do every day help heal the divides in our nations and our neighborhoods. First, we 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 mental 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 media or traditional media outlets, is really bad for our mental health. Psychologists refer this phenomenon in different ways, like media saturation overload or doomscrolling or headline anxiety. You see, more news, on all the time, isn’t 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 of Bryan Stevenson, proximity will empower you. You see, it’s just harder to hate up close. “Tell me more why you feel that way” is a magical request.
Twenty years ago, we rarely identified each by our political identities first. As for me, I’m a father. I’m an fan. I’m a terrible aspiring bassist in a band. I’m a Utahn. I’m an American. How about you? You see, if we 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 communities improve our outlook on life and the people around us. Some forms of regular have even been associated with lower blood pressure. There is better for the soul or society 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 Adams explained, we all become ravenous beasts of prey. Now look, I it’s almost laughable to talk about words like humility in political discourse, I truly believe that it is the only way us to remember how to disagree without hate and contempt. In the words Judge Learned Hand, who so eloquently stated, “The true spirit of liberty is the spirit is not too sure it is right. The spirit of liberty is the spirit which seeks understand the minds of other men and women.”
And I with a quote from Ronald Reagan. He went on to that freedom is not ours by way of inheritance. must be 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 solemn duty in our generation to once again secure the freedoms endowed to 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. we must remember how to disagree without hate.
We must rise up and meet that radical call to love our enemies — even, especially, our political opponents. It’s … It’s an … It’s not an easy 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)