In 1967, Reagan became the governor of the State of California. In inaugural address, he talked about the peaceful transfer of power, something he described as “the simple magic of the commonplace routine, which makes it a near to many of the world’s inhabitants.” He then went to utter an iconic phrase that would be repeated by politicians for decades to come. “Freedom is fragile 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 a confession to make. I never really believed it. Surely, after 250 years of 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 one of those commonplace routines of transferring power as Lieutenant of the State of Utah. It was my duty to certify the votes of the for the presidential election. While the meeting to do so open to the public, it was so commonplace and routine that one ever showed up. As I walked into the room, I was stunned to see dozens angry protesters screaming that the election had been stolen and demanding that we violate state law and change the of the electors.
Now I know what you’re all thinking, and you’re probably wrong. This was not 2020. This 2016, and the protesters were Hillary Clinton supporters.
Now got far worse somehow, four years later. With the election less than two months away, a friend and I were talking and lamenting about the state of our our country a summer of destructive protests by the extreme left and an extreme right that was already undermining 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 the phone called my opponent. By the way, I was running for governor at the same that Trump and Biden were battling for the presidency. I my 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 his face. To his credit, agreed, and one week later, we were in a studio together. Let’s watch.
(Video) I’m Chris Peterson. And I’m Cox.
CP: We are currently in the final days of campaigning against each other to your next governor.
SC: And while I think you should vote me —
CP: Yeah, but really, you should vote for me.
SC: There some things we both agree on.
CP: We can issues without degrading each other’s character.
SC: We can disagree without hating other.
CP: And win or lose, in Utah, we 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 approve this message.
(Applause)
Well, the response was instantaneous and overwhelming. The ad went viral. Neither of saw it coming. There were media requests from all over the world, millions views and shares. Perhaps there really is an exhausted majority, I thinking to myself, and maybe this is the message 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 most 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 we can find to treat each other with respect even when we disagree. It seemed like there was hunger for architects instead of arsonists.
My hunch was confirmed one year later, when a professor submitted a version of our ad to the Polarization and Social Change Lab as part of a huge depolarization experiment. It was chosen as one of 25 interventions to be 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 the United States.
Now look, I get it. It’s easy feel a little hopeless as Americans once again barrel towards an with unsatisfying candidates and campaigns. But there is good news. Over past six months, 20 governors from all across the country have similar ads, most of them with a public servant from the opposing party. And the data continues to that people really are hungry for something different. According to polling More in Common, 70 percent of Americans hate the divisiveness in politics. it 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 how far apart we think we are. Due in large part to conflict entrepreneurs in both the and 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 the left and amongst extreme conservatives on the right. So the people most engaged in the political process also have most inaccurate views of the other side.
But perhaps the best news of all is that there are very practical that every one of us can do every day help heal the divides in our nations and our neighborhoods. First, we can start by off 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, our family, and our mental health.
(Laughter and applause)
Now that always elicits a laugh, but we’re not alone. Studies found that more time spent on the latest headlines, whether through social or traditional media outlets, is really bad for our mental health. Psychologists refer this phenomenon in different ways, like media saturation overload or 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 more time, preferably offline, with real people who are different than us. In the words Bryan Stevenson, proximity will empower you. You see, it’s just to hate up close. “Tell me more about why you feel that way” is a magical request.
Twenty years ago, we rarely identified other by our political identities first. As for me, I’m a father. I’m an NBA fan. I’m terrible aspiring bassist in a band. I’m a Utahn. I’m an American. How about you? see, if we look beyond our political tribes, we can actually find shared identities and friendships that instead of divide.
Now third, we can serve others. and volunteering help build up communities and improve our outlook on life and the people us. Some forms of regular volunteering have even been associated lower blood pressure. There is nothing better for the or society than giving back. Aristotle really was on to something when 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, all become ravenous beasts of prey. Now look, I know it’s 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 the of Judge Learned Hand, who so eloquently stated, “The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure it is right. The spirit liberty is the spirit which seeks to understand the minds of other men women.”
And I started with a quote from Ronald Reagan. He went on to say that is not ours by way of inheritance. It must be fought for and constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people those in history who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again. Ladies and gentlemen, it is our solemn in our generation to 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 we must remember to disagree without hate.
We must rise up and meet radical call to 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 really want to change the world, we have to start by changing our own hearts.
Thank you.
(Applause)