In 1967, Ronald Reagan the governor of the State of California. In his inaugural address, he talked about peaceful transfer of power, something he described as “the simple magic of the commonplace routine, which makes a near miracle to many of the world’s inhabitants.” He then on 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 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 years 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 confidence came during one of those commonplace routines of transferring power as Governor of the State of Utah. It was my duty to the votes of the electors for the presidential election. While the meeting to do so open to the public, it was so commonplace and routine that no one ever showed up. As I walked into the room, I stunned to see dozens of angry protesters screaming that the election had been stolen and that we violate state law and change the votes of the electors.
Now I know you’re all thinking, and you’re probably wrong. This was not 2020. This was 2016, and the protesters were Clinton supporters.
Now it got far worse somehow, four later. With the election less than two months away, friend and I were talking and lamenting about the of our our country following a summer of destructive protests by the extreme left and an extreme that was already undermining the validity of an election that hadn’t even happened yet. “Isn’t there something can do,” she asked.
Well, that question haunted me all weekend, so I picked up the phone and called my opponent. By the way, I was for governor at the same time that Trump and Biden battling for the presidency. I called my opponent, a Democrat named Peterson, whom I respected, and I said, “Hey, Chris, this is Spencer Cox. have a crazy idea. What if we filmed a campaign 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 Chris Peterson. And I’m Spencer Cox.
CP: We are in the 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 me.
SC: There are some things we both agree on.
CP: We can issues without degrading each other’s character.
SC: We can disagree without each other.
CP: And win or lose, in Utah, we work together.
SC: So let’s the country that there’s a better way.
CP: My name is Chris Peterson.
SC: And I’m Spencer Cox.
(Together) And we approve message.
(Applause)
Well, the response was instantaneous and overwhelming. The ad went viral. of us saw it coming. There were media requests from all over the world, millions of views shares. Perhaps there really is an exhausted majority, I remember to myself, and maybe this is the message they want to hear.
I could feel my faith in the American idea start to rekindle. The popularity the ad validated my hope that most people really do want their political leaders to uphold the values that we teach our kids. That can disagree without hate and contempt, even that we can ways to treat each other with respect even when we disagree. 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 the Stanford Polarization and Social Change Lab as part of a huge depolarization experiment. It was chosen as one of 25 interventions to tested on over 30,000 people. The result? Our ad actually had a measurable depolarization effect, including a reduction urges towards violence. It turns out there really are things that we can do to alter the trajectory of the States.
Now look, I get it. It’s easy to feel a little hopeless as Americans once again barrel towards election with unsatisfying candidates and campaigns. But there is good news. Over the 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 show that people really hungry for something different. According to polling from More 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 apart the average Republican and the average Democrat is on the actual issues. In fact, we’re not much different 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 overestimate the extremism on the other side about 30 percent. Now interestingly, this perception gap is actually strongest progressive activists on the left and amongst extreme conservatives on the right. the people most engaged in the political process also the most inaccurate views of the other side.
But perhaps the best news of is that there are very practical things that every one of us can do every day to help heal the divides in nations and our neighborhoods. First, we can start by turning off and out some of those conflict entrepreneurs. My wife and I, we watching cable news 11 years ago and immediately saw an in our marriage, our family, and our mental health.
(Laughter and applause)
Now that always elicits laugh, but 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. refer to this phenomenon in different ways, like media saturation overload or doomscrolling or headline anxiety. You see, more news, all the time, isn’t making us smarter, it’s just stressing us out.
Second, we spend more time, preferably offline, with real people who are different than us. In words of 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, rarely identified each other by our political identities first. As for me, I’m a father. I’m an NBA fan. I’m a terrible aspiring bassist 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 identities and 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 people around us. Some forms of regular volunteering have even been associated with lower pressure. There is nothing better for the soul or society than giving back. Aristotle really was on to something 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, which, as John Adams explained, we all become 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 us to remember how to disagree without hate and contempt. In the words of Learned Hand, who so eloquently stated, “The true spirit of is the spirit which is not too sure it is right. The spirit liberty is the spirit which seeks to understand the minds 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 fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people and those in history who have known freedom and then lost have never known it again. Ladies and gentlemen, it our solemn duty in our generation to once again secure freedoms endowed to all of us from on high. We cannot wait for politicians or the media to do it. will take real work, hard work by each of us. But we must remember how 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 not an … It’s not an easy answer, but it is a simple one. If we really want to change the world, we have start by changing our own hearts.
Thank you.
(Applause)