In 1967, Reagan became the governor of the State of California. In his inaugural address, he talked about the peaceful transfer of power, something he described as “the simple magic the commonplace routine, which makes 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,” he said, “And it’s never than one generation away from extinction.”
Now like countless others, I used that quote many times, but I have a confession make. I never really believed it. Surely, after 250 years of this stuff, we no longer have to worry about losing it. I’m pleased 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 Governor of the State Utah. It was my duty to certify the votes of the for the presidential election. While the meeting to do was 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 of angry protesters screaming that the election had been 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 the protesters were Clinton supporters.
Now it got far worse somehow, four years later. With the election less than months away, a friend and I were talking and lamenting about the state of our our country following a 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 you can do,” she asked.
Well, that question haunted me weekend, so I picked up the phone and called my opponent. By the way, I was running for governor at the same time that and Biden were battling for the presidency. I called my opponent, a Democrat named Chris Peterson, whom I respected, and I said, “Hey, Chris, this is Cox. I have a crazy idea. What if we filmed a campaign ad together?”
I could almost hear the confused look forming his 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: We are currently in final days of campaigning against each other to be your next governor.
SC: And I think you should vote for me —
CP: Yeah, but really, you vote for me.
SC: There are some things we both agree on.
CP: We debate issues without degrading each other’s character.
SC: We can disagree without hating each other.
CP: And win or lose, Utah, we work together.
SC: So let’s show the country that there’s a better way.
CP: name is Chris Peterson.
SC: And I’m Spencer Cox.
(Together) And we approve this message.
(Applause)
Well, the response was and overwhelming. The ad went viral. Neither of us saw it coming. There were media requests from all over world, millions of views 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 most people really do want their political leaders to uphold the values we teach our kids. That we can disagree without hate and contempt, that we can find ways to treat each other with respect even when we disagree. It seemed like was a hunger for architects instead of arsonists.
My hunch was confirmed year later, when a professor submitted a version of our ad to the Stanford Polarization and Social Change Lab as part of a huge depolarization experiment. It was as one of 25 interventions to be tested on over 30,000 people. The result? Our ad actually had a measurable effect, including a reduction in urges towards violence. It turns out there really are that we can do to alter the trajectory of the United States.
Now look, I get it. It’s easy feel a little hopeless as Americans once again barrel towards an election with candidates and campaigns. But there is good news. Over the past months, 20 governors from all across the country have filmed similar ads, most them with a public servant from the opposing party. And the data continues to show people really are hungry for something different. According to polling from 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 the actual issues. 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 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. So the people most engaged in the political process have the most inaccurate views of the other side.
But perhaps the best news of all is that there are very practical things that every one of us can do every day help heal the divides in our nations and our neighborhoods. First, we can start turning off and tuning out some of those conflict entrepreneurs. My wife and I, stopped watching cable news 11 years ago and immediately saw improvement in our marriage, our family, and our mental health.
(Laughter and applause)
Now that elicits a laugh, but we’re not alone. Studies have found more time spent on the latest headlines, whether through social media traditional media outlets, is really bad for our mental health. Psychologists refer to this phenomenon in different ways, 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 different than us. In the words of Bryan Stevenson, proximity will empower you. You see, it’s just harder hate up close. “Tell me more about why you feel that way” is a 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 terrible aspiring 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 identities and friendships unite instead of divide.
Now third, we can serve others. Service and volunteering help build up communities and improve our outlook on life and the people around us. Some forms regular volunteering have even been associated with lower blood pressure. There is nothing better for the soul or society giving back. Aristotle really was on to something when he and summed up the essence of life as: “Serve others and good.”
Fourth, and finally, we can work to develop the classical political virtues humility, patience and moderation, without which, as John Adams explained, we all become ravenous beasts of prey. Now look, I know it’s almost laughable to about words like humility in political discourse, but I truly believe that it is 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 is the spirit which not too sure it is right. The spirit of liberty is the spirit which to understand the minds of other men and women.”
And I started with a quote from Ronald Reagan. He went on to say freedom is not ours by way of inheritance. It must be for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people and in history who have known freedom and then lost it have never 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 for politicians or the media to do it. It will take real work, hard work by each of us. But we must how to disagree without hate.
We must rise up 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 is a simple one. If we really want to change the world, we to start by changing our own hearts.
Thank you.
(Applause)