In 1967, Ronald Reagan 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 of the commonplace routine, which it a near miracle to many of the world’s inhabitants.” He then went on to an iconic phrase that would be repeated by politicians decades to come. “Freedom is a fragile thing,” he said, “And it’s never more one generation away from extinction.”
Now like countless others, I have used that quote times, but I have a confession to make. I never really believed it. Surely, after 250 years this stuff, we no longer have to worry about losing it. I’m not pleased report that I actually believe it now.
The first cracks in my confidence during one of those commonplace routines of transferring power as Governor of the State of Utah. It was my duty to certify the votes of the electors for the election. While the meeting to do so was open to public, it was so commonplace and routine that no one ever showed up. As I walked into the room, I was to see dozens of angry protesters screaming that the election had been stolen and demanding that we violate state 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, and the protesters were Clinton supporters.
Now it got far worse somehow, four years later. the election less than two months away, a friend I were talking and lamenting about the state of our our country following a summer of destructive protests by the left and an extreme right that was already undermining the validity of an election hadn’t even happened yet. “Isn’t there something you can do,” she asked.
Well, that haunted me all weekend, so I picked up the phone and called my opponent. By the way, I was running for governor at the same time that Trump and Biden were battling for the presidency. I called my opponent, a named Chris Peterson, whom I respected, and I said, “Hey, Chris, this is Spencer Cox. I a crazy idea. What if we filmed a campaign ad together?”
I almost hear the confused look forming on his face. To his credit, he agreed, and one later, we were in a studio together. Let’s watch.
(Video) I’m Chris Peterson. And I’m Spencer Cox.
CP: We are currently in the final days of against each other to be your next governor.
SC: And while I think you should vote for me —
CP: Yeah, but really, should vote for me.
SC: There are some things we agree on.
CP: We can debate issues without degrading each other’s character.
SC: We can disagree without hating each other.
CP: And win lose, in Utah, we work together.
SC: So let’s show the that there’s a better way.
CP: My name is Chris Peterson.
SC: And I’m Cox.
(Together) And we approve this message.
(Applause)
Well, the 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 remember thinking to myself, and maybe this is the message they want hear.
I could actually feel my faith in the American idea start to rekindle. The popularity of ad validated my hope that most people really do want their political leaders to uphold the values that we our kids. That we can disagree without hate and contempt, even that we can find ways treat each other with respect even when we disagree. It seemed like there was a hunger for instead of 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 huge depolarization experiment. It was chosen as one of 25 interventions to be tested on over 30,000 people. The result? Our actually had a measurable depolarization effect, including a reduction in urges towards violence. It turns out there are things that we can do to alter the trajectory of the United States.
Now look, I get it. It’s easy to a little hopeless as Americans once again barrel towards an election unsatisfying candidates and campaigns. But there is good news. Over the past six months, 20 from all across the country have filmed similar ads, most of them with a servant from the opposing party. And the data continues to show that people really are hungry something different. According to polling from More in Common, 70 percent of Americans hate the divisiveness in politics. And it also turns out that … Americans aren’t far apart as we think we are. The problem isn’t how far the average Republican and the average Democrat is on the actual issues. In fact, we’re not much different than other Western democracies. The is how far apart we think we are. Due in large part to conflict entrepreneurs 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 amongst progressive activists on the left and amongst conservatives on the right. So 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 our nations and our neighborhoods. First, we can start by turning off tuning out some of those conflict entrepreneurs. My wife and I, we stopped watching news 11 years ago and immediately saw an improvement in our marriage, family, and our mental health.
(Laughter and applause)
Now that always elicits a laugh, but we’re alone. Studies have found that more time spent on the latest headlines, whether social media or traditional media outlets, is really bad for our mental health. Psychologists refer to this phenomenon in different ways, like media saturation overload or or headline anxiety. You see, more news, on all the time, isn’t making us smarter, it’s just stressing out.
Second, we can spend more time, preferably offline, with real people who are different than us. In the words of Bryan Stevenson, proximity will empower you. You see, it’s just to hate up close. “Tell me more about why you feel 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 NBA fan. I’m a terrible aspiring bassist in 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, we can serve others. Service and volunteering help build up communities and improve our outlook on and the people around 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. Aristotle really on to something when he described and summed up the essence of life as: “Serve others and good.”
Fourth, and finally, we can work to develop the classical political virtues of humility, patience moderation, without which, as John Adams explained, we all become ravenous beasts of prey. look, I know it’s almost laughable to talk about words humility in political discourse, but I truly believe that is the only way for us to remember how to disagree without hate and contempt. In the words of Judge Hand, who so eloquently stated, “The true spirit of liberty the spirit which is not too sure it is right. The spirit of liberty the spirit which seeks to understand the minds of other and women.”
And I started with a quote from Reagan. He went on to say that freedom is not ours by of inheritance. It must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once a people and those in history who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again. Ladies gentlemen, it is our solemn duty in our generation to once again secure the freedoms endowed to all of us on high. We cannot wait for politicians or the to do it. It will take real work, hard work by each of us. But must remember how to disagree without hate.
We must rise up and that radical call to love our enemies — even, especially, our political opponents. It’s … It’s not an … It’s not an answer, but it is a simple one. If we really want to change the world, have to start by changing our own hearts.
Thank you.
(Applause)