In 1967, Ronald Reagan became the governor of the State of California. In his 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 on to utter an iconic phrase that would repeated by politicians for decades to come. “Freedom is fragile thing,” he said, “And it’s never more than one generation from extinction.”
Now like countless others, I have used that quote many times, but I have a confession 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 to report that actually believe it now.
The first cracks in my confidence came during of those commonplace routines of transferring power as Lieutenant Governor of the State of Utah. It was my duty to certify the votes of the electors the presidential election. While the meeting to do so was open the public, it was so commonplace and routine that no one ever showed up. As I walked into the room, I was stunned to see dozens of angry protesters screaming that the election had been stolen demanding that we violate state law and change the votes of electors.
Now I know what you’re all thinking, and you’re wrong. This was not 2020. This was 2016, and the protesters were Hillary supporters.
Now it got far worse somehow, four years later. With the less than two 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 right that was already undermining the of an election that hadn’t even happened yet. “Isn’t there something you 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 Chris Peterson, whom 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 on his face. To his 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 currently in the final days of campaigning against each other to be your next governor.
SC: And while I think you should for me —
CP: Yeah, but really, you should vote for me.
SC: There are some things both agree on.
CP: We can debate issues without degrading each other’s character.
SC: We can disagree without hating other.
CP: And 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 was instantaneous and overwhelming. The ad went viral. Neither of us saw it coming. There were media requests all over the world, millions of views and shares. Perhaps there really is an majority, I remember thinking to myself, and maybe this the message they want to hear.
I could actually feel my faith in American idea start to rekindle. The popularity of the ad validated my hope that most people really do want their political leaders uphold the values that we teach our kids. That we can disagree without and contempt, even that we can find ways to treat each other with respect even when disagree. It seemed like there was a hunger for architects instead of arsonists.
My hunch was confirmed one year later, when a professor a version of our ad to the Stanford Polarization Social Change Lab as part of a huge depolarization experiment. 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, get it. It’s easy to feel a little hopeless as Americans once again barrel towards an election with unsatisfying candidates and campaigns. there is good news. Over the past six months, 20 governors 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 for different. According to polling from More in Common, 70 percent Americans hate the divisiveness in politics. And it also 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 is on the actual issues. In fact, we’re not 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 and politics, both sides overestimate the extremism on the other by about 30 percent. Now interestingly, this perception gap is actually amongst progressive activists on the left and amongst extreme conservatives on right. So the people most engaged in the political process also have the most inaccurate views the other side.
But perhaps the best news of all that there are very practical things that every one of can do every day to help heal the divides in our nations and our neighborhoods. First, can start by turning off and tuning out some those conflict entrepreneurs. My wife and I, we stopped watching cable news 11 years 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 have that more time spent on the latest headlines, whether through social media or traditional media outlets, is really bad for mental health. Psychologists refer to this phenomenon in different ways, like media saturation overload or doomscrolling headline anxiety. You see, more news, on all the time, isn’t making us smarter, it’s just stressing us out.
Second, can spend more time, preferably offline, with real people who are different 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 that way” a magical request.
Twenty years ago, we rarely identified each other by our political identities first. 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. about you? You see, if we look beyond our political tribes, we can actually find shared and friendships that unite instead of divide.
Now third, we can serve others. Service 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 nothing better for the soul or society than giving back. Aristotle really was on to something when he described and summed up the of life as: “Serve others and do good.”
Fourth, 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, know it’s almost laughable to talk about words like humility in discourse, but I truly believe that it is the only for us to remember how to disagree without hate and contempt. In words 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 and women.”
And I started with a from Ronald Reagan. He went on to say that freedom is not by way of inheritance. It must be fought for and defended constantly each generation, for it comes only once to a people and those in history who have known freedom and then lost it never known it again. Ladies and gentlemen, it is our solemn duty in our generation to again secure the freedoms endowed to all of us from on high. We wait for politicians or the media to do it. It will take real work, hard work by each of us. But must remember how to disagree without hate.
We must up and meet that radical call to love our — even, especially, our political opponents. It’s … It’s not an … It’s not an easy answer, but it is a one. If we really want to change the world, have to start by changing our own hearts.
Thank you.
(Applause)