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 routine, which makes it a near miracle to many of the world’s inhabitants.” then went on to utter an iconic phrase that would be repeated by politicians for 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 many times, but I have a confession to make. I really believed it. Surely, after 250 years of this stuff, no longer have to worry about losing it. I’m not pleased to report that I believe it now.
The first cracks in my confidence came during one of those commonplace routines of power as Lieutenant Governor of the State of Utah. It my duty to certify the votes of the electors for the presidential election. the meeting to do so was open to the public, it was so commonplace routine that no one ever showed up. As I walked into room, I was stunned to see dozens of angry protesters screaming that the election been stolen and demanding that we violate state law and the votes of the electors.
Now I know what you’re all thinking, and you’re probably wrong. This was not 2020. This was 2016, and the protesters were Hillary Clinton supporters.
Now it got far worse somehow, four years later. With the election less than two months away, a and I were talking and lamenting about the state of our our country following a summer destructive protests by the extreme left and an extreme right 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 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 called 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 if we filmed campaign ad together?”
I could almost hear the confused look forming on face. To his credit, he agreed, and one week later, we were 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 each other to be 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 hating each other.
CP: And win or 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 Spencer Cox.
(Together) And approve this message.
(Applause)
Well, the response was instantaneous and overwhelming. The ad viral. Neither of us saw it coming. There were media requests from all over the world, millions of and shares. Perhaps there really is an exhausted majority, I remember thinking to myself, maybe this is the message they want to hear.
I could actually feel my faith in the idea start to rekindle. The popularity of the ad validated my hope that most people really do want their political to uphold the values that we teach our kids. we can disagree without hate and contempt, even that we can find 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 to Stanford Polarization and Social Change Lab as part of a huge depolarization experiment. It was chosen as one of 25 interventions to be tested over 30,000 people. The result? Our ad actually had a 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 to feel a hopeless as Americans once again barrel towards an election with unsatisfying candidates campaigns. But there is good news. Over the past six months, 20 governors from all across the country filmed similar ads, most of them with a public 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 hate the divisiveness in politics. And it also turns out that … Americans aren’t as far apart we think we are. The problem isn’t how far apart 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 to conflict entrepreneurs in both the media and politics, both sides overestimate the extremism on the other side by about 30 percent. Now interestingly, perception gap is actually strongest amongst progressive activists on the left and amongst extreme on the right. So the people most engaged in the process also have the most inaccurate views of the other side.
But perhaps the best news of all is that 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 by turning off and tuning out some of those conflict entrepreneurs. wife 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 elicits a laugh, but we’re not alone. Studies have found that more time spent on the latest headlines, whether through social media or media outlets, is really bad for our mental health. Psychologists refer to this phenomenon in different ways, like media overload or doomscrolling or headline anxiety. You see, more news, on the time, isn’t making us smarter, it’s just stressing us out.
Second, we can more time, preferably offline, with real people who are different than us. In the words of Stevenson, proximity will empower you. You see, it’s just harder to hate up close. “Tell me more about you feel that way” is a magical 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 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 instead of divide.
Now third, we can serve others. Service volunteering help build up communities and improve our outlook on life the people around us. Some forms of regular volunteering have even been with lower blood pressure. There is nothing better for the soul or society than giving back. Aristotle really on to something when he described and summed up essence of life as: “Serve others and do good.”
Fourth, and finally, 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 it’s almost laughable to talk about words like humility in political discourse, I truly believe that it is the only way for us to remember how to disagree without and contempt. In the words of Judge Learned Hand, who so eloquently stated, “The true spirit liberty is the spirit which is not too sure it right. The spirit of 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 freedom is not ours by way of inheritance. It must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people and those in who have known freedom and then lost it have known it again. Ladies and gentlemen, it is our solemn duty in our generation to once again secure the endowed to all of us from on high. We cannot wait for politicians or the media to it. It will take real work, hard work by each of us. But we must remember how to disagree hate.
We must rise up and meet that radical call to 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 to change the world, we have to start by changing our own hearts.
Thank you.
(Applause)