“Whatever your issue is, I’m here to tell you we cannot solve that issue if we remain as divided as we are today. I believe this issue of toxic division, of unhealthy conflict, rises above all the other issues.”
Speaking at NGA’s Annual Meeting, NGA Chair Utah Governor Spencer Cox implored Americans to “Disagree Better.” That’s the name of the new Chair’s Initiative he will lead during his term as NGA Chair alongside 2023-2024 Vice Chair Colorado Governor Jared Polis.
The Disagree Better initiative will look at the problems of polarization, elevate the solutions that groups around the country are already implementing and feature Governors modeling what disagreeing better looks like. Through public debates, service projects, public service announcements and a variety of other tactics, Americans will see a more positive and optimistic way of working through our problems.
Noting that Governors are often recognized as “the last adults left in the room in politics,” Governor Cox invited his fellow Governors to lead by example in demonstrating “healthy disagreement.”
“There’s a permission structure in culture,” Governor Cox explained. “Politicians have been giving Americans permission to hate each other. It’s up to us to give Americans permission to care for each other…
More information can be found here
