Way we wont get any calls from our children or grandchildren taking us out of the meeting. I want to welcome you on behalf of the board of directors of the reformed institute of metropolitan washington. Find the interim director of the institute. We are dedicated as an institute for the education of churches in the community in the reformed tradition and enhancing the theological discourse related to religious life and to the common good. I want to thank the session of the National Presbyterian church for providing the venue for this evenings event. National is one of ten sponsoring congregations of the Reform Institute to, and a fantastic place. You will find the names of the communities in the brochure and if you do not have one, please let us know and we will get one to you. The Reform Institute serves adults throughout the National Capital presbytery which is the judicature e. As we say in the church in this region and throughout the flight of metropolitan region. We will have time this evening for you to visit with questions. Ask your seat to write questions down that you want to have asked of the speakers. Feel free to fill out the car at any time during the evening and we will be collecting them later on and presenting them directly to our speakers for response. Please join me in a brief prayer. Thank you for your gift giftd goodness bestowed upon all creation. Quicken our hearts and minds this night to see possibilities for bending our civic life and the courage to work towards your truth and toward justice and holding. We pray in the name of your son. At this point i would like to briefly introduce the reverend quinn fox thi was an associate pastor here at the National Presbyterian. Ive known quinn for a number of years, and hes a very gifted theologian. He began his Ministry Early on at Whitworth University in austin presbyterian seminary previous assignments were the associate pastor at the first Presbyterian Church of colorado springs. One in Biblical Studies into spiritual formatioandspiritual r Theological Seminary in california and from princeton and phd in historical theology from vanderbilt university. I dont know if there are enough alphabetalphabets in every bowll out all of those marvelous degrees and accomplishments that he deserves that recognition. A member of th the board board e reformed institute he finds great joy as an adjunct professor at the seminary and a visiting professor at the evangelical Theological Seminary in cairo egypt. So please, welcome. [applause] to begin to heal the republic. There are ithere are a number oe tonight who would like to hear the conversation about how to make it in the Presbyterian Church session meets. When it aired, we will know. If you did not preregister or have the chance to register this evening, give us your name and email and when we get word they will be able to share it with your friend. One of the hallmarks of the ecological tradition is the relationship between faith and theology and politics. The way we order our life together in our congregations is bound up. They make decisions that are authorized only after at least two councils have discerned and motivated and voted on whether or not they would be authorized to make decisions. Its also very few decisions are made by everyone. The congregation rarely ever votes as a whole. Most of the votes that take place in the churches are cast by theaters that have been nominated. The way we organize our life and conduct is what we call reform policy that has the same root as politics and it is a form of Representative Democracy and it is older than the Representative Democracy that we are familiar with in the United States of america and so particularl party further reforms in the United States of america, we are interested in politics. In the 20th century, one of the most wellknown names in the realm of politics and religion and also in reformed theology many recent public figures identified as being formative to their own moral thoughts as important in a different way his brother richard wrote famously of the relationship between christ and culture. In his famous book by that name, richard identified the type of Christian Faith as that which is the student align itself with christ changing in a positive way, transforming the culture, not avoiding it but being an influence. As a reformed christian seeks to be involved positively in the greater culture, and we have done this in many ways but particularly through participation in our secular political systems. Hence the keen interest for us in tonights topic. On your seat youll find anything more robust introduction of the speakers. So i invite you to perus deposed during the course of the evening and i will not spend time going over the qualifications. The first speaker spent his adult life in politics. And most of those have also been spent as a member of the presbyterian congregation somewhere along the way including many years here in this congregation. Pete is a veteran of three president ial administrations, and now he comments about politics and prints online, on screen, and probably other ways to do this but i am not aware of. He has just published a book that is as timely as it is welcome. The books title is the death of politics, but in the real sense it is more about the renewal and rebirth of politics, or at least makes a hopeful case for the need and possible ways for such to happen. So, he is an idea person that we know to lead us in the conversation tonight. After the talk, we will hear a response from a former colleague of pete currently serving as president of the Trinity Forum. The Trinity Forum some of you will know seems to disseminate the best of christian thought to equip the leaders to think about work and lead wisely and well. What a welcome commission. If you would like to know more information about this organization, there are brochures available on one of the data tables that you can get at the conclusion of tonights conversation. Thats one of the distinctions is the collections of reading this and in the conclusion of the evening you will be able to purchase a signed copy of the book, but i think you knew that when you were coming here. There are also three trinity readings on timely topics that relate actually to an entire chapter in the book on the importance of words and language. Final part of the evening to your questions, we invite you to submit on cards that are on your seats, well collecting them throughout the evening, 1 you write down your question, pass it to the outside aisle. For those sitting in the center section, the outside ale aisle is to your right. Pete. Welcome. [applause] thank you so much. Thank you. Quinn, for hosting this. Quinn, who is become a friend. And person that of great wisdom. He said that i comment on politics and newspapers, magazine, radio, po podcast, he left out in my sleep as well. You come around my house at 3 30. When our the kids were little, i would read to them get tired and doze off, you talk. In our half sleep, my kids would tell me what i would say when i would doze off, i would make political comments. I dont know if they were coherent. Thank you for hosting this, sherri, a former colleague, we were in i think tank that started on camp. I was policy director, we hired people. There were a lot of people that applied, bright people. I was involved in hiring two, one of paul ryan, and sherri was the other. I am one of those people whose legacy is hiring people who are smarter than i am and do Better Things than i do. I encourage you to visit the trinity web site. It is nice to find ones worthy of trust. And Trinity Forum is one of them, that is largely because of sherri it is nice to return to National Presbyterian church, it was home for many years, still have friends here, it is nice to be back. I wrote this book, the death of politics in a year, this is a product of lifetime in politics, people that i have met, mistakes i made, and things that i learned. The book is not primarily about me by any means but it is about me in my journey. A fond memory growing up, i grew up in washington state, we have a cabinet, in the Cascade Mountains from spring to fall we would go every weekend almost without fail, i was with my parents we would have news at top of the hour, then we would talk. I would ask my dad all sorts of questions, my formative years were in the 1970s, i ask about the palestinian war, and resignation of nixon and election of jimmy carter and on and on. We always talked about politics, even in high school, high favorite class of social studies. I had different views from my teacher but we always had good conversations and got along we well. I had two passions, one politi politics. The other is sports, i am still more passionate about sports than politics, i would check espn web site during the nba finals to see injury update on the warriors. Politics is now third to sports and faith. But writing this book did allow me to think what first drew me to politics, the and notion. But i had a sense that somebody important and meaningful of at stake. I think i was right about, that after spending my adult lives in politics, serving in government, i was in raega in reagan, ane george w. Bush administration, and i would give you my bottom line, i am not cynical about politics, i dont think you should be either. I am obligated to add quickly, i am not naive about politics, there is a dark side, there are not Perfect People in politics for sure, like there are imPerfect People in every profession, we see thisy i seduction of power. People putting their self interest above the national interest, that is true of others, including me, i am sure there are moments that i acted in ways in retrospect i would have acted differently, that is why we need people in our lives to help us see our blind spots, at the same time, there are admirable people on both sides of the aisle, i know them, i have worked with them, and i respect many of them, most are trying to do the right thing. Most of the time, trying to headache the country better trying to make the country better, they got involved in politics they had a sense they could do something good. That is not all motivation they have. That not motivation many of us that this are pure. But they did by and large get into it for the right reasons. I think that there is a dirty little secret out there, which is ill let you in on it, i think that politics is broken our politics is broken because i think our country is broken, i think our politics is angry because our country is angry. If is facile to say to me, politics is busted up and country and all of us are doing fine. And dandy. I think in fact, politics is a stage that plays itself out, in are other stages as well. But we have to change ourselves, the best way to change our politics. There is is a false hood out t. And so, either stupidity or malice has to explain why the solutions have not been implement the. That is a fa national fashionable view i get, that. Broad sweep of history shows that politics is filled with moments of grandure and moments of squaller, mostly in between. I am not cynical about politics, because politics is about justice, and justice always matters. You cant give up, if we get it wrong, so much of what we love, and cherish and know stands to be sweep away. We get our politics right, it is lead to greater human flourishing. Im not cynical about politics, i dont think it is warranted, and i dont think we can afford to be. We should be more hopeful than we are, because we have more power than we think. And find to be a theoretical pessimism but we need to be operational optimists. Now in saying, does not mean i am not worried, i am, in the bookie explain why. For now in many ways our politics, thanks to mistakes on both sides of aisle, it is largely trivial, dehumanizing, there are larging whichs that challenges that are not being addressed. And our Political Leadership is in 1 many cases dismal, in some instances there is cruelty and patpathological dishonesty. You see a sharper eyes in feelings of aina ant pathy that people have for others it used to be that people done their children to marry someone with a different faith, now more likely they dont want someone to marry a Different Party than they are. And there is a sense in which people view folks who hold views different than they, not as wrong but as defected as people really almost subhuman. That they are driven by malicious motives. Reason they dont see the things the way that i do, they want to hurt the country, and i want to save the country, that say problem. There a pull pulse hate, were shouting at each other, sometimes we seem to be living in different worlds, for much was time i grew up in politics and spent in politics to use analogy of a mountain, people would look at summit of a mountain, say we need to get too summit, we just have different paths. Different paths, but the same summit, now it seems like were looking at different mountains and different summits. Were dividing ourselves to children of darkness and children of light. There is a sense all true resides with me, not with the other side. I do think that our political culture is sick. Somebody i in i quoted in book said politics is a rock throwing contest. I do want to given the nature of this even focus on the roll of faith in our politics. And what i think it has to say. I will begin with a positive. Religious faith in most the Christian Faith played a key role in me many of great social movements in our history. And there are figures from lincoln to Martin Luther king and on and on, people of faith who made our country better because they stood for justice. And they were motivated because of their faith. That is what drove them. To do what they did. And founders if you read the writings of founder believe that religion of essential to providing a moral basis for free society, jefferson referred to religion at alpha and omega of our moral live, and washington said that relin religion was sut for our free society. And you jetson faith at our jet is son faith at our peril. Christopher hitchens a wellknowning ain atheist, he dd 4 or 5 years ago, he was a friend of mine, he was easier to chat with in person than on television. I had several conversations with christopher. I invited him to speak at white house at one point, and had a conversation about religion, with a friend of mine. Who passed away. We talked cs lewis. I had discussions with christopher on this idea about how does anining a atheist how u arrive at a moral position without a truth or authority to appeal to. I understand you can do it, i would not question people who cant live moral lives, they do all of the times, maybe many more than those of people of faith. Philosophically i never understood how you get that point. That how you root it in something substantial, i think faith that provide that and theologically. As best i see it Christian Faith as i understand teaches theological truths apply to all of gods creation. It was never men t meant to be privatized. Whatever one thinks about christianity it does not portray god as i did distance or removed or remote, he wanted to instruct us on how to live in this life by participating in human drama that is incondition incarnation. So, the god of judism and christianity requires to us care for justice and other faith as well. So, if christians care about politics, about justice, then there is an argument to be made that some should care about politics. So that is on the positive side, now dangers that i see. I think it is easy to damage faith and politics when they are intertwined, that is a theme that i have written on. First piece i wrote a letter to editor home from college, warned about what politics could do to faith. John lock, i think most influential intellectual voice on the founders, he a person of Christian Faith was wary about the interception of faith and politics, he had just been through two centuries of religious wars on european continent. It stirs up political passions and it takes already strong feelings and emotions you overlay that with a sense that god is calling you to do this. Then you are in a debate, god is on my side, and say theo satan n yours. There is a seduction of power that happens, i have seen it chuck, who was famously adviser, to nixon before his conversion to christianity talked about it. A moral arrogance that can happen. Phil yancey one of my favorite authors, i wrote a book years ago, what is so amazing about grace, he said, i bring up christianity what is it that coming to mind. And he said almost without exception, people he spoke to would bring up culture war issues and political issues, never once did anyone bring up grace. And that struck him as it should strike us, grace is at the core of the Christian Faith. And yet somehow when christians are out in the public square, what they are signaling is not grace. But antepathy. And sheldon wrote a lovely book, he recounted his days in antiwar movement, during vietnam war, he said he was caught up in mood and actions of 1960s, he said christ would have me oppose a unjust war a good deal of hating, and christ gradually was pushed to the rear. Movement goals and not god became first. I think that making god secondary, to make him nothing is quite simply the mortal danger in social action. In view of the i the inmations f virtue, that is a car cautionary tale as well. It is essential that we get it right. My final point about american politicians, i am worried, i am not hopeless, and i dont think you should be either. My short advice to you is seem to me, take part of words of great novelist, she said in one of her letters we need to push back against the age as hard as it pushes again you, this age is pushing against us, we have to muspush back. I spent a fair amount of time in book explaining what that means. Take on mantle of citizenship. First context is essential we have faced worse periods in American History than now, read back of election in 1800, first contested elect between jefferson and adams. It almost tore the young republic apart and there were others. Through out much of 19 century and 20 sense ret century. To this one. We have civil war, a divisive affair. 700,000 People Killed in 29 million, that would equal 7 million deathing today, then late 19600s, some of you may remember, you know better than i there were Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther king jr. , riots in the street, universities taken over. Vietnam war, and marching at pentagon, and shootings at kent state. There was a lot of blood on streets in chicago. Generation gap, sexual revolution, watergate. So that was a very difficult time. We got through it. We got better, we recovered. We did it then, we can do it now. Viruses can create their own antibodies sometimes in life of an individual or country there are certain qualities and virtues which you take for granted. And you kind of forgot why they were important to begin with. But then when they are stripped away from you, you are reminded why they matter, then you might be willing to fight for them and stand for them. And to defend them. We can do that again. Third thing, is were citizens in self governing nation. Were not corks in a current. I mean, sometimes i get a sense in a conversation people in their despair, say there nothing we can do, these forces are too large for us, what can a Single Person do, you know screw it. Were doomed. And we cant do anything about it that is not the case. We have it went our capacity to shape our future and write wonderful new chapters in american story. It is not fated that well do it. It is not guaranteed. We may not do it but we can do it it is up to us. One person alone, does not do much, but a lot of people together creates culture. I leave you with, a speech that Bobby Kennedy gave in south africa, 1966, university of cape town, i grew up as a republican, and have been conservative my whole life. I was fascinated by the kennedys, i would listen to their speeches to point i memorized them, i listened to them so often. And Bobby Kennedy, this is a huge important trip, probably when apartheid was at full bore. And he was speaking to young people, he warned again what he called danger of futility, belief that nothing one man or one woman could do against the enormous array of the worlds ills. He sens forward a fin tiny rippf hope. Those ripples build a current that with sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression. Were not living in south africa of 1966. But the point still holds to me, we need to stand up for ideals and act to improve others and strike out again injustice where we find it, when we did those ripples can create great currents of justice, i will turn it to sherri, thanks. [applause] thank you pete and thank you quinn. It is an honor and delight to be here and work with you quinn, an old friend, and particular pleasure to respond to my own boss pete wehner. Working for pete, with pete, was a deeply formation aleal, expere for me. And how faith played out in my every day life, and political spirit. Among about anyone i know pete is one of the most i think, faithful and thoughtful examples of someone who engages in the public spirit with integrity, intelligence, brilliant and deep faithfulness. Not surprisingly, i fear i have no great argument to offer with what pete said. I will content myself to offer an amplification and amendment and application to some of his commenting in his book. When i comment to you hope you read, as pete mentioned healing our politics, requires we have a proper understanding of politics. Tonight im going to basically offy three point, one, understanding the proper role of politic, valuing its properly, faithfully and thoughtfully requires not only to we lose our cynicism but respect and understand its limits, second, to respond in part to petes idea that it is not just our politics that is broken. It is broken because in many ways our country is broken, and often anmm amendment many of our deepest political issues are at their core social, spiritual, cultural and relational issues and problems. I will offer few applications for what then might one be able to do. So first, understanding what the limits of politics are. Pete talked about this cynicism that has come about. In many ways weve expected politics to do too much. And misunderstood the role of politics and weve been disappointed and disillusions from there it is a short step to cynicism. We should care about politics, there is a debate went Christian Dom about what ones proper stance to be. There a tradition that reaches a different conclusion than reform ep suit institute might, thee not that many in washington this not where they come. But we have a li biblical injustice, to care for creation to love our neighbor, to wisely stewart our resources, all of which necessarily have political implications, it matters whether we live in freedom or under impression or under rule of law or wim of a strong man or whether our government recognizes dignity of life or not. Whether we have policies that care for least and last. Or enable or rewa reward their exploiting a. It matters if there is peacefulness or violent. If we care about these things, we should care about politics. But there is limits to what politics can do, and more in limits to what can to do well, there is a re realm of political theory of our priorities. Most theorists would say order is first requirement follow by justice, but even these straight forward and limited goals are difficult to achieve, how to advance justice is often open to debate, means of doing so are subject to constrain, and always impeperfectly implemented. Problems. That will always be with us, one sure way to distorting what politics is and should be by distorting and inflating its importance, this often happens through our politicians. I have two examples one a decade ago, president ial candidate said this date, i am certain that generations from now, well be able to look back and tell our children that this is moment we began to provide care for the sick and jobs for jobless, when ricrise of oceans began to slow, and our planet heal, restored our image at last best hope on earth. And then recently we had a president ial candidate, from a Different Party, who said this. Politicians have used and stolen your vote, they have given you nothing, i will give you everything. I will give you what you have been looking for for 50 years, i am the only one, i alone can fix it. Not only our politicians who encourage us to think too much of politics but themselves in particular, this also something were doing to ours, our identities are political. He mentioned that were increasingly more likely to mary mayor mar marry someone outse our faith rather than outside our party. This is a change. As our closest relationships become more politically uniform we have a consensus that is screw skewed, our channels of information are limited, and we become tribal. And as pete and quinn mentioned having attempt temptation to conflate our faith with our political ideals. For particular president. Which is high ar than that would, firm their support. Increasingly term evangelical no longer a term but a tribal one. We have lent our ascend to. Even as our identities are political, our politics is growing apocalyptic. You saw that in last election, studies and survey show more than 2 3 of american electorate they reforwar re regard them , sometimes hate. That leads to contempt. Making compromise more difficu difficult. Not surprisingingly we tend to jetsojet is son just and moderae means. There is almost a movement going to, tightening on liberal democracy, at universities, 40 according to a survey think that free speech is dangerous. On right we had a candidate, claiming that elections were rigged, threatening to jail his opponent and refusing in advance to step the result of election unless he won. And in contrast to this, i think one example that is quite worth to think of and learn in, who came to the presidency in a time his own country that in many ways was different but there are certain similarities, a time that was characterize by gridlock and polarization, and electorate was clamoring for a strong man to breakthrough the logjam, get things done. And he responded this way, there is one way to strive for decency, reason, responsibility, civility and tolerant, that is decently, reason annually, sivelcivilly. Very best way to eliminate the ends we set out to achieve. But one reason why i think were often too tempted to place too much value and hope in politics, is that it is difficult to tease out who our millio political prm from our cultural and spiritual problems, were in the spot that is case. If you open newspaper and look at the problems, whether it is growing polarization and loss of faith in government, break down of family and communities, core of shared. Classes or communities cut off from opportunities and hope. All these are not or primarily political problems. These are deeply relational, social and spiritual problem at their root, years ago, when i was working for pete, a project we worked on was at the time of seems elegant representation of distressing cultural trend, our boss, bennett release a study. Which provided numbers and qua. Of things going amiss, in that, he pointed out differenttudes sy that show Violent Crime quadrupled, tina, tempted suicide doubled. And educational rates declined, tv viewing way up. And painted a bleak picture of where we were. All of which were at root cultural problems. What is interesting many of those, actually seem in some ways to go in opposite direction from you would think politics would lean toward, for example when pro family politicians were elected that did not correspond to a decline of abortion rates or decline in divorce rate or increase of marriage rates, because there were other cultural forces going on that had a greater impact on those cultural trends than who was in office at the time. So now 25 years later, were in a different place. Were better off, violence crime has been reduced, marriage rates have stabilized and divorce rates declined. Abortion rates gone way down. But while we less violent society, we are a depressed, lonely, alienated, addicted. And medicated, obese, and distracted. And trivial society. These are not things that politics can fix. Charles murray who wrote the book, coming apart, which made real pr provocative and interesg argument, the effects of trends are not evenly distributed. The most vulnerable are hit hardest by those, he pointed to two different towns, fish town and belmont and looked at deficient widifference of social men, he concluded that country needs a civic great awak awaken, return to republic of family, communication, and faith. That is what was most necessary to address our most pressing political problems. So where does that leave us . Most of us in room are not professional politicians. Were somewhat politically engaged. So what can we do . I wanted to toss out, certainly not a comp he comprehensive lisa few ideas to spark reflecttion. One, is lonely, destres depress, we can extent hospitality, we live in a country literally dying for friendship. Spike in suicide attempts, this is directly tied to people who feel not only alone but also rejected. And opening ones home, ones time, ones person is a small modest but powerful ain antido. Second thing, this is something fairly modest but all of us can take part. Might seem counter cultural. But care for our language. It is very difficult in a culture where all of us normalize the cultural current where we swim, and hard not to do that but much like a fish does not know it is wet, it is easy to forget what we now think of as normal as not been historical norm, david brooks, a good friend of peets and mine, made a brilliant insight. His previous books, road to character. Google will measure a word usage, he plugged in different words. Interestingly, words that talk about either services you virtue, community or character, had been in a rapid decline. Words that were economic, individualistic, about power, have surged. And the church is not immune to this, one of great insights of the book 1984 that our language often controls our politics, but our thoughts. It is difficult to have a thought for which one does not have a word. And words that we use over and over also guide ways that we think as well as what we think about. And the ways our neighbor think, we maybe our most important point, we we root the great problems of our country only in politics we buy into a way of thinking that is not helpful. We talk primarily in language of winners and losers, who owns whom. You know when snark attack was mostly that will lethal, he has goods, who is winner . We buy into a way of understanding the world which is at odds with the gospel and not helpful fur our approximately s either. Third way, in midst of a culture lonely, and alienated, and cut off from connection, from community, church can be the bridge. Historically church one bridge between belmont and fish town. Between the loveless and those who can offer them love, church can offer love, connection, kindness and relationships, and with them an introduction to their author, thank you. [applause] were going to give you a chance to finish writing your questions. Pass them to collect them and compile them. And we want to have a little bit of a conversation between the two of you. And just to get us started. So perhaps hallmark these theo theological doctrine of tradition is grace, you wrote about how absence it was, what would you say, either or both is place or role of grace in politics . Ill go first. I think it has a role. A place. Not easy to figure out because politics is not theology. And there are other elements that go on in politics. On other hand, i think that you look at the most important figures, greatest moments in politics, there have been elements of grace that have been in it. In the book, i talk about person that i think is not only greatest american president , abraham lincoln. He was a person both in his personal life and his political life, that embodied grace. We saw it at beginning of civil war, first inaugural he said lets not be enemies but friends, and dont let bonds of affecttion be broken and his second inaugural that is after the horrors of the civil war. And where he recognized humanity of the south. And imperfection of the north. And said malice to none, and charity to all. I mentioned that Martin Luther king jr. , interesting, if you read what people said about king, not simply argument he made against oppression, but his great gift was that he has moral authority to tell the people who were on the receiving end of grave injustice, to show grace, and civility and how they conducted themselves, that was the power, one of the powers of civil rights movements. They conducted themselves, and shamed they i the one examplf manifesttation of grace in life that ended up manifesting itself in politic, several years ago, there was a killing at the ame church in charleston, south carolina. Slaughtering of people in a bible study, a dozen or so africanamericans and roof himself was racist. There were a few days after, that the arraignment. Several family members confronted him during arraignment. And many were christians. They said that i forgive you for what you have done. That was forgiveness through tears, and grief. These people lost children, and wives, they were able to forgive them, i took that link from that, i sent it to a friend of mine who is anining atheist, hew that, his response is, when i see acts of grace like that is when i wish i was not anining atheist. What happened in south carolina, nikki haley after that moment, made a move to pull down the Confederate Flag from state capital of south carolina. And succeeded. Now if this was old traditional debate in politics. That never could have happened. But fact is that grace created a context where politics moved out. Sometimes grace is not effective. But that not what were judged by, grace is an attitude or a disposition that one received grace, therefore can give grace. Grace creates gratitude in my experience in the human heart. People just have to conduct themselves. Sometimes it will help in politics sometime it wont. For christians, whether you are an honorable public wen witnesso christ, whether people see the way you act, and say that person is an i think is more important than legislation. Dont have much to add. Pete used examplesy would have, but, mandela and george h. W. Bush, i would add is, extension of grace does not always get little bit politically rewarded. At the time of lincolns death he was one of the most hated men in america. It seems hard to believe, but people who called president george h. W. Bush a whimp. A war hero was a whimp. And in part because of the graciousness of his bearing and his kindness. History sometimes not always, rectifies that. But there are other examples that history has been kind. William, you know a grace motivated campaign, and Nelson Mandela who was highly imperfect but the extension of grace probably only thing that prevented a complete civil war within his country. And it seems like in instances where civil war is possible, you know threat of violent is lurking, there is something that can be transformative to individuals and a nation about the extension of grace. So, on the subject of culture and popular culture. Technology has always had app an influence in election and politics. Television, was game changer in mid 20th century, but now, it seepseemsthat technology influes politics in ways that were unimaginable. Even a generation ago. Most of those seem to come over internet but perhaps not all. How do you see impact of technology on politics and how it is changing. Then what do we do in midst of it . Do you want to take it first. Go for it. The i think it is a huge challenge im not a reflective critic of social media. I am on twitter. A lot of interesting things you get linked to and news, just depends who you follow. That is important to establish. I am not a technophobe. I think as general matter, technology has had a harmful, malicious affect on politic, one of them, in an indirect way. Which is that were increasingly isolated and disconnected country. She is right. Political tribalism there is not normal connection that people have. They are found in tribalistic politics, there is no question, we know this were lonely. It has to play out in politics, problem its creates and how we engagement if you read. Dawn of social media age. The promise, it would connect us as humans we would be a larger community, it may happen but it has not. I feel for the iphone generation, evidence is coming in, it has very problematic affects on human relationship, peoples are communicating through phones and technology. And there something about human soul that needs human connection, were getting less of that. There is social media amplifies loudest voices, inflames body politic, the russian we know intervene in the election could helped trump hurt hillary clinton. And what we know how they did it. If you read Mueller Report or Senate Intelligence committee reports, you see it. They took the cultural flash point in American Life and sent out weeds through bots to inblame thinevitable inflamey politic and they succeeded. It true of founder and lincoln, one of their great fears is idea of mob rule, and inflamed passions, that is why they done were not a democracy were a republic. They said we dont to tap into public every time the paths get provoked. We need a system of checks and plans to calm things down. That is a big deal, social media does the opposite. And so that is a problem. Other thing it does, it gives wings to lies. You can do on social media, and say stuff that not true. And it goes around the world, you know. Old line, half way around the world before you get your boots on. Bizarre Conspiracy Theory are thrown about. I have friends, people of Christian Faith, we have conversations about politic, seems a quarter of my time is correcting a bizarre Conspiracy Theory. So that is there then other thing, that is real going to be years from now a problem is the doctors videos, we just saw one. Where they had nancy pelosi, someone sene video of her speaking slowly it of men to meo give impression she was drunk, that was not true, you saw what was sent out by critics of pelosi, people who did it, then real comments they were different, she was sober and sane. How we did that, what is the answer to it, i dont know. I dont know enough about, this is a situation with technology is ahead i know in our individual lives, things speed up we are to slowdown. We have to slowdown, who moment that social media is inflaming us in our lives and our individual lives and political lives we have to be voices of calm trust. And just to add to that. Im sure many people heard medium is message, social mead a illustrates that, also, part of point where we receive our information affects what we think about but how we think. For example would have been difficult to imagine that president taft could have been elected in a television age. Very median of tv. And similar, if we were still in a type graphic age where you know, our current president was not able to tweet out. Just what he said was tran scribed word for word, it is unlikely many of the utterances would gather same support they seem to generate, the way it is presented, basi biased us to tha certain way. Our social media isolated us to silos of information. And there are a lot of studies that show that lies actually spread much more quickly, penetrate far more death deeplyn what is accurate and true, there is something in us that relishes a lie. In particular if it confirms our bias. One does get a dopamine spritz over it, having what you mean confirmed is addictive. You asked what can you do . And i offer this, not even in gest, i think most potent think we could do is attend or start a book club. They are antitwitter, twitter encouraging quick, snarky take down. And encourages spread of misinformation almost always a solo activity, and often aimed at criticizing our one upping someone else, a book club is the opposite. It is relational, and hospitable. And against the distractiontion that twitter engenders, it is more likely to be dealing with big questions. Serious questions. And it does so in a spirit of community. I think one practical step to take, at least have a sweet, breathe of sanity. Is to attend or most a book club. And that could be a big problem. Good afternoon welcome to the Cato Institute from the Cato Institute we are here today to talk about panic attack young radicals in the age of trump. I thought it was very interesting i have to say. It was thoughtprovoking it was all over the ideological spectrum and treated many different phenomenon