“We've forgotten how to disagree without hating each other,” Gov. Cox said during his conversation with Irshad Manji, the founder of the Moral Courage Project.
The conversation was part of a new lecture series at Utah State University, moderated by university president Elizabeth Cantwell.
This inaugural President’s Forum on Conflict and Conflict Resolution, titled "Change the Game: An Aggie Approach to Transform Conflict into Conversation," was intended to help the Utah State community disagree better.
Manji said when an issue becomes polarized, people stop talking to each other and start trying to save face instead.
“Even if you think you’re doing your issue or your cause a favor by, you know, staking your claim and sticking to it, chances are you’re only making the so-called ‘other side’ more defensive and more dogmatic,” she said.
Cox said we run into issues because we refuse to engage with people we disagree with or we try and stop them from expressing their views, "You never change anybody’s mind by attacking them. We can’t solve problems if we hate each other.”
During the forum, a group of about 100 protesters gathered outside.
One organizer, USU junior Sophie Christensen, said she is disappointed the governor signed two bills — one that bans diversity, equity and inclusion programs and another restricting public bathroom access based on sex assigned at birth.
“He says a lot of things about listening to the other side and whatnot. But we tried to reach out to our legislators, we tried to reach out to Governor Cox and he’s still signed these bills into law. If he would follow what he was saying in there, I would be so happy," Christensen said.
The organizers say the protest was not meant to disrupt the event, instead, it was to show their disapproval of these laws.
During the forum, Cox said places like college campuses, as places to seek knowledge, are meant to bring people together and to engage with new ideas.
