Special Olympics International Chairman and Societal Impact Scholar Tim Shriver says there is need for people in politics that think about what is best for the country — regardless of winning or losing.
“Politics is still, I’m sorry to say, largely defined by how effectively you can divide the electorate and how you can get 50% plus 1% for yourself.”
In this Deseret News video, titled “Hope for the future,” Shriver says the approval ratings for national politicians in America are “wild swings” — a reflection of contrasting beliefs among parties. “Ninety-plus percent of one party saying they like what the president’s doing, less than 5% of the other party.”
This is why Shriver believes the next generation of leaders will not derive from politics, as the country needs people that possess a different mindset.
American citizens, regardless of age, share a common desire for the country — to feel safe, welcomed, respected and treated with dignity.
Yet, the news suggests the opposite.
Shriver believes that the majority of Americans who hope for a country with dignity, justice and joy will prevail. However, he also acknowledges that regardless of one’s feelings about the current political direction, these are challenging times.
“It’s scary to live in a place where you feel half the country is against you,” he said.
Achieving this vision will take being honest with people, as being naive “falls on deaf ears.”
“I think we have to hear the struggles and the anger and the frustration of many Americans right now, but we don’t have to capitulate to despair and hopelessness.”
Though Shriver is hopeful America will become what many people strive to see, he admits that there is a lot of work to do.