Former Governor Schafer Leads Lecture on Civility

The talk, which was disseminated via Zoom, touched on various topics including the state of American democracy and societal engagement.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – A former Governor of North Dakota gave an address today regarding the state of democracy in the United States and how ordinary people can bring back common civility.

Ed Schafer spoke via Zoom in an event titled “Restoring Neighborliness: Democracy, Community & Ethics” that began at noon on January 15.

The lecture was sponsored by The Study, a Bismarck-based nonprofit that focuses on adult learning.

It’s connected to programming that is recognizing the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

As part of his speech, Schafer took issue with partisan politics, saying constituents often vote blindly according to party lines.

“We have elected representatives just because they’re a leader of our tribe, and not for their values or their vision. They have allowed our governments to get too big, too expensive, too powerful and too intrusive,” he said. “They have squashed out a lot of our freedoms.”

“Why do we let them do that?” he went on to ask.

The event was moderated by Larry Skogen, a historian and former president of Bismarck State College, and concluded with a question-and-answer session for the audience.