Both Colorado Mesa University (CMU) and the surrounding community of Grand Junction has been working to increase political knowledge among it’s youth for the past few months.
With debate watch parties and voter registration drives on campus, this civic forum prepares students to vote. But the event series is also focusing on the current culture around politics as well.
On Oct. 15, President John Marshall hosted an Evening With The Governors in the new Asteria Theater. The event, open to the public as well as students of CMU, discussed politics from a perspective of civility and respect, with two former Colorado governors.
Bill Owens and Bill Ritter served as the 40th and 41st governors, from 1999 to 2007 and 2007 to 2011 respectively.
“Bill Ritter and Bill Owens were back-to-back, Republican, Democrat. But they both have traveled statewide. They both ran in one statewide. So they both know Colorado really well, and in a very different setting. They both work well with each other, from different parties, […] very different worldviews,” said Marshall.
These two governors are an example of how politics doesn’t have to be cutthroat or dividing, but that it’s important to be able to disagree with people in a healthy way.
The gentlemen both consider the role of a governor to be a public servant first, before a Democrat or Republican. There are many qualities that can influence the choices of people in the way they view their government – including whether or not they want to participate.
“I’m really concerned that the current political system, or politics generally, is actually causing people to turn away from it. Because I gotta tell you, service is a fairly rewarding thing. […] I feel really good about the things that I’ve done in my life that were about service, and it was meaningful. It’s been a great thing for my family in so many respects. And my family has, I think, probably inherited some of those things that make you a good servant, a good public servant. It’s a fantastic sort of career. […] I’m afraid my kids think less about service because of what they’re witnessing in the political culture,” Owens said.
While neither one is currently governing Colorado, both former governors continue to work in public service. Owens has mainly focused on the private sector, doing work in the US as well as Germany and Ukraine.
On the other hand, Ritter founded a bipartisan think tank at Colorado State University (CSU) concerning energy policy and working with other governors from across the western states.
And while they have many opposing opinions personally and politically, Owens and Ritter have worked together successfully since before either one was governor, as well as during each of their terms.
“I met Senator Bill Owens, before he was the treasurer of the state, and he was the state senator who absolutely worked across the aisle […] I followed, like his example in trying to understand, okay, in order to govern in a place like this, you really do have to say, my friends on the other side, and mean it, and be genuinely sincere about treating people well, even people you disagreed with. And he did that in campaigns. He did it in the way he governed,” said Ritter. “Colorado benefited from his leadership in such an important way, because that was his attitude going into his term as governor. ”
Ritter and Owens both strongly emphasized their personal beliefs in listening to the opposite side’s arguments.
They understand what things they disagree on, and they allow each other space to speak their piece uninterrupted. While they served with different ratios of political parties in the house and senate, they each understand what it means to oppose members of their own party, and to support members of the opposing party.
The Evening with the Governors event was less about current politics and the upcoming election, and more about the support that public servants need to have for each other. It emphasized the idea that beyond the left/right, liberal/conservative and Democrat/Republican, we all have a responsibility to take care of each other.
We may have different ways of carrying out that responsibility, but differences should be figured out through discussion, civil disagreements and constructive debate. And even while we are disagreeing with each other, it’s important to be able to look at the other side, whichever that may be, and to offer genuine respect and mean it.
Governors Owens and Ritter continue to work together to support and oppose bills and movements, while each also contributes to his own causes. And although their terms ended in 2007 and 2011, they respect and honor the other’s stake in his past and current ventures.
“I admire Bill Ritter for what he’s done and continues to do. He’s a core volunteer in Africa, comes here, comes back and is a district attorney. That’s a tough and thankless job, […] he was an outstanding governor for his four years and continues to give back, […] I admire him for continuing to fight for what he believes in,” said Owens.