"We Can All Do Better"

Lead by example was the theme of this year's Kenner Lecture on Cultural Understanding and Tolerance as former United States Senator, Olympian and NBA Hall of Famer Bill Bradley spoke to a full house in Zoellner Arts Center's Baker Hall on February 2.

Bradley delighted the audience with personal stories and personal history lessons to provide insights on the state of America today and what all Americans can do to ensure the future success of our nation. His assessments were central to the development of his latest book, We Can All Do Better. The title is based on a quote from Abraham Lincoln's second State of the Union address and asks the reader a question: "Can we all do better?" Bradley believes the answer is yes.

Bradley used examples from his past in professional basketball and his experience in politics to address the complexity of the American political system as well as the American people and to explain the reasoning behind his thoughts.

A three-term senator from New Jersey and former presidential candidate, he spoke about what he believes are major issues facing politics in the U.S. today—the influence of globalization and technology, the divide between the ideals of Republicans and Democrats and the role of money in politics.

He explained that globalization and technology are two chief problems facing America today and the reasons behind job loss. These two issues, along with the current tax system, are causing America's infrastructure to "crumble." The first step in addressing this issue is to understand where we are now and find ways to modernize and create jobs, he said.

"Democrats believe that we have to have caring. Republicans believe that we have responsibility."

Bradley added the answers to problems in the United States cannot be solved by one side or the other but rather by a more complex combination of both caring and responsibility.

"We've got to get past this dialogue that one or the other is right."

He also acknowledged the role that money is playing in today's political world. He believes that the money in politics is "corroding" the political system in the U.S. Bradley said that there are consequences to spending money on politics and he believes that money spent on campaigning could be better utilized elsewhere. His solution to this issue would include public financing of congressional and senatorial elections.

Bradley also touched on issues concerning foreign policy and America's international role. He noted that overseas events directly affect what is happening domestically and believes in keeping borders open and welcoming "talented people" to the U.S.

He said that the way America leads the world need not be through military actions, but rather by example, which sets us apart from the rest of the world. Politicians need to think in a more long-term manner and that a pluralistic democracy is the key to success in the political world, he said.

"We can't go from election cycle to election cycle. We have to be able to link them."

Now out of politics, Bradley said that he greatly misses working on public policy and interacting with people. His book, as well as his Sirius/XM Satellite radio show, "American Voices," have both helped him fill the void in his life where politics once was.

"The reality is that America can be on the move again, but to do so, we need to see things clearly," he said. "We need to clean up that political system so it's responsive to people and not the special interests, we need to make decisions that will generate long-term jobs, and we need to understand that it's our example that sets us apart from the rest of the world."

Story by Sara Blatchford '16