Written by: Matthew Orquia and Alexis Dewey
On Thursday, Sept. 19, David French, best-selling author and New York Times columnist, visited Southern Adventist University’s campus to speak to students, faculty and the greater Collegedale community.
During his presentation, titled “A Nation Divided: Where Do We Go From Here?” French discussed what he believes are some of the underlying causes of the country’s internal conflicts.
“Our opinions about the other party have only gotten worse,” he said. “We don’t just disagree, we have animosity.”
According to French, division in America is not new, but the depth of people’s hatred for each other has gotten worse and nowadays, people harbor more animosity towards others.
French also discussed “lethal mass partisanship,” which is an individual’s belief that the country would be better off if a substantial portion of their political opposition was gone. He cited a statistic stating around 20% of Americans held this belief.
The speech was delivered as part of the annual Lynn Sauls Lecture Series organized by the School of Journalism and Communication (SJC), which aims to enlighten and inspire students, faculty and the community by bringing renowned journalists and newsmakers to campus, according to Southern’s website.
Prior to walking on stage at the Iles Physical Education Center, French was introduced by Alexis Dewey, senior communication-writing and editing major. Following his presentation, he was joined by LaTrice Currie, a news anchor and co-anchor for Local 3 News. Currie was the moderator for the Q&A segment of the event, which allowed the audience to ask French questions through online submissions. While answering the questions, French addressed Christian nationalism, gun control and his expectations for post-election violence.
French graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Lipscomb University, then went on to study at Harvard Law School, where he graduated cum laude with a juris doctor degree, according to the New York Times.
Over the years, he has worked as a senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a lecturer at Cornell Law School and a litigator with a focus on constitutional law. In 2006, he obtained an age waiver from the U.S. Army and joined the JAG Corps as a military lawyer.
French was also president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, where he advocated for the freedom of speech, religion and due process. He worked as a writer for the National Review and was co-founder of The Dispatch, a conservative news organization.
In his speech, French emphasized the lack of American friendships as a major concern. He said 10 percent of Americans with a college degree reported having no friends at all, and 24 percent without a college degree reported the same.
French said many people can no longer disagree and remain friends. However, he recalled his military deployment to Iraq having the opposite effect. Despite arguing nearly every day with a fellow comrade who had a different point of view, the two naturally became friends.
“So you would think, ‘What do we have in common?’” French said. “But from day one, we loved each other. We looked out for each other.”
Since people do not typically remain friends with people they disagree with, they often end up in like-minded communities, according to French. People move to places where there are lots of people who share a similar worldview.
“This makes all the sense in the world on an individual basis,” French said. “Sometimes it can be hard to be a solitary dissenter in a community where everyone disagrees with you, or often you can feel oppressed or intimidated sometimes in hyper-partisan cultures where you’re on the outside looking in.”
However, this gathering of like-minded people causes further division because it leads to more extreme viewpoints, which he said is an effect called the “law of group polarization.”
Throughout the speech, French cited the Bible and made specific appeals to Christians about what their response should be to division in the country. He said the church is a participant in the division and often lives in fear and anger.
“[Christians] have the antidote, and I feel as if we’re withholding it from the American people … because [of] our own fears and concerns and insecurities,” French said. “ … We are part of the problem so many times, not part of the solution.”
In his conclusion, French shared an anecdote regarding the backlash he faced after a 2022 article he wrote disagreeing with the ban on teaching Critical Race Theory in schools. After the article was published, French said, he received death threats, one of which came while he was traveling and his son was home alone.
French said he called the sheriff’s department, and a deputy agreed to park in front of his house to keep his son safe. During a phone conversation, the deputy – a military vet who also served in Iraq – told him something that has stuck with him ever since.
“He said, ‘You keep talking, and I’ll stand guard,’” French recalled, his voice breaking with emotion. “ … I can’t think of a better expression of American pluralism and love for your neighbor than that.”
