Former Sen. Trent Lott and former Gov. Haley Barbour speculated on the future and progression of the United States during a conversation on Thursday, Oct. 13, in the Overby Center, moderated by William R. Gottshall.
The two Ole Miss alumni, along with Scott Kilpatrick, executive director of the UM Center for Manufacturing Excellence, discussed conflicting issues occurring in the United States, such as the divided political nature of the country.
Barbour commented on the accessibility of information and how it can negatively alter citizens’ perceptions based on false news coverage.
“Today, we have extreme polarity. There is no middle,” Barbour said. “Everybody in this country virtually has access to all sorts of information that you have no idea whether it’s accurate or not. Rarely a week goes by that one of my friends sends me some article that’s no more true than the man on the moon. If people in the business community are getting this stuff and believe it, then how much is that for several other people?”
To combat the increasing division, the panelists agreed that leadership and communication are vital to progression. They also said that there need to be more opportunities and examples of people being willing to engage with others. Lott described this belief by sharing a plea he has consistently proposed to President Biden.
“One of the things I have urged President Biden to do is take the bipartisan leadership and get them to spend a weekend together to talk about things and listen to each other,” Lott said. “And when you come out, you have an agenda that you’ve talked about and thought about.”
Lott also described his connections with other senators and people in leadership positions. Despite sharing different political views, they have managed to maintain a friendly relationship, and Lott believes prioritizing the benefits of the United States regardless of one’s political stance is the key to developing a unified country.
“You got to get up and put yourself in the mirror every day and say, ‘What can I do today that will be the right thing for our country,’” Lott said. “I hope in 2024 (the president) has a message and will prove to be real leaders that will be unified. A president shouldn’t be a Democrat or a Republican. The president should be an American.”
Transitioning to Mississippi, Lott and Barbour are firm advocates of the state’s people. Barbour described the determination and compassion of the volunteers who helped rebuild Mississippi after the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster.
“My mother used to say, ‘Crisis brings out the best in people,’” Barbour said. “We saw people whose homes were blown away, and they were worried about the little lady across the street. It was unbelievable the way people helped. And the most common thing they said was, ‘You got to be proud of your people.’”
Lott believes residents of Mississippians’ social skills allow them to match up with anyone from any other state.
“Mississippians can compete with people and students from anywhere,” Lott said. “We engage, look at each other and do things like talk to people on the elevator. (People outside of Mississippi) don’t have that interpersonal skill like we do.”
