Jim Leach — American Politician born on October 15, 1942,

James Albert Smith "Jim" Leach is a congressman and academic. He served as ninth Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2009 to 2013 and was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa... (wikipedia)

The arts and humanities are vastly more important in troubled times.
Our culture is more shaped by the arts and humanities than it often is by politics.
Civility is not about dousing strongly held views. It's about making sure that people are willing to respect other perspectives.
There's probably a little greater case for pessimism than optimism. But I do not rule out optimism.
I have a long-term interest in the humanities.