Watching American news in the past few years and speaking with Americans, most recently in California, one senses a polarized nation where a 6Jan21 riot was illustrative of a greater shade of polarization namely extremism. Rioters seen by some as “patriots” and by others as criminal insurrectionists. As to politics and related points of view the United States seems acrimoniously split into two warring sides.
Two Canadian women AS and KM have widely diverging viewpoints on almost all issues. They travel to Wisconsin for an annual convention of Braver Angels realizing society and democracy may be splitting into destructive irreconcilability.
Braver Angels does not seek to change or erase points of view or to obtain agreements as to what is right but like marriage therapists tries to connect bickering couples by determining what each side thinks so they can reconnect with other and move forward.
The result is AS and KM are now good friends and trying to expand the presence of Braver Angels into Canada.
Perhaps it amounts to that old saying agree to disagree.
Chrisann Hessing and Ashley Brooke are the directors of the short documentary “Crossing the Divide” which is part of Hot Docs Citizen Minutes Programme screening on 30April2025.
RKS CANADIAN Documentary Rating 77/100.
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