Radio-Canada Radio TV and radio journalist for more than 25 years, Frédéric Arnould has corresponded with the United States for almost 4 years. Although based in Washington, he does not hesitate to hit the road and cross the entire territory. His experience in the “land of the free”, with a population more polarized than ever, inspired Quebecers of Belgian descent to write a book entitled To a Quebecer of Belgian descent That’s America too. “I like Washington,” explains the one we spoke to in a cafe at Radio-Canada’s house the day after 47 swearing-inE President of the United States. I like doing political analysis. But what I like more than anything else is meeting human beings. »»
The book that appears these days in Quebec America brings together individuals of all allegiances, a mosaic of passionate and exciting people who have ideas to defend, values to be preserved, struggles, but which are also, we have a tendency to forget it, human beings with all that regret and regret, dreams and ambitions. At the end of the book, Arnould writes: “I would like to thank all those Americans who first gave me their time to give me their opinions, their ideas, their moods with so much generosity and abandon. Without them, this book would not exist. »On the website there are several photographs of these individuals, shots taken by the journalist himself.
To give us an idea of everything he collects without being able to use it directly, Frédéric Arnould states that 90% of the people he describes and whose words in the book never appeared in one of his reports. “They are people I met on the ground, whose comments I was very interested in, but that I did not see how to incorporate into a television or radio format.” Thus, the essay weaves together the statements of individuals from a number of backgrounds, from agriculture to politics, including medicine, religion, university research, and justice. They are Democrats or Republicans, conservatives or liberals, left or right, activists, supporters or ordinary citizens. They come from all states and almost all dream of change.
All voices
On the ground, Frédéric Arnoul notes that freedom of expression is always a core value among our southern neighbours. “Americans are generosity personified!” With such conviction, they will tell you the most Russian or unusual things. They give everything. No restrictions. This is their opinion and they believe that sharing it with others is their most basic right. I made sure to make room for all the voices, those that already resonate a lot, but also those that are almost never heard. The challenge, as far as I’m concerned, is to listen to them all without judgement, letting the listeners, the viewers, and in this case the reader, get their own idea. »»
Among the subjects discussed, let’s mention abortion, misinformation, religion, the relationship of the urban campaign and the rights of LGBTQ+ people, without forgetting at first glance less captivating questions, but no less essential, such as electoral sausages, large voters or a functional justice system. “It’s a book that doesn’t necessarily have to be read in one go,” admits the author. There is something for everyone. The Bravest will begin with a chapter on firearms. “During the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre,” Arnould explains, 154 bullets were fired in less than five minutes, causing 26 casualties. My interview with Nicole Hockley, the mother of Dylan, the six-year-old boy who was killed in 2012, is certainly one of the most overwhelming of my career. »»
The journalist has an undeniable sense of narrative, he has repeatedly demonstrated this in the narration of his news, but one should not believe that the work is limited to a sequence of portraits. Meetings are a common thread, forming an architecture that allows the author to access in-depth, support links, a range of subjects. Arnould explains: “I always wondered what to infer from the comments that citizens made. To collect a more global view of the situation, I then turned to experts, people with a more analytical outlook, less accused of influences, but whom I also try to portray in all their humanity. »»
Point of no return
Among the specialists to whom the journalist gives the place of choice is James Davison Hunter, a sociologist who coined the term “culture war” in 1991. on the opposition and perhaps on the elimination of another camp, therefore, in my opinion, we live in a much more dangerous period than 30 years. »»
For Frédéric Arnould, it is without a doubt, the situation is of a critical nature. “Americans have so far overcome incredible processes, from the Civil War to the attacks of September 11, 2001, through the Vietnam War.” But right now the polarization is huge, the fracture may be bigger than ever. In my opinion, we are approaching the point of no return. Still, I persist in believing that Americans have more in common than the current divisions can reveal. They are fascinating people, capable of the worst but also the best, and for whom I always have great respect. »»
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