Episode 3 Miriam's Big American Adventure


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Miriam Margolyes is now six weeks and over 500 miles

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into her Big American Adventure.

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-DONALD TRUMP:

-We're going to build the wall.

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We have no choice. We have no choice.

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CHEERING

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Build that wall. Build that wall. Build that wall! Build that wall!

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I'm from the generation that has always looked up to America.

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Build that wall! Build that wall!

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They saved us in the War,

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they're strong and handsome, they're democratic,

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and, you know, I bought the American Dream,

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same as everybody else.

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So, we're going to build it.

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-Who's going to pay for the wall?

-CROWD:

-Mexico!

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100%.

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And so when I learnt that they had chosen Mr Trump,

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I had to find out what happened.

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And I thought the way to try to understand it

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is actually go there and talk to the people.

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And I wanted to find out how divided

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the United States of America really is.

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76-year-old actress Miriam Margolyes

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is on an epic two-month road trip

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down the middle of Middle America.

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She's over halfway through her journey

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through the American heartland,

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heading for the Deep South of New Orleans.

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A former US resident,

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Miriam's been discovering the America she doesn't know

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and meeting people whose voices and votes

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are changing the shape of the country.

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The enormity of America does still surprise me.

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It's a big old place.

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It makes people very different in different places.

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Miriam has arrived in Arkansas,

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one of the states immortalised by the Hollywood western.

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This is frontier territory -

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a land claimed by and ruled by cowboys for 200 years.

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Ooh, we're coming into a ranch.

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Eek! That's fun.

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Arkansas is home to the so-called Forgotten Americans

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that turned to Trump in the last election.

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Miriam is about to meet her first-ever cowboy.

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What images come to mind when you think of cowboys?

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A cowboy is a very clear image etched against the sun,

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crinkly blue eyes, astride a horse,

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one-handedly kissing a woman round the waist and...

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Very sexy, very powerful, very confident in their own world.

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-Hello.

-How are you?

-I'm Miriam.

-I'm Dan Eoff.

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-Very pleased to meet you, sir.

-Well, nice to meet you.

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-Oh, man!

-This is some Italian champagne...

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-I've never had that before.

-..from Europe.

-From Europe?

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-Europe.

-I saw that on Facebook, but I've never been to Europe.

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-Come over.

-OK. What a lovely place. It's so peaceful.

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-What are all these things?

-Oh, these are spurs.

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The western spurs, like we use on horses.

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My great-grandfather had them back in the early 1800s.

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Time past. Yeah.

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-AMERICAN ACCENT:

-Now, don't you put the flag on the ground.

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-Oh, man! I didn't see that.

-That's Old Glory.

-Yes.

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You got a man?

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-A man?

-Are you married?

-No, I'm a lesbian.

-Are you sure?

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-HE LAUGHS

-I am! Could you become one?

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I like to feel the titties, I like to do all that.

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Well, we all like titties, darling. That's something we share!

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THEY LAUGH

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We got really closely acquainted rather quickly, didn't we?

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-So, you have met a Jew before?

-Yeah.

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But you'd just never met a lesbian Jew before.

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-Oh, my God!

-THEY LAUGH

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-Are you Jewish?

-Of course I am. My name's Miriam.

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-That's a Jewish name.

-Well, I mean, you know, I'm not educated.

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-Yeah. Are you a Christian?

-Yes, I... Yes.

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We've come from Chicago down here, so I've been in cities.

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-This is really country here.

-Yes, it is.

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-And I think people think differently in the country.

-They do.

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-You could tell how we voted.

-Why do you think that is?

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Why do you think that country people feel that Trump was their man?

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-Because he's a city boy. He's not a country boy.

-No, but he's a...

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-DOG SNEEZES

-Hey!

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But he's an entrepreneur. He works. He works every day for a living.

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-I mean, he's part of us.

-It's so funny that you say that

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because, to me, he's absolutely the quintessential financier.

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I don't understand what them words are.

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Well, he's a man who makes money by buying and selling...

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Yes, that's us.

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That's us cow traders. That's us horse-traders.

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-And do most of the folk round here think the way you think?

-Yeah.

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Oh, in the heartland of the United States, yes.

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The people that work... The people that work do.

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Ooh, I like this.

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Dan is just a complete charmer.

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He's just totally naughty and fun and...

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I know that he loves Trump and all that, but...

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And I'm not going to change his mind,

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but I want to find out a bit more about why.

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Peggy's the wife, isn't she? I haven't met her yet.

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I'm a bit nervous about her.

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I've put some perfume on. I'm ready!

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Thanks for letting us come and see you.

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-So nice to meet you.

-I'm Miriam.

-Peggy.

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-So nice. So nice.

-What a lovely house.

-Thank you.

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I'm sure we don't share the same taste about everything,

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-but I'm going to perch on this chair.

-You go ahead.

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-You go right ahead.

-Nice and comfy.

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My life and my world is completely different from yours.

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I know that because, you know, I'm a city girl.

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And I know that my politics are very different

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from the politics that people will have around here.

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I'm going to go out on a limb,

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and I'd say nearly everyone voted for Mr Trump.

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He knows what's going on. A lot of people don't like him,

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they don't like his tweeting and stuff,

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but he kind of tells it like it is.

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What about the stuff about women -

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when he talks about women in a slightly funny way?

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You know, I have worked around men for 20-something years.

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They're all like that.

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-I don't like it in a president.

-Well, he's just a person.

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-God uses imperfect people.

-So, you don't...?

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-That doesn't bother you?

-Does not bother me a bit.

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People have gotten so politically correct.

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You're not supposed to spank your kids, you know.

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Our country was founded on people like Dan and me

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that got up and went to work every day.

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You know, they left England because

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they didn't want people telling them what to do.

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So, they come over here

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and they make the best country in the whole world.

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And then you have someone like Obama that says,

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"We're going to make everybody even."

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Well, that's not right.

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If you don't get up and go to work every day,

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why should you have all the benefits that I do?

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You don't think that there could be any improvements?

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Oh, there's always room for improvement,

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and I think that's what Mr Trump's going to do.

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I think he's going to improve our country,

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because he's going to go back to the fact - America first.

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You put your family first before you take care of anybody else.

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Cool breeze coming through.

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We all need dreams. We all need some hope.

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I think that's part of why President Trump is so popular.

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The people on the rough end - he's given them hope.

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They feel that he's heard their voice.

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He speaks to them in a way that they can understand

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and he has allowed them to dream again.

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Trump says, "Follow me

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"and I will lead you to the promised land."

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And they believe him.

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In the local town of Clinton, Dan and Peggy run a shop

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selling western-themed furniture and collectables.

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A lot of their products are made in and imported from Mexico.

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Miriam has offered to help out.

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This is what you call a compendium of cowboy identity.

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It's sort of set in the past, isn't it,

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in a kind of vision of what it was?

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Hello! So, what's my task?

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Your task is to straighten up those boots.

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Most of our men don't like the fancy boots.

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-They are fancy, aren't they? Gosh! Where...?

-They come from Mexico.

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So, what do you think about the wall, then?

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-Do you think it's a good idea?

-I do.

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I think it... I think you need...

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It's just kind of like doors on your house.

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It's to keep your family safe.

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I feel like, once the wall is built,

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manufacturing comes back to America more,

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more people are working,

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more people will be building second houses,

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they'll come back and buy some more furniture.

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-And all that will come because of the wall?

-Well, it could.

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I just think that building a wall is going to cost a lot of money

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for somebody that could be better spent.

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Well, just think of all the people this is going to put to work.

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But who's going to pay for it?

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-Well, Mexico's going to pay for it. Don't you know that?

-But they won't.

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-Donald Trump says...

-Yeah, but you know they won't.

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-You know they're not going to pay for it.

-Well, I...

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I think it's going to just cause more trouble

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than it's going to solve. But I don't know. I may be wrong.

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You know, I didn't realise this country was so divided

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-until they elected him president.

-I didn't either.

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And the liberals started riding and destroying cities and...

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You know, we didn't like Obama,

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but we didn't go out and destroy somebody's business

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because he was president.

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What is the America that you want? What would you like to see?

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When you work and your word is good, you're rewarded for it.

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I mean, you can make a living

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and not have to send half your pay cheque to the government

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to use on some ridiculous bill that they're passing.

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The hand-outs. We do the work

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and we share our work. We don't want that.

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But do you think, sometimes, that people can fall on hard times,

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things get difficult and that's why

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-they need food stamps and a hand-out?

-No, no.

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-I believe it's about choice.

-It is.

-Poverty is about choice.

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But the message that he gives you is what?

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What is it that he's saying to you

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that makes you feel that he's the man for the job?

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We tried everything else,

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and I like to see a guy that gets rich

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and then goes into government,

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instead of a guy that goes into government and comes out rich.

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-I like that.

-That's a good point. That's a good point right there.

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We're going up to see the cattle that made America great.

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Well, I think he could have warned me

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that it was going to be a bit bumpy.

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Look how fast he's going on this narrow road. Outrageous!

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SHE LAUGHS

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I'm an old lady. I shouldn't be doing this!

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Well, I feel 80 now.

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I've aged four years coming up this far!

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Oh, now I see it, where we're going.

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It's like a nice lookout point.

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That's a wonderful view,

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and a very nice, tidy little place awaits us.

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You lucky sod. This is fantastic!

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Somebody asked me one time, said, "What about selling the ranch?"

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I said, "You wouldn't sell your children, would you?"

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The ranch is our children.

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We've cleaned it up. We nurse it every year.

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I mean, you can't sell that.

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This is your land and it's part of you always.

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-It is part of me.

-And what breed are those cattle?

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Those are Texas longhorns.

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Can you call the cattle so that we can get them a bit closer?

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Well, I can call them a little ways,

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but, now, I think they might be scared of you.

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They've never seen anybody from that part of the country!

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-SHE LAUGHS

-But I'll try to.

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Come on!

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They are going, aren't they?

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Sometimes, in life, you get...

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..what, these days, are called wow moments.

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And for me, I think this is a wow moment.

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And I understand the connection to the land.

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I understand why they love it so much.

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They feel powerful here.

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And if they feel that Mr Trump

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means to let them reign on this land forever...

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..I can understand why they support him.

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Jeez!

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Whoo! Come on!

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-AMERICAN ACCENT:

-Don't you look at me like that!

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This must really heal your heart.

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-I love these old cows.

-Yeah, I can imagine that.

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You know, we're just caretakers of this land while we're here,

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and I want to share it.

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My neighbours and relatives and Jesus Christ - they're all welcome.

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I just have this feeling that Donald Trump

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-doesn't want to share it.

-Oh, I think he does.

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-Well, we'll see.

-Me and wife always didn't agree,

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me and my mother always didn't agree,

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-but we still loved each other.

-Yes, well,

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I can love you and respect you.

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I just don't agree with you. That's it.

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It is remarkable,

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but I don't know if I could actually live here.

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It is lonely.

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And if you can imagine a wall being built here

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across everything you can see, cos that's what it would be like...

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..it doesn't clop, as they say in Holland.

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It doesn't... It doesn't fit.

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I can't work it out.

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Miriam's back on the road towards New Orleans.

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20 miles on, still in Arkansas, there's a sign.

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Blimey! That is horrible.

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Very nasty sign to come to.

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"Diversity is a code word for #whitegenocide."

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What a horrible, pathetic,

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silly, nasty sign.

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Blimey!

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Well, I'll have to go and find out

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and see what kind of people the townspeople are like.

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Very nasty.

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Right.

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I think that the Southern states are the front line.

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That's where racism was rampant, encouraged,

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and where it won for many, many years.

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Much of the wealth in the South was built on slavery

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and the cotton and tobacco plantations

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the slaves were forced to work.

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150 years on from the abolition of slavery,

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Arkansas has one of the highest concentrations

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of extreme race-hate groups in the US,

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and the small Arkansas town of Harrison

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has been dubbed the most racist town in America.

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You can't judge a town on the basis of one sign.

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I'm just surprised that people haven't taken it down.

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But, you know, they believe in free speech in America.

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But it's just like any other little town.

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It's got ordinary shops and malls and restaurants.

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I'm sure there are some racists here, lurking.

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I'm aware of the fact that it has the reputation

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of being the most racist town in America,

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so I thought I'd like to go to the library

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and see if they've got some information.

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And here we are.

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Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. Harrison, Arkansas.

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And there it is, with the famous

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two eyes and the hood.

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The Ku Klux Klan has a base just outside Harrison.

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Miriam has asked to meet them and other alt-right groups in the area.

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While she waits for them to respond, she's got a meeting with the mayor.

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-Hello.

-Well, hello.

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-Can I come in?

-Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.

-Thank you.

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Thank you very much. I'm Miriam Margolyes.

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-Miriam, Dan Sherrell.

-So, your town has been described

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as the most racist town in America.

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So, I'm hoping that you're not the most racist mayor in America.

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-You think I am?

-I don't think you are...

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-No, I'm not.

-..because you've got a sweet face.

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Believe it or not,

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is that some of the things that we face here in Harrison?

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-Yes, we do.

-Why is that?

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Well, it's from a group outside of our city.

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I'll just put it bluntly - it's the KKK.

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That's where that image comes from.

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But you're going to find that 99.9% of the people

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do not agree with their thinking whatsoever.

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We're a very, very friendly town.

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And is that one of the things that you, as the mayor,

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feel that you want to make clear to people?

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-Yes, ma'am.

-That it's not a racist town?

-Yes, ma'am.

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Harrison is the greatest town in the world.

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-You love it?

-I love it, you know,

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and people here, we're hard-working people.

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Most people go to church or, you know, are God-fearing people.

0:18:470:18:51

They raise their families and their own life here.

0:18:510:18:53

Do you think America is divided at the moment?

0:18:530:18:56

Yes, I do, but I don't...

0:18:560:18:59

You know, can you say the last election caused it?

0:18:590:19:03

No, it probably was coming anyway, believe it or not.

0:19:030:19:07

So, this is your main square?

0:19:070:19:09

This is the main square in town, yeah.

0:19:090:19:11

And a lot of things...

0:19:110:19:13

We've got a farmers' market going on down here.

0:19:130:19:15

I mean, I haven't seen much of it, but just driving in,

0:19:150:19:18

it's quite a sweet, pretty little town.

0:19:180:19:22

For the first half of the 20th century,

0:19:220:19:25

this part of Arkansas fought to keep racial segregation in place.

0:19:250:19:29

Do you remember segregation?

0:19:290:19:31

I cannot remember when a black person had to go

0:19:310:19:34

to this rest room and a white person had to go to this rest room.

0:19:340:19:37

I knew it was there, but I was not familiar with it.

0:19:370:19:41

-No.

-Did your parents bring you up to be inclusive? I mean...

0:19:410:19:46

My parents brought me up to be who I am,

0:19:460:19:50

and they taught me to be open, cos they were open.

0:19:500:19:54

Does it irritate you that people describe your town

0:19:540:19:58

as the most bigoted...

0:19:580:20:00

-..in America?

-Yeah, it does.

0:20:010:20:04

It irritates our town and it irritates me, too.

0:20:040:20:07

We have a man near here that has some affiliation

0:20:070:20:11

with the old Ku Klux Klan, so that's bad news.

0:20:110:20:14

But, honestly, I don't think that we're, by any means,

0:20:140:20:18

any more racist than the average town in this state or even up north.

0:20:180:20:23

I'm not sure that America is particularly

0:20:230:20:26

a United States at the moment. What do you feel about that?

0:20:260:20:29

No, we're very polarised right now,

0:20:290:20:32

and especially since President Obama came in.

0:20:320:20:35

Now, there will always be a small element of people

0:20:350:20:38

that are going to be continually oppressive

0:20:380:20:42

and antagonistic toward the African-Americans,

0:20:420:20:46

and it's just down deep in DNA, it looks like.

0:20:460:20:49

But that's going to change. We are coming together.

0:20:490:20:52

It's going to take a little more time,

0:20:520:20:54

but we're coming together.

0:20:540:20:56

We're all, to some extent, trapped by our history.

0:20:560:21:00

And to some extent, I think there are places where

0:21:000:21:03

the Civil War is still being fought

0:21:030:21:05

and Confederate flags are still flown,

0:21:050:21:08

but things are moving.

0:21:080:21:11

After talking to these people, I'm optimistic.

0:21:130:21:17

I don't know what I will feel when I talk to the KKK.

0:21:180:21:25

The spokeswoman for the KKK has sent an e-mail.

0:21:250:21:28

I felt that I ought to give the people who don't agree with me

0:21:280:21:33

a chance to speak, and they've turned it down.

0:21:330:21:37

Maybe they're afraid of me and my scintillating intellect.

0:21:370:21:42

I don't know what it is, but they don't want to speak,

0:21:420:21:47

they don't want to be heard,

0:21:470:21:48

they don't want to put their case on television.

0:21:480:21:52

Well, bugger 'em.

0:21:550:21:57

The town of Harrison is less than 1% black.

0:21:570:22:00

It hasn't always been that high.

0:22:000:22:03

In the 1970s, Kevin applied for a job as a ranger

0:22:030:22:07

in a local nature reserve. As a mixed-race man,

0:22:070:22:10

he's been a witness to the division in Harrison ever since.

0:22:100:22:15

I really actually did not know about its reputation,

0:22:150:22:18

but as I accepted the job, she was trying to say, "Now, wait, wait.

0:22:180:22:21

"I got to let you know - you will be the only black person

0:22:210:22:24

"in a 50-mile radius."

0:22:240:22:25

And I came to find out that there actually were death threats,

0:22:250:22:30

saying that, "Oh, we're going to kill him,"

0:22:300:22:32

or, you know, "He won't last long." Stuff like that.

0:22:320:22:34

No-one told me these things.

0:22:340:22:36

-I bet they didn't!

-No-one told me there were death threats against me.

0:22:360:22:39

I mean, did you meet people who were personally unpleasant to you?

0:22:390:22:43

There were times when I was introduced

0:22:430:22:46

that, you know, a person would not stick out their hand.

0:22:460:22:49

And there was one time my tyres were slashed.

0:22:490:22:53

But rather than be scared and run off,

0:22:530:22:55

I just kind of adopted it as an opportunity to say, you know,

0:22:550:22:59

"I could serve a purpose here.

0:22:590:23:00

"I can give them a chance to meet a black person."

0:23:000:23:03

You're not the blackest of black men that I've ever seen.

0:23:030:23:06

-That's right.

-Does that make a difference, do you think?

0:23:060:23:09

Oh, most definitely. In America, in general, it's...

0:23:090:23:13

You cannot deny that the darker your skin,

0:23:130:23:16

the harder it will be for you.

0:23:160:23:19

-REPORTER:

-Well, the latest figures show that hate crime

0:23:190:23:22

in America is skyrocketing.

0:23:220:23:24

-REPORTER:

-The rise of racially motivated attacks

0:23:240:23:26

has been a trend in the United States

0:23:260:23:28

since the 2016 presidential election.

0:23:280:23:30

Since Trump became president,

0:23:300:23:32

the number of hate groups in America has increased.

0:23:320:23:36

There's been a surge of memberships in some of these organisations,

0:23:360:23:40

and it tends to embarrass us to think that we haven't moved,

0:23:400:23:46

you know, forward as much as we hoped we had.

0:23:460:23:49

Do you think Trump has made the divisions worse?

0:23:490:23:54

-I respect the position of the presidency.

-Of course.

0:23:540:23:57

I do have to recognise, however, that, soon after his election,

0:23:570:24:03

it seemed to have given some people a little empowerment

0:24:030:24:07

in being able to speak opinions

0:24:070:24:10

that are less than accepting of others.

0:24:100:24:13

But it doesn't matter who brings it out.

0:24:130:24:15

Our concern is that this opinion has been in folks

0:24:150:24:19

who have joined these groups.

0:24:190:24:21

You know, it's not the best image that we, as Americans,

0:24:210:24:24

want to have with the rest of the world -

0:24:240:24:27

to see more and more... a divide amongst our people.

0:24:270:24:31

One of the local alt-right groups, the Kingdom Identity Ministries,

0:24:340:24:39

has been in touch. Their leader, Pastor Mike Hallimore,

0:24:390:24:42

is considering meeting Miriam.

0:24:420:24:44

"I look forward to speaking further with you in the future.

0:24:440:24:47

"In the meantime, I would be interested

0:24:470:24:49

"in the religious background of you, Miriam,

0:24:490:24:52

"and others involved in this production.

0:24:520:24:56

"Also, are any not of British/European

0:24:560:25:00

"ethnic/racial make-up?"

0:25:000:25:03

Can you believe it?!

0:25:050:25:08

"Sincerely, Mike."

0:25:090:25:11

We're on the way to a strange assignation

0:25:130:25:17

with this right-wing twit.

0:25:170:25:21

He doesn't like Jews -

0:25:210:25:22

he thinks that we are Satanic - and...

0:25:220:25:28

..so he wouldn't meet me.

0:25:290:25:31

He wouldn't consider it.

0:25:310:25:33

So, we have to do it a slightly different way.

0:25:330:25:37

A hotel boardroom has been hired. Miriam waits in the car.

0:25:370:25:43

My colleague, Nicola, and my director

0:25:430:25:47

are in the room with headsets.

0:25:470:25:51

And I can feed the questions to her.

0:25:510:25:53

I'm not there because they wouldn't speak to me, because I'm a Jew.

0:25:530:25:56

How do you think that makes me feel?

0:25:590:26:01

-Pastor, good afternoon.

-Hello. Where should we sit?

0:26:050:26:09

Come join us here.

0:26:090:26:11

I do feel nervous. I feel upset.

0:26:110:26:14

I mean, I read one of the pieces of literature that they put out,

0:26:140:26:19

and they want to kill Jews.

0:26:190:26:22

And not just Jews, but homosexuals.

0:26:220:26:25

-I'm a homosexual and I'm a Jew.

-SHE CHUCKLES

0:26:250:26:28

-So, shall we go for our first question?

-Sure.

0:26:280:26:32

Do you think America is united or divided?

0:26:320:26:35

Do you think America is united or divided?

0:26:350:26:39

Oh, it's definitely divided,

0:26:390:26:42

although I think it would be more united

0:26:420:26:45

if it were purely white Christian people.

0:26:450:26:49

A lot of the division comes because of the Jewish-owned media.

0:26:490:26:55

So, are the Jews the fount of all evil?

0:26:550:26:58

Are the Jews, then, the fount of all evil?

0:26:580:27:02

Well, Scripture says love of money

0:27:020:27:04

is the root of all evil, but...

0:27:040:27:06

..they certainly are behind what people believe is evil -

0:27:080:27:12

the banking system, you might say...pornography,

0:27:120:27:14

you might say...

0:27:140:27:16

So, how would he like America to change?

0:27:160:27:18

How would you like America to change?

0:27:180:27:21

Well, obviously, I'd like it to change

0:27:210:27:24

to be a godly country that enforces God's laws.

0:27:240:27:30

What would he do with the Jews

0:27:300:27:31

and the Afro-American people, if he could?

0:27:310:27:34

What would he do with them?

0:27:340:27:35

What would you do with the Jews and the Afro-Americans?

0:27:350:27:38

Well, I would send everyone back,

0:27:380:27:41

whether it's Africa for the blacks...

0:27:410:27:43

The Jews, I would gather them up

0:27:430:27:48

and put them on an island

0:27:480:27:50

where they couldn't do any harm, such as...

0:27:500:27:54

I know, in the past, Madagascar has been suggested.

0:27:540:27:57

And, of course, I would castrate the males

0:27:570:28:00

and have the females, you know,

0:28:000:28:04

with hysterectomies so they couldn't reproduce.

0:28:040:28:07

Miriam has decided she's not prepared to listen to any more.

0:28:100:28:14

I've had enough.

0:28:160:28:17

The crew are worried about what might happen

0:28:200:28:22

if she meets Pastor Mike. They send her back to the car.

0:28:220:28:27

I don't think there's any point in refuting what he says

0:28:270:28:31

because it's total bollocks from start to finish.

0:28:310:28:37

And to think that a grown-up is using the Bible

0:28:370:28:41

and quoting the Bible to purvey such...

0:28:410:28:45

..misguided, ridiculous concepts...

0:28:460:28:50

It was disgusting.

0:28:520:28:53

I'm glad I wasn't in the room with him, actually,

0:28:530:28:56

because I think I might have...

0:28:560:28:58

..behaved in an unseemly way.

0:28:590:29:01

That was a vision into hell, frankly.

0:29:060:29:10

But I've got to not let that poisonous invective,

0:29:100:29:14

that hateful non-Christian

0:29:140:29:17

blind me into what's good here.

0:29:170:29:20

I'm not going to let one bad apple infect the whole bunch.

0:29:200:29:25

Miriam's heading 180 miles south into Texas,

0:29:270:29:31

one of the most religious states in the country.

0:29:310:29:34

Here, almost 80% of adults are Christian.

0:29:340:29:38

America is a religious country - churches all over,

0:29:380:29:43

and millions of people do believe in God,

0:29:430:29:45

and I don't.

0:29:450:29:47

And I guess I have to get onto that wavelength

0:29:470:29:49

because if I'm to understand America,

0:29:490:29:52

I've got to widen my own perceptions.

0:29:520:29:58

Miriam's in Tyler City, East Texas,

0:29:580:30:01

to stay with devout Christian Dr Doug Flanders,

0:30:010:30:05

his wife Jennifer, and their 12 children.

0:30:050:30:08

-I think I'll just fart.

-SHE FARTS

0:30:100:30:12

That's better.

0:30:120:30:14

-Hello, hello! How are you?

-Hello. I'm Miriam Margolyes.

0:30:160:30:19

-Hi, Miriam. I'm Jennifer.

-Jennifer, hi.

-So good to meet you.

0:30:190:30:22

-And Doug Flanders.

-Doug, how do you do?

-Nice to meet you, Miriam.

0:30:220:30:25

-What a lovely house.

-Please come in.

0:30:250:30:27

-I farted just before I came in.

-JENNIFER LAUGHS

0:30:270:30:29

Well, I'm glad it was on the porch and not in the house.

0:30:290:30:32

I thought, "I'm not going to fart as soon as I come in."

0:30:320:30:34

So, I'm just looking at this.

0:30:340:30:36

"Whether then you eat or drink... do all to the glory of God."

0:30:360:30:41

We've had that in every house that we've, you know, ever owned.

0:30:410:30:44

That's kind of been our motto.

0:30:440:30:46

-Two people have suddenly appeared.

-Yes.

-Yes.

0:30:460:30:49

-These are two of our daughters.

-Hello. You've got 12 children.

-Yes.

0:30:490:30:52

-You've been busy!

-We have been busy. Yes, yes.

0:30:520:30:55

Gosh, you've got so many photographs.

0:30:550:30:57

I notice another homily.

0:30:570:31:00

"Children are a blessing from the Lord.

0:31:000:31:02

"Happy is the man whose quiver is full of them."

0:31:020:31:07

Did you know you were going to have lots of children?

0:31:070:31:09

Well, none of us know that,

0:31:090:31:12

but I knew I wanted lots of children.

0:31:120:31:14

In fact, when guys would ask me out,

0:31:140:31:16

I wanted to know their plans for family down the way

0:31:160:31:19

before I would accept a date, because, as a Christian,

0:31:190:31:22

I believe that the husband leads and the wife submits and...

0:31:220:31:27

-What?!

-Yes, I do, Miriam. I'm sorry. So, erm...

0:31:270:31:30

So, I just wanted to make that job as easy as I could.

0:31:300:31:33

Horses for courses, it's not for me.

0:31:330:31:36

I'm not going to submit to anybody,

0:31:360:31:39

man or woman, if I don't think it's a good thing.

0:31:390:31:42

And I'm not sure I like hierarchy in any way.

0:31:420:31:46

I like the rule of law, and that I will submit to.

0:31:460:31:50

It was important for me to learn how to cut hair

0:31:500:31:52

because I wanted to get married and have a lot of kids

0:31:520:31:56

and I knew it would save us money. I think, last calculation,

0:31:560:32:00

I think I've saved us about 38,000, if you count all the...

0:32:000:32:04

-We actually added it up at one point.

-Yes, added it up.

0:32:040:32:06

-I was brought up in a Jewish home...

-Right.

-..but I lost my faith.

0:32:060:32:12

Do you allow people to be doubters and to be like me...

0:32:120:32:18

-Absolutely.

-..who don't accept it?

-Absolutely.

-We're allowed?

0:32:180:32:21

You're allowed to do that. Yes, absolutely.

0:32:210:32:23

-It's expected.

-Oh, well, that's good.

0:32:230:32:25

-It's almost like...

-And supposing one of them was gay -

0:32:250:32:28

-how would you deal with that?

-Well, we'd love them the same as...

0:32:280:32:32

-Oh. So, that's not a sin?

-Well, it's a sin.

0:32:320:32:36

-THEY LAUGH

-There's, I mean...

0:32:360:32:38

Well, it would break my heart.

0:32:380:32:41

But not any more than it would break my heart for

0:32:410:32:44

one of my married sons to cheat on his wife.

0:32:440:32:47

So, you'd like to see America a completely Christian country?

0:32:470:32:51

We would like to see all 7.5 billion people on the planet come to Christ,

0:32:510:32:56

only because we believe God really exists

0:32:560:32:59

and that he wants to have a relationship with every person

0:32:590:33:01

of every race, and, you know, language across the planet.

0:33:010:33:05

It doesn't matter what we want,

0:33:050:33:07

because it's only God that can change hearts.

0:33:070:33:10

That's what we believe.

0:33:100:33:12

And I am also convinced that he can give you that faith

0:33:120:33:17

if that's something that you want, you know?

0:33:170:33:19

-Well, you know I don't want it because I'm happy the way I am.

-Yes.

0:33:190:33:24

Well, it's very comforting if you know you're right...

0:33:240:33:27

..and they know they're right.

0:33:290:33:31

They don't have any doubts at all,

0:33:310:33:33

and they've cemented that within their huge family.

0:33:330:33:40

This is James Michael Flanders, and he's the seventh grandkid.

0:33:400:33:45

-And your first.

-Yes, our first.

-My first. Oh, yeah.

0:33:450:33:48

-That's the important part.

-Dear God, thank you so much

0:33:480:33:51

for the blessing of James Michael.

0:33:510:33:54

I pray that, no matter what happens in this life,

0:33:540:33:58

the most important thing is that he comes to know you

0:33:580:34:00

and that he's receptive. Amen.

0:34:000:34:03

I just can't hold babies. It's just something I can't do.

0:34:030:34:06

-HE LAUGHS

-Aw.

0:34:060:34:08

-We can do half and half.

-I'd be just so terrified.

0:34:080:34:11

You can't miss out. You're too close.

0:34:110:34:14

-So sweet.

-Oh, look at that.

-Who can resist?

0:34:140:34:19

Oh, my goodness. Look at that. Got him all by yourself now.

0:34:190:34:22

You have to admit, that's sweeter than a puppy.

0:34:220:34:24

-Oh, I think it's very sweet.

-Oh, my goodness.

0:34:240:34:27

-It's just I'm a little bit alarmed.

-Oh, no. Look how beautiful.

0:34:270:34:32

I just think - get him educated properly,

0:34:320:34:36

and no sugar.

0:34:360:34:37

-THEY LAUGH

-There.

0:34:370:34:40

Doug and Jennifer follow a Christian movement

0:34:410:34:44

that believes all children are a blessing from God.

0:34:440:34:47

The more they have,

0:34:470:34:48

the more blessed they'll be.

0:34:480:34:50

We have a little sign that Jennifer made for me that just says,

0:34:500:34:54

"Do not disturb. Mom and Dad are at it again."

0:34:540:34:57

And we literally hang it...

0:34:570:34:58

We latch the latch, so they know immediately, like,

0:34:580:35:00

"Oh, don't knock on the door. Don't shout," you know.

0:35:000:35:03

-So, erm...

-HE LAUGHS

0:35:030:35:06

Blimey!

0:35:060:35:07

-I think we've shocked Miriam!

-Oh, definitely.

0:35:070:35:13

I am bereft of words.

0:35:130:35:16

Oh, well, there's nowt so queer as folk.

0:35:160:35:18

BOTH LAUGH

0:35:180:35:20

-Go over there in that corner.

-Do you want me to go...?

0:35:200:35:24

-Well, how am I going to...?

-OK.

0:35:240:35:26

-You've got to go right through. Go backwards more.

-OK.

0:35:260:35:30

-No, taut, taut.

-OK, OK!

0:35:300:35:32

Oh, you're just teaching me a whole new way to do things.

0:35:320:35:35

-We don't want it dipping.

-There we go. There we go.

-There.

0:35:350:35:38

-But that's the way to do it.

-I see that.

0:35:380:35:40

-I'm surprised I have to teach YOU that!

-I know!

0:35:400:35:43

Well, I'm used to not having a partner fold with me.

0:35:430:35:46

Do you think that it's absolutely essential to have children?

0:35:460:35:49

That procreation is a holy duty?

0:35:490:35:52

You may not like the word duty,

0:35:520:35:54

but that passage in First Corinthians

0:35:540:35:56

talking about not denying your spouse

0:35:560:36:00

definitely makes it clear that that is something that is expected,

0:36:000:36:05

both of husband and wife -

0:36:050:36:06

-that they have that intimacy together.

-But just a second,

0:36:060:36:10

you don't mean that you can't say no to your husband, do you?

0:36:100:36:13

I don't mean that, but I mean that you oughtn't to say no

0:36:130:36:18

on a regular basis.

0:36:180:36:19

Like, if you are continually pushing your husband away,

0:36:190:36:23

that's not good for the marriage.

0:36:230:36:25

Don't marginalise something that is extremely important to your husband.

0:36:250:36:30

-Sex is important.

-Yes.

0:36:300:36:32

And I think that it's wonderful and fun.

0:36:320:36:38

-Yes.

-I mean, I'm speaking from memory

0:36:380:36:39

because my partner and I, we don't have the sort of sex

0:36:390:36:43

-we used to when we were young.

-Yes.

0:36:430:36:44

-But we love each other and we cuddle and that sort of thing.

-Yes.

0:36:440:36:47

-But I can't quite tie it up with a religious duty.

-Mm.

0:36:470:36:52

I think it comes out of the love.

0:36:520:36:55

Doug and Jennifer are among a rising number of parents

0:36:560:36:59

who have removed their children from mainstream education.

0:36:590:37:02

Over 1.5 million American children are currently being home-schooled,

0:37:020:37:07

the majority Christians who think their religious beliefs

0:37:070:37:10

are being ignored.

0:37:100:37:12

Do you believe in creationism?

0:37:120:37:14

I definitely believe in creationism, yes.

0:37:140:37:16

So, you don't count any of the science

0:37:160:37:19

that says that the Earth is, you know,

0:37:190:37:22

billions of years old or whatever?

0:37:220:37:25

-I don't.

-You just ignore that? You think it's wrong?

0:37:250:37:28

It's not that I want them to never know that

0:37:280:37:31

that theory is out there, although I...

0:37:310:37:34

Theory is really too strong a word.

0:37:340:37:36

I really think there's not enough evidence to even call it a theory.

0:37:360:37:40

I think it's still a hypothesis.

0:37:400:37:42

And this idea that monkeys turned into people -

0:37:420:37:45

that is science fiction.

0:37:450:37:46

I totally reject that, and I worry about it

0:37:460:37:51

because I think that it's turning back knowledge.

0:37:510:37:56

They are a real-life Walton family.

0:37:590:38:02

They've instilled in them a sense of love,

0:38:020:38:07

a great security, great affection.

0:38:070:38:10

You can't fault it.

0:38:100:38:13

And I've tried, but I can't.

0:38:130:38:16

I just wish that they would teach them

0:38:170:38:20

the realities of evolution.

0:38:200:38:23

My principle allegiance is to the human race,

0:38:230:38:26

and I'm just always a bit nervous

0:38:260:38:28

about people belonging to lots of different teams

0:38:280:38:31

-and feeling their team is better than the other team.

-Oh.

0:38:310:38:35

That's why I was very distressed

0:38:350:38:37

when Mr Trump said, "America first. America first."

0:38:370:38:41

I think that also may be like when you're on the aeroplane,

0:38:410:38:44

they tell the parents to put the mask on yourself

0:38:440:38:47

before you try to put it on the child,

0:38:470:38:49

because if you pass out before you get it,

0:38:490:38:52

neither one of you will make it.

0:38:520:38:54

Right now, America has a lot of inner problems.

0:38:540:38:56

We have become a very divided nation.

0:38:560:38:58

Do you feel that - that it's a divided nation?

0:38:580:39:00

Yes, I do. I think that there is a big division.

0:39:000:39:04

Some viewpoints are being squeezed out,

0:39:040:39:07

where people do not even want to hear them. They...

0:39:070:39:10

You know, if you believe, as we do,

0:39:100:39:12

we're told in the classroom to just sit down and be quiet

0:39:120:39:17

because you don't have anything to contribute,

0:39:170:39:20

because you've proven that you're ignorant,

0:39:200:39:22

because you believe there's a God, and we've moved beyond that.

0:39:220:39:25

We need to get back to a place

0:39:250:39:27

where we can discuss those issues respectfully.

0:39:270:39:31

Do you feel, from being with us, that we're narrow-minded?

0:39:310:39:34

No, I don't. I think you're uni-minded,

0:39:340:39:37

because your inspiration

0:39:370:39:42

and your certainty comes from your belief in Jesus and God.

0:39:420:39:47

Yes.

0:39:470:39:49

And I respect it from afar.

0:39:490:39:53

-Yes.

-I just think it's totally bananas.

0:39:530:39:56

-You know?

-Yes.

-I just think it's wrong.

0:39:560:39:58

Have I made you cry?

0:39:580:40:01

I didn't mean to make you cry, cos that's horrible of me.

0:40:010:40:05

-Well, it's...

-I'm just sad because I know that...

0:40:050:40:08

Because I'm blinded and I don't see the truth?

0:40:080:40:13

-Yeah.

-You know, goodness, I believe in,

0:40:130:40:15

and I can see that you're good

0:40:150:40:17

and I totally acknowledge and respect that.

0:40:170:40:21

Whatever goodness you see in our life is because of God,

0:40:210:40:24

not anything else, Miriam.

0:40:240:40:27

Well, I respect it as a faith,

0:40:270:40:31

but it's not my faith, and you have to just...

0:40:310:40:35

-You know? Without Christ, I'm OK.

-I know.

0:40:360:40:40

I fell in love with the whole family.

0:40:440:40:47

And it just shows how extraordinary life is -

0:40:470:40:51

that you can meet people...

0:40:510:40:54

..with whom you have very little in common...

0:40:560:40:58

..and yet feel completely delighted by them.

0:40:590:41:03

But we're in this very strange country.

0:41:030:41:07

America is an extraordinary country,

0:41:070:41:11

full of the most ridiculous conundrums

0:41:110:41:14

and places where reason seems to have gone out the window.

0:41:140:41:19

And I can't keep up with America.

0:41:190:41:22

It's, it's defeating me. It's puzzling me.

0:41:220:41:27

It's puzzling the shit out of me, actually.

0:41:270:41:29

On her way through the south of Texas,

0:41:300:41:33

Miriam's stopping off in the city of Beaumont.

0:41:330:41:35

Here, at the same time Texas voted for Trump to be president,

0:41:370:41:41

Beaumont voted for their new sheriff.

0:41:410:41:44

Her name is Zena,

0:41:440:41:45

and she's Texas's first-ever black female sheriff.

0:41:450:41:49

I don't know what she's going to be like,

0:41:510:41:53

but I know she was elected, just like Trump was elected.

0:41:530:41:58

And she's completely different, apparently,

0:41:580:42:01

from the man who was in her job before, for 20 years.

0:42:010:42:05

-THUNDER RUMBLES

-Ooh, storms.

0:42:050:42:09

Storms ahead, perhaps.

0:42:090:42:12

A political science graduate,

0:42:120:42:14

Zena served for 17 years in the local sheriff's office

0:42:140:42:17

before standing for election as sheriff herself.

0:42:170:42:20

Her aim? To unite the community.

0:42:200:42:23

-Hi! Come on in.

-So pleased to meet you.

0:42:240:42:27

-I'm a hugger. Can I hug you?

-No, not the first time.

-OK.

0:42:270:42:30

I never let people come too near the first time.

0:42:300:42:33

-OK.

-And then, after that, they can't get me away.

0:42:330:42:36

-All right, so let's hurry up and get to the second time, OK?

-OK!

0:42:360:42:39

-Come on in.

-Thank you.

0:42:390:42:41

-Come on into my office.

-So, this is your kingdom in here?

0:42:410:42:44

This is the sheriff's department. Come on in.

0:42:440:42:47

-Nice and comfy.

-Yeah.

0:42:470:42:49

-So, you're a black woman sheriff.

-Yes.

0:42:490:42:54

And one of those feels very odd, and that's the sheriff bit.

0:42:540:42:59

Yes. I didn't do it because I wanted to be the first.

0:42:590:43:02

I did it because I wanted to be a good cop

0:43:020:43:04

and change some things that I saw going on in the community.

0:43:040:43:06

-Did you have much opposition?

-Yes.

0:43:060:43:08

They shot at my campaign headquarters in the primary.

0:43:080:43:11

Some person drove by, I was standing outside,

0:43:110:43:14

and yelled the N word and shot at me.

0:43:140:43:15

And so I still understand that we live in the South

0:43:150:43:19

and there are people that would be opposed

0:43:190:43:21

-to me running for this office.

-My God!

0:43:210:43:24

So, you and Trump came together, did you?

0:43:240:43:25

-Isn't that crazy?

-It is a bit!

-And I think one of the reasons

0:43:250:43:29

that happened is I think people were ready for change, and we both represent change.

0:43:290:43:33

In my case, I think it's a good thing.

0:43:330:43:35

In his case, you know, that's another story.

0:43:350:43:37

But I think people were looking for something different.

0:43:370:43:40

And what are you going to give them that's different?

0:43:400:43:42

My big thing is, you know, diversity,

0:43:420:43:45

trying to change the image of sheriff's offices, you know.

0:43:450:43:48

Traditionally, you see cowboys in cowboy hats and boots,

0:43:480:43:52

and the good-old-boy system.

0:43:520:43:53

And so I've gone out and hired more minorities.

0:43:530:43:55

We can't change the system unless people who look like us

0:43:550:43:58

are part of the system.

0:43:580:43:59

I think people are culturally separate in our country right now.

0:43:590:44:04

You know, we pretend to be 2017, and, you know, we're progressive,

0:44:040:44:09

you know, but our country is racially still very divided.

0:44:090:44:11

The African-American population is about 47%, 48%, I believe.

0:44:110:44:15

What's happening, though, is kind of the white flight.

0:44:150:44:18

You've got Caucasians leaving our community

0:44:180:44:20

to go to the outlying areas that are specifically white.

0:44:200:44:23

Those people, I would consider, like, the Trump supporters,

0:44:230:44:26

who are afraid that all the minority groups

0:44:260:44:29

are going to get together and take over.

0:44:290:44:32

So, the fact that you've been elected

0:44:320:44:34

-is a kind of change over of power, isn't it?

-Absolutely.

0:44:340:44:38

You know, America is great, and so when I hear people say,

0:44:380:44:41

"Let's make America great again," I ask people, "What does that mean?

0:44:410:44:45

"Does it mean that, you know, you want to go back to slavery?"

0:44:450:44:48

Because even in all its flaws, in 2017,

0:44:480:44:51

I'm a black sheriff, we've had a black president.

0:44:510:44:54

I believe we're on the right path.

0:44:540:44:56

What time period in our country's history

0:44:560:44:59

was America better than it is now?

0:44:590:45:01

And I ask that question to some older white people

0:45:010:45:03

and they're almost embarrassed to answer that,

0:45:030:45:05

because what that means to me is you want to go back to a period

0:45:050:45:08

when minorities were quiet and uneducated...

0:45:080:45:12

-Yeah.

-..or picking cotton. What else could that mean?

0:45:120:45:17

Well, she's really something.

0:45:170:45:19

Her desire is for unity.

0:45:190:45:21

You know, the United States of Beaumont

0:45:210:45:24

is what she's after, and I think she's going to get it.

0:45:240:45:28

To help stop divisions in the community,

0:45:280:45:30

Beaumont is hosting an LGBT event.

0:45:300:45:33

The President, however, has just announced that

0:45:330:45:36

he wants transgender people removed from certain institutions.

0:45:360:45:40

-REPORTER:

-Donald Trump recently announced that transgender people

0:45:400:45:43

will not be able to serve in the US Armed Forces in any capacity.

0:45:430:45:47

If you had asked me, in the middle of 2016,

0:45:470:45:51

to do a television interview

0:45:510:45:52

to identify myself as a transgender woman,

0:45:520:45:55

to make myself that public,

0:45:550:45:57

I would have been like, "Yeah, this is a good thing."

0:45:570:45:59

I'm a lot more wary now of doing that

0:45:590:46:02

because we're being attacked

0:46:020:46:04

and they're going on a little witch-hunt.

0:46:040:46:06

They're looking for people like me,

0:46:060:46:07

and I don't want to be as public any more as I used to,

0:46:070:46:12

because that runs a personal danger for me.

0:46:120:46:14

It's shameful that because they're not in the category

0:46:140:46:18

that people want to put them in, that they are...

0:46:180:46:21

..the victims of violence and horrible remarks.

0:46:220:46:26

We just recently heard how there's a transgender phase-out -

0:46:260:46:29

that's how it's being referred to -

0:46:290:46:31

a phase-out programme for the military.

0:46:310:46:33

We're literally talking about people trying to erase us

0:46:330:46:36

from one institution at a time, one system at a time.

0:46:360:46:40

To erase us from public. That's very strong language

0:46:400:46:43

when you're just trying to be a human being.

0:46:430:46:46

If people are frightened to go outside

0:46:460:46:48

because they don't fit into a gender category,

0:46:480:46:51

you know something is wrong and it has to change.

0:46:510:46:54

Right now, with the Trump administration

0:46:540:46:56

and with all these very backwards policies,

0:46:560:46:58

it's important now, more than ever, to speak up.

0:46:580:47:00

Can I say something?

0:47:000:47:02

As a law-enforcement officer in this community

0:47:020:47:04

and a leader in this community,

0:47:040:47:06

when I hear you talk about being afraid to be visible,

0:47:060:47:09

I'm going to tell you guys - you're not alone.

0:47:090:47:11

And I'm not just talking about from a cop perspective.

0:47:110:47:14

-I'm black, if y'all hadn't noticed.

-LAUGHTER

0:47:140:47:16

-OK?

-Oh, and you're a woman, too.

-Yeah!

0:47:160:47:18

LAUGHTER

0:47:180:47:21

And so, while we laugh and make light of it,

0:47:210:47:24

what I do know is we've got to start

0:47:240:47:25

embarrassing these people in our community

0:47:250:47:27

and we've got to start making them accountable for the things that they say and do.

0:47:270:47:30

I'm 100% with them,

0:47:340:47:36

and I think that the fact that the sheriff is here,

0:47:360:47:41

supportive, wants to do things...

0:47:410:47:44

I think Beaumont is an example to this nation.

0:47:450:47:50

I would just so love it if, one day, we never did have to say,

0:47:500:47:53

"I'm gender fluid or I'm man or woman or gay or

0:47:530:47:58

"on the way or trans or whatever..."

0:47:580:48:01

You know? I want to pull down those barriers, if possible.

0:48:010:48:07

These people are helping and trying and working

0:48:080:48:12

to mend their damaged community.

0:48:120:48:16

They are showing America how to become one society,

0:48:160:48:21

and I think that Zena

0:48:210:48:23

should stand for president.

0:48:230:48:25

I've told her that, and I hope she will.

0:48:270:48:30

Yield. Don't ask me to yield! I never yield!

0:48:300:48:36

After nearly two months and over 1,000 miles,

0:48:360:48:40

Miriam is heading through the state of Louisiana

0:48:400:48:42

to her final destination -

0:48:420:48:44

the city of New Orleans.

0:48:440:48:47

Look! Ha-ha! New Orleans!

0:48:470:48:51

-AMERICAN ACCENT:

-I's here, baby! Get ready!

0:48:510:48:55

Oh, gosh!

0:48:550:48:56

New Orleans is the end of the line,

0:48:580:49:01

not just for me, but for the end of America,

0:49:010:49:05

because it is the coast. Margate's a bit the same.

0:49:050:49:08

You get all kinds of weirdos landing up by the sea.

0:49:080:49:13

But I'm looking forward to it. I like odd types.

0:49:130:49:18

New Orleans has always had a hugely diverse population,

0:49:180:49:22

but it was here, in 2005,

0:49:220:49:25

where Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city

0:49:250:49:28

that the divisions between rich and poor in America

0:49:280:49:31

were brought to the world's attention.

0:49:310:49:33

Many in the poorest neighbourhoods were left stranded,

0:49:330:49:36

waiting for days for any rescue attempt to be put into place.

0:49:360:49:40

-REPORTER:

-It's the stuff of disaster movies -

0:49:400:49:42

a scene reminiscent of the Civil War.

0:49:420:49:45

So many poor, black homes either flooded or destroyed

0:49:450:49:49

that more whites now live in New Orleans than blacks.

0:49:490:49:53

It's been through a hell of a battering

0:49:530:49:56

when the hurricane came,

0:49:560:49:58

and things didn't go right for a long time.

0:49:580:50:02

So, I'm quite interested to see how it's recovered

0:50:020:50:06

from that grim period.

0:50:060:50:07

Thank you.

0:50:080:50:10

Oh!

0:50:130:50:15

That's nice.

0:50:160:50:18

Well, I've certainly got a bit of luxury,

0:50:180:50:20

which is what I wanted at the end of the trip.

0:50:200:50:23

-Oh, hello. Thank you.

-Yes, ma'am.

0:50:230:50:25

The gap between rich and poor in America is shocking.

0:50:250:50:28

It's a country of contrasts,

0:50:280:50:31

and the contrasts are sharper down the middle

0:50:310:50:34

because the poor here are very poor and the rich are oil-rich.

0:50:340:50:40

Despite nearly 80% of the city being affected by hurricane flooding,

0:50:450:50:49

the historical French Quarter survived largely unscathed.

0:50:490:50:53

A pharmacy museum.

0:50:530:50:56

That's fabulous!

0:50:560:50:59

What we're looking at right here is

0:51:010:51:03

the original artefacts from this building,

0:51:030:51:05

which, believe it or not, came from the privy.

0:51:050:51:09

-The loo? From the loo?

-From the loo. The outdoor loo.

0:51:090:51:12

That's what we call it in England, the loo.

0:51:120:51:14

I've been travelling down the middle of America,

0:51:140:51:16

-and I haven't seen anything old. It's all been new.

-Yeah.

0:51:160:51:20

It feels so different than the rest of America, don't you think?

0:51:200:51:23

-Yes, I do.

-Yeah. It's the French and the Spanish influence,

0:51:230:51:26

and, of course, the African, indigenous Caribbean,

0:51:260:51:29

all right here in these few blocks.

0:51:290:51:30

Does everybody get on here or is there prejudice?

0:51:300:51:33

Oh, of course there is, but there are a lot of things

0:51:330:51:36

that are just sort of like universal equalisers,

0:51:360:51:39

like Carnival, and the whole city can come together,

0:51:390:51:43

which is really amazing.

0:51:430:51:44

-Is it fun to live here?

-Oh, absolutely!

0:51:440:51:47

I think it's magic to live here.

0:51:470:51:50

This feels like a civilised place, and it's seen everything.

0:51:510:51:56

It's had hurricanes, it's had flooding,

0:51:560:52:00

it's had horrible racial-prejudice divides,

0:52:000:52:05

and it's come out beautiful,

0:52:050:52:07

sophisticated, and I just love it.

0:52:070:52:11

"Caramel Curves - New Orleans all-female biker gang."

0:52:130:52:18

They're a whole different breed of women.

0:52:190:52:22

They look fun.

0:52:220:52:24

Oh, God!

0:52:260:52:27

The Caramel Curves came together after Hurricane Katrina.

0:52:290:52:33

They were co-founded by nail bar owner Coco.

0:52:330:52:36

-That's it. Thank you, sir.

-All right?

0:52:360:52:39

-Hi!

-Are you Coco?

-Yes, ma'am, I am.

-Very nice to meet you.

0:52:390:52:43

-Thanks for letting us come.

-Same here, honey.

0:52:430:52:45

-So, this is your place?

-Yes, this is my little humble abode.

0:52:450:52:49

-Now, tell me, is this right about the girl biker gang?

-Yes.

0:52:490:52:55

That would be us.

0:52:550:52:57

It's an all-female club.

0:52:570:52:58

You have to have a vagina and a motorbike.

0:52:580:53:00

-Well, I've got one of those.

-THEY LAUGH

0:53:000:53:03

I don't think I could show my bosoms off

0:53:030:53:06

-like you're showing your bosoms.

-Yes.

0:53:060:53:08

I've got 'em, make no mistake. They're there.

0:53:080:53:10

-We just need to cut this right here.

-They're under wraps slightly.

0:53:100:53:13

Yeah, no, I got something, we can push them up with tape.

0:53:130:53:17

-Cut this right here. You're in.

-I'm not having you cut my top.

0:53:170:53:20

-It sounds huge fun.

-It is.

0:53:200:53:24

And it's women being out there and brave

0:53:240:53:28

and not being told what to do.

0:53:280:53:31

Right. It's your own time,

0:53:310:53:33

your own moment, where you get to be free.

0:53:330:53:37

-How are you doing?

-Hello. Oh, my God!

-Nice to meet you.

0:53:370:53:40

-I'm Miriam.

-I'm Quiet Storm with the Caramel Curves.

0:53:400:53:43

-Quiet Storm?

-Yes.

0:53:430:53:45

Come to present you with this helmet that you can borrow tonight?

0:53:450:53:48

-I've never worn a helmet, so I don't...

-Really?

-No.

0:53:480:53:51

Darling, I'm a white middle-class girl.

0:53:510:53:53

-I don't know anything.

-THEY LAUGH

0:53:530:53:55

Just push it down. Now I can't see anything.

0:53:550:53:58

-Oh, now I can.

-You're good.

0:53:580:54:00

Now we just need to put you on one of the motorbikes.

0:54:000:54:02

You look like a bikie,

0:54:020:54:04

and I just look like a delivery girl!

0:54:040:54:07

I think they are amazing women of great courage,

0:54:140:54:18

and what we say in Yiddish - "koach".

0:54:180:54:21

It means they've got balls, they've got strength,

0:54:210:54:25

and I wish I'd met them when I was younger,

0:54:250:54:28

but I'm too short and I'm too old and I'm too scared.

0:54:280:54:32

I'm just too scared, really. I'm going to follow them.

0:54:320:54:35

New Orleans is a place where black people...

0:54:410:54:45

..have come into their own,

0:54:460:54:49

and showed the world how strong they are.

0:54:490:54:52

And these women just want to be free and independent.

0:54:520:54:57

There have been moments during the journey

0:54:570:55:00

when freedom and independence and hopefulness

0:55:000:55:05

were rather at the bottom of the pile.

0:55:050:55:07

Here, these girls are giving light at the end of the tunnel.

0:55:070:55:12

You are one hell of a wild bunch!

0:55:190:55:22

You've still got to raise your shirt up and show your tits.

0:55:220:55:25

-Oh, I can do that any time!

-LAUGHTER

0:55:250:55:29

-I don't mind doing that!

-You is a hot girl!

0:55:290:55:33

I think you're wonderful. I mean that with all my heart.

0:55:350:55:40

-You give me hope.

-Thank you.

-Not just for me, but for America.

0:55:400:55:44

And it lifts my heart, and lifts my tits, as well.

0:55:440:55:47

-LAUGHTER

-Bye-bye. God bless. Bye-bye.

0:55:470:55:51

I am at the end of my trip

0:55:510:55:53

and I think the effect on me personally has been very chastening.

0:55:530:55:59

I feel that I was too quick to judgment,

0:55:590:56:03

too intolerant, too confrontational.

0:56:030:56:07

In a way, all the things that you could say about Mr Trump.

0:56:070:56:10

I was a sort of mini, mini Trump.

0:56:100:56:13

A Trumpess.

0:56:130:56:15

-A Trumpette.

-SHE LAUGHS

0:56:150:56:17

But I think that is wrong,

0:56:170:56:20

and I believe that I have become more able

0:56:200:56:24

to see the other person's point of view.

0:56:240:56:27

You can salute across the chasm that divides you.

0:56:270:56:32

Miriam has decided that, despite the weather,

0:56:340:56:37

she wants her last view of America to be from the Mississippi.

0:56:370:56:40

I feel very fond of America, but very worried about it.

0:56:410:56:45

It is divided. And as long as that chap in Washington is there,

0:56:450:56:50

I'm not sure it's going to meld together again.

0:56:500:56:54

So, I'm just a little bit anxious as I leave this great nation,

0:56:540:57:00

but the positives are always the people,

0:57:000:57:03

and they are fabulous.

0:57:030:57:05

They're varied and courageous and funny and brave and daring.

0:57:050:57:11

They have intelligence and compassion.

0:57:110:57:15

People that just make me happy, give me hope.

0:57:150:57:21

And I need it at the moment because, really,

0:57:210:57:24

America is in a tangle and I want it to sort itself out.

0:57:240:57:28

But there is a hope, there is a future.

0:57:300:57:33

They are a strong, decent nation.

0:57:330:57:36

I should be president!

0:57:370:57:39

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