Montreal Journalist Describes 'close-up view of two very different Americas the day after Charlie Kirk died'

In a poignant column published in the Montreal Gazette on September 20, 2025, Josh Freed recounts a tense and revealing trip across the U.S. border from Canada—just one day after the shocking assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk—offering a vivid glimpse into the stark divides gripping America.

A Chilly Border Entry

Freed and his companions approached the crossing with a sense of unease, their first casual venture south since Donald Trump's reelection victory. It felt almost like slipping into hostile ground; friends had ribbed them as "tourist traitors" for daring to go. The irony peaked with the timing: Kirk's death had just ignited national grief and fury, amplifying the already raw political fault lines.

At the border, a stern U.S. customs officer fired off rapid, probing questions about their plans, jobs, and motives, his tone laced with suspicion. Once cleared, the group plunged into a landscape draped in mourning—flags drooping at half-staff, many adorned with heartfelt "Remember Charlie" tributes. News outlets buzzed with dire warnings of a deepening chasm and rising threats of violence, turning every radio and screen into a echo chamber of anxiety.

Heartland Heartache: Tears Over a Fallen Voice

Driving through upstate New York, they pulled into a cozy, timeworn diner in a blue-collar town. The young waitress, bubbly and efficient in that classic American hospitality way, greeted them warmly, even calling Freed "dear."

But as she handed over the check, her eyes welled up; she'd been crying nonstop over Kirk, a radio staple in her life. To her, he was a gentle soul gunned down for daring to voice truths about faith, family, and "traditional marriage"—the kind between a man and woman, with clear roles: him at work, her at home, evoking a bygone era of stability.

Freed notes the tragedy of Kirk's peaceful end but grapples with the activist's often inflammatory rhetoric on immigrants, racial minorities, LGBTQ+ folks, and women, wondering what drew such devotion from this modern, working millennial pining for a 1950s ideal she'd never known.

Urban Echoes: Soul-Searching at the Birthday Bash

The contrast sharpened the next evening at their destination: a lively 50th birthday bash for a friend in the rural New York countryside. The crowd skewed urban and progressive—journalists from outlets like The New York Times and The New Yorker—where Trump fans were scarcer than honest politicians.

Shock over Kirk's killing mingled with outrage at the president's swift finger-pointing toward "radical left terrorists." Despair hung heavy; one guest, a veteran Soviet-era dissident, warned how magnetic populists like Trump could entrench themselves far longer than foes imagine, especially with working-class adoration.

Yet amid the gloom, a thread of introspection wove through: How to bridge the gulf? One attendee lamented losing touch with her own nation, urging a way to clash ideas without shattering coexistence. Freed couldn't help drawing parallels to Canada, where sharp divides in views rarely erupt into outright war, thanks to a shared commitment to civil discourse.

Thunder on Two Wheels: The Parade of Patriotism

The divide crystallized during a group bike outing from the party—nearly 40 riders pedaling leisurely through the fields—when a thunderous parade of over 50 revving motorcycles overtook them. Whooping riders, draped in massive Stars and Stripes, buzzed past like a rolling rally, their fervor a thunderclap of unyielding patriotism.

It was, Freed muses, the perfect emblem: one America gliding on two wheels in thoughtful debate, the other roaring ahead on chrome steeds, perhaps with Trump himself at the helm.

Northbound Relief: Humming Home to Unity

The return leg offered swift relief. The Canadian border agent beamed like an old pal, waving them through with effortless charm and a passport flourish. As they rolled back north, Freed found himself softly whistling "O Canada," grateful for a homeland where disagreements simmer but unity endures.

Their brief "treasonous" jaunt behind them, he vows a long hiatus from the States, cherishing the quiet privilege of belonging to a team that fights fair.