What happens when Coloradans with different viewpoints ask each other the tough questions? New documentary offers glimpse of the answer
Attorney General Phil Weiser releases short film in celebration of Constitution Day
Sept. 16, 2022 (DENVER) – Coloradans have unique perspectives shaped by the wide variety of landscapes, political affiliations, and upbringings that make our state a great place to live and work. In honor of Constitution Day, Attorney General Phil Weiser released a short documentary, which tells an inspiring story of how Coloradans, meaningfully engaging in conversation with each other, honor the legacy of our Constitution — that people work together across differences to form a more perfect union.
In the film, four Coloradans—Ryan, Marcus, Suzanne, and Wendy—discuss some of the most difficult questions facing our state, from access to firearms to education to how to manage Colorado’s natural resources. As they talk through these complex issues, they also learn more about each other and share how their experiences — be it surviving the Aurora theater shooting or running for local office — shaped their beliefs. Although the four live in different communities and have different political perspectives, they also find common ground and form meaningful connections.
The film depicts how, despite differences, Coloradans can agree on big goals for our state and country and engage in civil and respectful dialogue.
“This documentary highlights a central value of our democratic republic — that more unites us than divides us,” Weiser said. “The way forward requires us all to engage in respectful dialogue with one another, learn from those with different views, and find common ground.”
The documentary follows the four individuals as they participate in the Colorado Unify Challenge. This initiative was co-sponsored by Weiser and former Secretary of State Wayne Williams and designed in partnership with the nonpartisan, nonprofit Unify America. It represents an innovative way of bridging our nation’s increased divisions and demonstrating that everyday Coloradans reject political fighting in favor of collaborative problem-solving.
The Colorado Unify Challenge was a one-day event of live, unrehearsed, one-on-one online conversations between Coloradans with different perspectives. Ryan, Marcus, Suzanne, and Wendy were among the hundreds of Coloradans who participated, and the film’s depictions of their interactions offer a chance to see what some of those frank conversations were like.
This documentary was produced in partnership with Unify America and Jackson House Films and is part of Weiser’s Ginsburg/Scalia Initiative, which develops and celebrates the norm of respectful dialogue, listening, learning from different points of view, and collaborative problem-solving. The documentary is available at coag.gov/ginsburgscalia.
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