Quotes of the Day

At first I wasn't going to watch either of the Democratic debates. But then . . . I heard about something Marianne Williamson [left] said. And when I watched a clip of her comment, I then watched both full debates, in order for me to make sure I was being completely truthful [in saying] this . . .

The best, the most sane, the most truthful, the most radical, the most inspirational, the most intelligent, and the most dangerous (from the standpoint of people and institutions in/of power in the USA and beyond) moment of both the recent Democratic debates, IMO, was when Marianne Williamson spoke about us not having a "health care" system in America but a "sickness care" system instead. And then she crowned it all by naming the specific conspiratorial systems that are to blame for this state of affairs – “chemical policies, environmental policies, food policies, drug policies.” And of course she got cut off.

And then . . . there was her comment essentially about the Power of LOVE that has seemingly gone over the heads of 99% of the people who watched the debates, including the heads of lots of spiritual people. Oh, well . . .

I believe these two comments by Williamson are probably the most honest and important statements anyone has ever said in the entire (at least modern) history of political debates in America. Seriously.

Thank you Marianne Williamson!

– Friar André Maria
via Facebook
June 28, 2019

Aside from [Kamala] Harris’ strong performance, Pete [Buttigieg]’s disarming humility and [Joe] Biden’s slow-rolling flameout, I found Marianne Williamson to be one of the most intriguing people on the stage. When the subject of the concentration camps at the border was raised, Williamson boldly went to one of the core issues of the crisis. “I haven’t heard anybody on this stage who has talked about American foreign policy in Latin America,” she said, “and how we might have in the last few decades contributed to something being more helpful.”

It was a necessary shout-out to a facet of U.S. foreign policy that gets short shrift because it is uncomfortable for the many politicians of both parties who have long supported it. To no small degree, U.S. actions in Central and South America are a reason why so many migrants have been flooding north, and Williamson damn well said it out loud.

Having Marianne Williamson on the stage was like having the internet participate in the debate. That is not an insult; the internet is my office, and it was important to have someone up there willing to say the kind of things that get left out, even by candidates like Sanders and Warren. A friend noted that most run-of-the-mill politicians focus on problems in the branches, while Williamson has a way of looking at the roots. She was a welcome and refreshing presence . . . and I hope she stays in the race for a while.

– William Rivers Pitt
Quoted in “Joe Biden and Chuck Todd
Lose the Second Democratic Debate”
TruthOut
June 28, 2019

Related Off-site Links:
Marianne Williamson's Vibe at Thursday's Debate Was All Love. People Couldn't Get Enough – Rachel E. Greespan (TIME, June 28, 2019).
Marianne Williamson Sums Up Trump's Victory and Highlights Issue for Democrats – Faris Bseiso and Gregory Krieg (CNN, June 28, 2019).
From Harris and Biden's Face Off to Williamson's Words of Wisdom: Here's How the 2nd Night of Democratic Debate Unfolded – Kendall Karson, Elizabeth Thomas, and Quinn Scanlan (ABC News, June 28, 2019).
Marianne Williamson’s “Girlfriend” Call to New Zealand and Her Other Best Moments in the Debates – Emily Stewart (Vox, June 28, 2019).
Marianne Williamson Gains Attention During Heated Democratic Debate With Unique Performance – Kendall Karson and Briana Stewart (ABC News, June 28, 2019).
In Praise of the Bizarre Charm of Marianne Williamson – Shannon Palus (Slate, June 28, 2019).
Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Marianne Williamson Want to Harness God and Love to Beat Trump – Peter Weber (The Week, June 28, 2019).
Last But (Maybe) Not Least: Marianne Williamson Scolds Rivals on Debate Stage – Ledyard King, Jason Lalljee and Sarah Elbeshbishi (USA Today, June 28, 2019).
Marianne Williamson and the Rise of “Spiritual But Not Religious” – Matthew Zeitlin (Vox, June 28, 2019).
What Does Marianne Williamson Believe? Where the Candidate Stands on 8 Issues – PBS NewsHour, May 13, 2019).
Here’s What 2020 Long-shot Marianne Williamson’s Candidacy Says About the State of American Politics in the Age of Trump – Valerie Block (CNBC, June 24, 2019).
Marianne Williamson: Can a Presidential Bid Fueled by Love Transcend the Politics of Fear? – Margie Warrell (Forbes, January 29, 2019).
Marianne Williamson Put a Spell on Me – Matt McDonald (Spectator USA, June 28, 2019).
Ignore Marianne Williamson At Your Peril – Mary McNamara (Los Angeles Times, June 28, 2019).
Marianne Williamson Back in Iowa for First Time Since Democratic Debates – Gage Miskimen (Des Moines Register, June 29, 2019).
Marianne Williamson Finds New Fans in Iowa After Debate – Iowa Starting Line (June 29, 2019).

Above: On the day after her participation in the Democratic presidential candidates' debate, Marianne Williamson traveled to the Homestead detention center, a for-profit detention facility for migrant children. Here she joined with others to bear witness to the great injustice and lack of compassion that Homestead represents. She later shared the following on social media.

I’m on my way back now from a visit to the Homestead detention center. We stood on ladders in order to see over the fence and look at children who are detained here. What I saw on this side of the fence is as important as what I saw on the other side: politicians, human rights groups, religious groups, social justice advocates, all kinds of people bearing witness to the agony here. Gandhi spoke of soul force, and that’s where the religious concept of bearing witness to the agony of others first took political expression.

There are two things for us to remember: number one, that the deliberate infliction of trauma on detained children is a moral crime, and should be seen as a legal one as well. It’s important that we recognize how powerful is the darkness here, in order to motivate ourselves to embrace the light that casts it out. That is what I meant by my comment at the debate last night, that where Trump has politicized fear we will politicize love. I saw a lot of love at Homestead today. A lot of people bearing witness. A lot of people there to share information with people like myself. Kudos to Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell for leading the political effort for her district. There are 2,700 to 3,000 young people detained here. The detention facility is a profit-making venture, and housing each child costs $775 a day.

As I have reminded people often, a common characteristic of advanced species is the fierce behavior of the adult female when she senses a threat to her cubs. We should all see these children as our cubs. The love that will save the world cannot be only the love for our own children; it is also love for children on the other side of town, and the other side of the world. Nor is it enough to have moral principles; we must be willing to take a stand for them. Take a stand for these children. We must love them and we must rescue them. This injustice need not be.

For more coverage at The Wild Reed of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, see:
• Marianne Williamson: Quote of the Day – November 5, 2018
• Jacob Weindling: Quote of the Day – November 19, 2018
• Something to Think About – February 19, 2019
• Quotes(s) of the Day – February 26, 2019
• Bernie Sanders: Quote of the Day – March 2, 2019
• Talkin’ ’Bout An Evolution: Marianne Williamson’s Presidential Bid
• Why Marianne Williamson Is a Serious and Credible Presidential Candidate
• Pete Buttigieg: Quote of the Day – April 17, 2019
• Marianne Williamson: Quote of the Day – April 24, 2019
• Marianne Williamson: Reaching for Higher Ground
• Progressive Perspectives on Joe Biden's Presidential Run
• Beto, Biden and Buttigieg: “Empty Suits and Poll-Tested Brands”
• Pete Buttigieg, White Privilege, and Identity Politics
• “A Lefty With Soul”: Why Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson Deserves Some Serious Attention
• Bernie Sanders: Quote of the Day – June 12, 2019
• Sometimes You Just Have to Take Matters Into Your Own Hands . . .
• Marianne Williamson Plans on Sharing Some “Big Truths” on Tonight's Debate Stage
• Pete Buttigieg: Quote of the Day – June 27, 2019