Marianne Williamson in Democratic candidates debate in Detroit Michigan, July 30-31, 2019

On Civil Rights: Reparations is a debt that is owed, not financial assistance

Q: Many of your opponents support a commission to study the issue of reparations for slavery. But you are calling for up to $500 billion in financial assistance?

WILLIAMSON: It's not $500 billion in financial assistance. It's $500 billion payment of a debt that is owed. That is what reparations is. We need to recognize that when it comes to the economic gap between blacks and whites in America, it does come from a great injustice: 250 years of slavery followed by another hundred years of domestic terrorism.

Q: What makes you qualified to determine the figure $500 billion?

WILLIAMSON: There were 4 million slaves at the end of the Civil War, and they were all promised 40 acres and a mule for every family of four. If you did the math today, it would be trillions of dollars. Anything less than $100 billion is an insult. I believe that $200 billion to $500 billion is politically feasible today, because so many Americans realize there is an injustice that only reparations will heal

Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

On Corporations: Rise up against the false God of corporate economics

Now it is time for a generation of Americans to rise up again, for an amoral economic system has turned short-term profits for huge multi-national corporations into a false god. And this new false god takes precedence over the safety and the health and the well-being of we the American people and the people of the world and the planet on which we live. Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

On Education: Getting rid of college debt will stimulate economy

I think that all domestic and international policy should be based on the idea that anything we do to help people thrive is a stimulation to our economy. If we get rid of this college debt, think of all the young people who will have the discretionary spending; they'll be able to start their business. The best thing you could do to stimulate the U.S. economy is to get rid of this debt. This is not just about a plan to do it. It's about a philosophy of governing. Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

On Environment: Flint is just tip of the iceberg of environmental injustice

Q: What's your response on the Flint water crisis?

WILLIAMSON: My response is that Flint is just the tip of the iceberg. We have an administration that has gutted the Clean Water Act. We have communities, particularly communities of color and disadvantaged communities all over this country who are suffering from environmental injustice. This is part of the dark underbelly of American society. It's bigger than Flint it's particularly people who do not have the money to fight back.

Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

On Government Reform: For constitutional amendment for public funding of campaigns

Q: What about gun safety?

Williamson: The issue of gun safety is that the NRA has us in a chokehold, but so do the pharmaceutical companies, so do the health insurance companies, so do the fossil fuel companies, and so do the defense contractors, and none of this will change until we either pass a constitutional amendment or pass legislation that establishes public funding for federal campaigns. It is time for us to start over with people who have not taken donations from any of those corporations.

Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

On Health Care: We need to talk about causes, not just symptoms

The Democratic Party needs to understand that we should be the party that talks, not just about symptoms, but about causes. We need to realize we have a sickness care rather than a healthcare system. We need to be the party talking about why so many of our chemical policies and our food policies and our agricultural policies and our environment policies and even our economic policies are leading to people sick to begin with. Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

The above quotations are from Democratic candidates debate in Detroit Michigan, July 30-31, 2019. Click here for main summary page. Click here for a profile of Marianne Williamson. Click here for Marianne Williamson on all issues.
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Page last updated: Sep 08, 2019