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Short segment of a talk given by Democratic Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson at the University of New Hampshire Carsey School of Public Policy on October 6, 2019. marianne2020.com

The issue of public policy is not 'How are we going to pay for greater education?'
The issue of public policy is 'First you feed the babies. That should be the bottom line. First you feed the kids.'

So spoke Democratic Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson at the University of New Hampshire Carsey School of Public Policy on October 6, 2019 (full video is at the end of this article).

As I listened to Marianne speak, I realized that the focus lately, made obvious with the Climate March, has been shifting to the youth... to the future. As it should. Those of us who are over 60 might not be around in 2050, but the children will be... hopefully.

This is why it is so important to change our focus from dollars and cents, to the health, sanity, and well-being of the children... of the future.

The food they eat should be prioritized... both in quality and in availability. For example: school lunches should not include nitrated hot dogs, and sugared drinks. Healthy food should be available at reasonable prices in food deserts (urban areas in which it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food). Education should include valid information on nutrition and health.

The quality of the children's education should be prioritized, whether they live in high-tax affluent neighborhoods, or in low-income, thus low-budget, school districts.

The environment they live in, the air they breathe, the water they drink, the streets they play in need to by healthy and safe.

"First we feed the babies."

As Marianne Williamson expresses in her presentation, for a species to survive, the children must thrive. In most animal species, the mother becomes ferocious when her children are threatened -- think of a mama bear and her cubs. Well... our children are threatened... poor health, obesity, sub-standard education, lack of affordable day care, lack of educational and recreational resources, neighborhoods polluted both mentally, emotionally, and physically, the threat and the reality of climate change, anxiety and outright fear about the future. There are so many dangers facing the young generation, and it is up to us "the adults in the room" to stand up and do something about it. It is time for us to become ferocious... to take action, or to make sure those in power take action on our behalf, and on the behalf of the children, and we start by electing representatives that share our values and our vision of a better future for all.

What will you do? Where does your responsibility lay? This is a question that each of us needs to answer, and take action upon, in order to help create a better future, not only for ourselves and our children, but for the planet at large.

Here is the complete powerful and inspiring presentation (44 minutes) by Marianne Williamson:
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Book by Marianne Williamson

A Politics of Love: A Handbook for a New American Revolution
by Marianne Williamson

In this stirring call to arms, the activist, spiritual leader, and New York Times bestselling author of the classic A Return to Love confronts the cancerous politics of fear and divisiveness threatening the United States today, urging all spiritually aware Americans to return to—and act out of—our deepest value: love. (Also available as a Kindle edition.)

About Marianne Williamson

Marianne Williamson is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and activist. Six of her published books have been New York Times bestsellers. Her books include A Return to Love, A Year of Miracles, The Law of Divine Compensation, The Gift of Change, The Age of Miracles, Everyday Grace, A Woman’s Worth, and Illuminata. She has been a popular guest on television programs such as Oprah, Good Morning America, and Charlie Rose. She is a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.

More Books by Marianne Williamson

About The Author

Marie T. Russell is the founder of InnerSelf Magazine (founded 1985). She also produced and hosted a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1992-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our own inner source of joy and creativity.

Creative Commons 3.0: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License. Attribute the author: Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf.com. Link back to the article: This article originally appeared on InnerSelf.com