Last night was the second Democratic Debate. Politics at this time in our history can feel combative, sensationalized, divisive, and like a topic that we don’t even want to discuss with our loved ones for fear of inciting strong reactions. However, at this point in our history and to combat the attitude of fear that seems to have taken over our country, we have never needed strong reactions more than now.

If we take a step back from what is circulated by mainstream media and realize that sensational stories get more viewership, can we stop taking their words as truth and start focusing on what is around us? Can we push our attention towards love, can we see examples of people thriving, can we push our mind and heart to see the reality beyond the exaggerations and misinterpretations presented to us on a regular basis? We often left feeling helpless when we see constant messages of pain, examples of fear, stories of violence, and structures of hate. Perpetuating this focus means we are less likely to stand up and voice our opinion, because in essence we feel hopeless and powerless. We are buying into the division of our world instead of looking for examples of unity and opportunities to focus our attention on goodness instead of all that is going wrong. In the abbreviated words of Carl Jung; “What you resist persists”. So maybe this is the time the we stop the resistance and start the persistence; let’s start focusing with purpose on what we do want, not the lack thereof.

During the debate we saw some of the typical lifetime politician responses that were well said, poignant, but rarely went beyond plans and initiatives. There was a different group of candidates lead by Senator Kamala Harris which had a different mix; some of her points were focused on policy but in other ways her attitude towards bigger problems shown through. Her key point to combat the unnecessary escalation of conflict: “America does not want to witness a food fight. They want to know how we’re gonna put food on their table.” was one of the stand out moments of the night. Mayor Pete Buttigieg also had moments where humanity and truth came through louder than just hopes of policies. He took his concepts to a spiritual level challenging all of us  that “Living your faith might also have to do with paying more attention to those most in need and not celebrating those who already have the most wealth and the most power.”

However, during the debate no one’s light shined brighter than that of Marianne Williamson. She dug deeper than other candidates in an attempt to attack the root of problems instead of just offer solutions for how to make it hurt a little less; focus on prevention instead of masking symptoms. As the author of books such as “A Return to Love” Williamson knows a little about global ideals that take us beyond our tendency to be small minded and rooted in fear; “Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learned here.”.

During the debate, Marianne let these higher ideals slip into the context of her answers. She pushed for us to see that this is not just a presidential election, but an opportunity for America to become what it is always meant to be. To reestablish moral and spiritual values into the framework of our country, and to become a positive member of the global conversation. Speaking on the fear that has been made a regular occurrence in the current administration: “This man [Trump] has reached into the psyche of the American people and he has harnessed fear for political purposes. So, Mr. President, if you’re listening, I want you to hear me please. You have harnessed fear for political purposes and only love can cast that out.”. She then takes it to a different subject later commenting that healthcare doesn’t start at the care that is provided once someone is already sick; “We just wait ‘til somebody gets sick and then we talk about who’s going to pay for the treatment and how they’re going to be treated. What we need to talk about is why so many Americans have unnecessary chronic illnesses, so many more compared to other countries.” Her ability to see the depth of the problems that we are facing is truly inspirational and her articulation is extremely intelligent and passionate.

This morning, we awoke to large media corporations sensationalizing comments, taking them out of context, and not being able to see the brilliance and beauty of points made; especially the words of Williamson. It is dismaying that those who did not watch the debate personally, or those look for the conflict and combativeness of candidates will never truly hear the depth and challenge in her words. It is a disservice to our country that Marianne Williamson will never even be on the radar for most of us.

The debate was aired “Live” last night and had truly inspired thoughts delivered by candidates. The fact is that as soon as the “Live” part stopped, media outlets began choosing who they wanted to win, the judgement they wanted to stick, and the details they wanted to be circulating around our country today. Do not be a pawn in this “look at me” game; if we want to be truly informed and educated we must do our own research, allow our heart to open up our mind, and make our own judgments stemming from facts and not the watered down/out-of-context elements floating around the day after. We must focus our attention on what we want to exist in our world. Take control and educate ourselves about what is happening in our world today and what we can do in everyday life to encourage a new democracy. While we are looking for opportunities to make a difference in our world, consider the words of Williamson; “In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it.” Yes, policies will be a huge part of what brings about change but we first need to realign our thoughts so those plans can blossom. May we start focusing on love, unity, and thinking of our neighbor as ourselves. “By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.” – The Liberty Song.