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Marysville city council candidate wants to 'keep the community as white as possible' sparking outrage and call for her withdrawal

The 67-year-old Cramer, who is one of the five candidates eyeing the three open council seats in November, shocked everyone on the panel with her racist remarks
UPDATED APR 10, 2020
(Source : Getty Images)
(Source : Getty Images)

MARYSVILLE, MICHIGAN: A city council election forum in Marysville was left stunned on Thursday, August 22, night after political newbie Jean Cramer said that she would like to keep the community "as white as possible". The 67-year-old Cramer, who is one of five candidates eyeing the three open council seats in November, shocked everyone on the panel when she said: "Keep Marysville a white community as much as possible," according to a Times Herald report.

Marysville, located 50 miles northeast of Detroit, has a majority white population. When the panel was asked about looking at diversity in their community, Cramer shot back, "Keep Marysville a white community as much as possible," she replied. "White! Seriously. In other words, no foreign-born, no foreign people."

Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Hayman, whose mouth fell open after Cramer's speech,  fired back saying that she took her comments "personally". "My son-in-law is a black man and I have biracial grandchildren. I take what you've just said very personally. There's nothing I can say to change your mind," she said sounding flustered. 

Mike Deising, another candidate, echoed similar emotions saying, "Just checking the calendar here and making sure it's still 2019."

On Friday, August 23, Cramer reiterated her racist remarks, also commenting that her stance would make her neighbors unhappy if they had a biracial marriage in their family. "Because those people don't know the other side of it," she said.

"For whatever reason, I've heard they love each other, whatever, but there's also such a thing as remaining single. People don't necessarily have to get married, and, if they love somebody, love them single. There's nothing wrong with that."

The Times Herald later asked Cramer if she wanted to clarify her remarks. "Husband and wife need to be the same race. Same thing with kids," she replied. "That’s how it's been from the beginning of, how can I say, when God created the heaven and the earth. He created Adam and Eve at the same time. But as far as me being against blacks, no I'm not."

The woman also said that she does not think she's a racist person. "As far as I know, as long as we've been here, Marysville has been a white community, a white city," she said. "If we have seen a black person here and there, whatever, we're not bothered by it. I'm not bothered by it."

Her remarks have caused Mayor Dan Damman and other local leaders to call for her withdrawal. "I would say that I probably came to the conclusion this morning," Damman said after her comments on Friday. "After the initial shock of what she said really sank in and (given) the deep-seated viewpoints that she has, I don’t believe that she is fit to serve as an elected official in Marysville or anywhere else."

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