By Emelia Richling
The date was January 8, 2004, and a young Kamala Harris had just pledged to tackle domestic violence, sex trafficking and a slew of other human rights issues that had been largely ignored by her predecessors. At her inauguration for the San Francisco district attorney, Harris accepted a large role that carried many responsibilities, a well-suited task for an ambitious woman whose determination to change the criminal justice system was unparalleled.
Sixteen years into the future, Harris has not only climbed the ranks of success but has also accomplished many of the goals she set out to achieve. The second Black and first South Asian woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, the former district attorney of San Francisco, the former attorney general (AG) of California and current Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate, Harris is no stranger to the political world, breaking boundaries and dissolving stereotypes in politics. She has garnered the support and respect of nearly everyone that has worked with her because she is different from other politicians.
In a National Public Radio article published from an episode of the Morning Edition on September 1, Jim Stearns, a top consultant for Harris since 2003, described how she has won over voters and made a name for herself. By becoming a memorable politician who maintains difficult promises and sticks to them even under intense pressure, Harris has been able to galvanize the support of the people.
Politicians often make empty commitments, telling people what they want to hear without following through on their promises. Harris is one of the few who makes impactful change for the people, such as maintaining her anti-death penalty stance, despite intense pressure from people who oppose her view.
As she transitioned away from her career in law enforcement to law-making, she was granted opportunities to learn and keep her promises.
Over the years, the number of gold stars Harris has earned far outweighs the mass of any demerits.
For instance, in a Los Angeles Times article published by Phil Willon, he concluded that Harris kept her promise of never seeking the death penalty, won $1.1 billion for students after learning they had been duped by their colleges and launched a program to reduce recidivism, which led to a 40 percent decline in reoffenders. These successes were monumental, far exceeding the job outline generally carried out by attorney generals.
In addition, Harris helped broker mortgage relief settlements, amassing over $18 billion in aid and assisting more than 84,000 families in need, according to a 2013 report by the AG’s California Monitor Program. The list seems to never end because Harris kept her promises to advocate for human rights, end unequal treatment based on sexual orientation and fight for the Equal Rights Amendment for women.
Harris is more than one political issue you may disagree with; she is more than just the accumulation of dry media reports. She stands for human rights, an issue that should be nonpartisan. She stands for criminal justice reform, a system that can greatly be improved. Harris is not a person to be discounted as just the potential vice president; she is a powerhouse of her own, an individual with the ability to knit together a country over the common issues that could always be refined.
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