A viral video misleadingly presents an edited speech by Vice President Kamala Harris, skipping her subsequent statements. Harris discussed the concept of responsible leadership due to the negative repercussions prominent figures can impose on the public through mishandling of authority. Nevertheless, Harris has been consistent in her self-glorifying image, per her comments on electing officials who comprehensively grasp the implications of properly wielding power.
In an ironic twist, the Vice President’s track record as a prosecutor in California has resurfaced with her bid for the presidency. She frequently elevates her history, specifically noting her successful track record in tackling violent crime and her supposedly ground-breaking “Back On Track” initiative.
Yet, an interest piqued by a viral video throws her larger-than-life image into contention. The video seemingly portrays Harris gloating about the personal devastation she had the potential to inflict as a prosecutor. The post on August 16 suggests Kamala Harris’ eagerness to wield her power, describing her capacity to destroy lives with a mere ‘swipe of a pen.’
Our scrutiny of her words uncovers a deeper hubris. Kamala Harris declared during her New Hampshire speech back in 2019, ‘With a single swipe of my pen, I could charge an individual with a minor offense. This act alone could lead to their arrest.’ She went on to enunciate possible consequences, which included the threat of job loss, possible detention, and substantial legal expenses.
Even more alarming were her thoughts on dismissing charges. ‘Several weeks later, I could nullify the charges, but the individual’s life would stand altered irrevocably.’ Such a statement, curtailed abruptly, leaves viewers questioning the true essence of her revelations.
Parallel sentiments were echoed on Facebook, with overlay text raising alarm about entrusting Harris with executive powers. The video subsequently made into Meta’s watchlist under their initiative to combat fake news and misinformation.
However, tackling the issue with diligence, we explored the significant context that the viral video conveniently overlooked. Therein lies the Vice President’s grand narrative of power usage and the underlying risk when authority is exploited. It was in her twenties when she began her journey as a prosecutor that she learned this stark reality.
The 2019 speech, delivered at the annual celebration by New Hampshire Democratic Party members in Portsmouth, presents another angle. Here, she seemed more worried about then-president Donald Trump, whom she accused of misusing power, as the video abruptly cuts off before her full statement.
Playing the part of a humble civil servant, she guffawed, ‘and I was just a low ranking deputy DA,’ which was met with laughter from the crowd. She went on to criticize the then-president of lacking the basic understanding of power.
Harris’ attack on Trump continued, ‘Such a person sitting in the White House, holding the highest position, does not comprehend what wielding power entails.’ Her inappropriate understanding of ‘being powerful’ was evident when she opined, ‘The measure of your power doesn’t lie in who you oppress but in who you uplift.’
In her earlier pursuits, Harris had used self-elevating phrases, bestowing her with an aura of power and authority. Ten years ago, she talked about her discretion to enact charges using similar terms when she was campaigning to become California’s attorney general. An event by Google served as her platform, where she was then the San Francisco’s district attorney.
After underlining her power of pen swipe, she self-assuredly added, ‘Such tremendous power demands serious responsibility to understand how each action impacts individuals.’ Indeed, she seems more focused on the extent of her influence rather than the responsibility that comes with it.
Controversy surrounds Harris’ tenure as a prosecutor. Past instances have called for a fact-check on her claims – further evidence of her not-so-flawless path to power. It should be noted that the video suggesting Harris basking in her power to potentially ruin lives with her pen is misleading.
If nothing else, this episode serves to underscore the need for public figures to employ power with due diligence and responsibility. The ease with which people’s lives can be altered, if not destroyed, by the ‘swipe of a pen’ should never be understated or trivialized.