Kamala’s Swipe of My Pen

In a 2019 speech in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Vice President Kamala Harris reflected on the profound authority she wielded as a young prosecutor, emphasizing the critical importance of using such power judiciously. She remarked:

“I learned that with the swipe of my pen, I could charge someone with the lowest-level offense, and because of the swipe of my pen, that person could be arrested.” 

Harris elaborated on the cascading consequences that could follow a simple decision to file charges:

“They could sit in jail for at least 48 hours. They could lose time from work and their family, maybe lose their job. They would have to come out of their own pocket to help hire a lawyer. They lose standing in their community. All because of the swipe of my pen.” 

This introspection was not an expression of pride in her prosecutorial power but a candid acknowledgment of the potential for harm if such authority is misused. Harris used this reflection to underscore the necessity for public officials to exercise power responsibly, highlighting that true strength lies in uplifting others rather than exerting control over them. She stated:

“We have a person in the White House who holds the office of president of the United States who does not fully or even partially understand what it means to have power. When you truly understand what it means to be powerful, you understand that the greatest measure of your strength is not who you beat down—it’s who you lift up.” 

Harris’s remarks have been subject to misrepresentation. Selective editing of her speech has led to claims that she boasted about her ability to ruin lives with a mere pen stroke. However, fact-checking organizations have clarified that such interpretations omit the broader context of her message, which centers on the ethical exercise of power. 

In essence, Harris’s “swipe of my pen” commentary serves as a poignant reminder of the weight of authority held by public officials and the imperative to wield such power with mindfulness and integrity.

My final thought—In today’s media-saturated world, it takes only a few seconds of video or a single sentence to be lifted out of context and weaponized. Carefully chosen soundbites are packaged to provoke outrage and fear, guiding the public to see leadership as tyranny. I was recently told that Vice President Kamala Harris laughed about something she was “going to do,” as if her smile revealed some kind of sinister plot. But that narrative? It was crafted with a swipe of a pen—designed to manipulate, not to inform.

The truth is, many people dislike her—some even hate her—not because of anything she’s done, but because she’s a woman, and a woman of color. That alone is enough to spark resentment in a country still full of deep-seated bias and hate. Critics seized on the fact that, when she was young, she had sex before marriage. Meanwhile, her opponent slept with women who weren’t his wife at the time, paid one off to protect another affair, and then turned around to blame and silence the woman he used. And somehow, it’s her morality they question?

The hypocrisy is deafening. This isn’t about values—it’s about control. It’s about using distorted fragments of truth to tear down those who threaten the old order. We owe it to ourselves—and to the future—to see past the soundbites and examine the full picture. Leadership should be judged on integrity, not gender or race. And certainly not on double standards.