We Need to Give Kamala Harris the Respect She Deserves

The media loves to attack Harris, but instead, we should be celebrating her.

By Riley Mulcahy 
Opinion Editor


Kamala Harris is one the most powerful women in the world as Vice President of the United States; however, she is not treated with dignity and respect in the office she serves. Harris is a former Senator of California and before that, she was the district attorney for San Francisco. Say what you want about her record as a prosecutor. Harris is a trailblazer who has knocked down doors for other women and women of color to create political opportunities, so it will not always be filled with rich white men making the decisions. 

Harris is only reported on when she makes a mistake or dips into controversy, one example being her visit to the border when Republicans attacked her. This comes as former Vice President Mike Pence is seen as honorable for admitting that he could not stop the legal counting of votes while the insurrection was going on. There is an evident juxtaposition going on here: a woman of color who has the honor of serving the White House is not seen as having the same qualifications as a white man from Indiana who has protected a failed businessman for more than four years. 

The media plays a crucial role in how Harris is being portrayed. The news publication Ms. Magazine argues, “​​Media outlets need to be called out by their viewers, subscribers, employees and readers for their biased coverage, as well as their lack of coverage. Not only should we question outlets about why her important speeches aren’t being covered, but we need to collectively—through social media posts, petitions, calls to outlets, etc.—press them to cover major upcoming events on topics relevant to our key demographic.” Regardless of where you stand politically, there must be an agreement that we treat our politicians with the respect that they deserve, so long as they do not create irreparable damage to our country.