Staff Reports
Vice President Kamala Harris finds herself in a bit of a pickle, refusing to make noise on how she plans to vote on Proposition 36—a ballot measure in California aimed at getting tough on crime. It’s a whole lot of silence from the woman who claims to be leading the charge for justice in her home state. Instead of declaring her stance on this critical initiative, her campaign has chosen the age-old tactic of evading the question, likely hoping nobody notices. Spoiler alert: they did.
Proposition 36 seeks to reverse some of the damage done by the infamous Proposition 47, which reclassified certain felonies as misdemeanors back in 2014. Interestingly, Harris couldn’t find the courage to take a stand on Proposition 47 when she was California’s attorney general but has no problem aligning herself with initiatives promoting the removal of money from politics. It seems her priorities are clearer in retrospect—political grandstanding over public safety, as usual.
A recent poll conducted by UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies revealed that a solid 56% of Californians want harsher punishments for repeat theft and drug offenses. Given the staggering crime rates and the state’s growing homelessness crisis, it appears that the average Californian is more concerned with their safety than with Harris’s lofty rhetoric about social justice. Instead of giving clarity to a state clamoring for direction, Harris’s silence may speak volumes about where her actual loyalties lie.
Harris Radio Silent On Whether She Will Vote For California Initiative Cracking Down On Drug, Property Crimes https://t.co/OG0CH3XyXo
— NahBabyNah #Trump (@NahBabyNah) September 25, 2024
This silence becomes even more notable when one considers that California’s own Governor Gavin Newsom recently urged Oakland city officials to rethink their policies on police pursuits. The crime wave that has swept through Oakland has led many residents to take matters into their own hands, with some even joining gun clubs for protection. Moreover, California retailers are now begging for stricter penalties on property crime as they face rising robberies. It’s as if the whole state is waking up to the reality that liberal policies are falling flat, while Harris stays locked away in a bubble of denial.
Even Newsom has been feeling the heat over Proposition 36, having previously criticized it for purported harms to minority communities. With high-profile Democrats like him dodging commitment on such a key issue, one has to wonder if the party knows they are losing touch with the voters. As crime rates rise and everyday citizens grapple with the consequences of destructive policies, Harris’s campaign remains noncommittal. The message is clear: when it comes to crime in California, the Democratic leadership is more interested in preserving the status quo than actually protecting the people.
