Thursday--Santa Clarita, California--Saugus High School--terror and death--a preventable gun tragedy. Kamala Harris reacted with incandescent fury: “This is what our kids are going through every day…. It’s got to stop. They’re being traumatized. We keep having this conversation because it keeps happening.” She had withering contempt for the cowards who do nothing: "There has been a failure of the United States Congress to have the courage to act. It is pathetic! ... We need to act! This is outrageous, and it is predictable, and it is outrageous for that reason as well.”
Kamala Harris often calls the victims of gun violence “babies.” The victim is someone’s baby. Her career has made it very real for her. Because of her empathy, she comforted the parents of murdered children. Mothers sought her out, knowing she cared about the loss of their babies—child or adult—whose lives were discounted by others for the color of their skin or the circumstances of their death:
“When I was D.A. there would be black mothers who would come to the front window of the office and would say to the receptionist ‘I want to talk to Kamala. I won’t talk to anybody else but Kamala.”
“I would go and greet them and bring them back to my office, and they would sit in my office right next to me on the couch and cry and talk about how nobody had taken their pain of losing their son seriously.” (theGrio)
Because of her work for the people, she viewed the autopsy photos of those murdered babies. Since Sandy Hook in 2012, she has been saying members of Congress should be required to go into “a locked room, no press nobody else and look at the autopsy photographs of those babies and then vote your conscience.”
Kamala Harris shows fearless leadership against our American epidemic of gun violence because she knows the reality of those deaths. (Every time Kamala tweets about women’s reproductive rights, some forced-birther replies with the epithet “Baby killer!” Actually, the party of the NRA is the party of baby killers.)
Two students dead, four injured, in 16 seconds:
A few hours later, in an evacuation and reunification zone set up in the community’s Central Park, an evacuee in a Saugus dance T-shirt tried to come to grips with what had happened. “We are one of those schools now,” she said. “Just like Parkland.” (LATimes)
In the aftermath of the attack, Kamala Harris had powerful words:
Watch:
“I have looked at autopsy photos. I have hugged the parents of murdered children”:
Kamala Harris has empathy and a plan of action:
On the Republicans in Congress blocking legislative action: “What a failure—of the people who walk around with these lapel pins, around Congress, and they’ve got staff running after them like they’re royalty. They take all the attributes and benefits of their supposed role of leadership, and when it comes to a moment to lead, they fail. it is tragic.”
The barriers to action: Wayne LaPierre, the NRA, and the “feckless” Senate leadership. She praises the many heroes working to end the epidemic of gun violence, and is optimistic about the future, but: “But each day that a tragedy—talk to the parents of the child who died today. It means nothing—in terms of optimism about the future—means nothing in terms of their grief today.”
She addresses those who oppose executive action because it can be reversed: “They say what happens if someone comes in after you and they undo it. I’ll deal with that in 8 years. Someone has to act.” (Full interview at MSNBC. Full transcript at OaklandNewsNow. Also covered at Mashable.)
Kamala Harris has been working to strengthen gun laws and enforcement since the start of her career as a prosecutor in the early 1990s. 2003:
As San Francisco DA from 2004-2011, she stiffened gun charging policies, and formed a new Gun Specialist Team. 2004:
She built a reputation as one who truly cared. 2005:
As California AG from 2011-2017, she organized gun sweeps, confiscating over 1,200 illegal firearms. She expanded California’s Armed & Prohibited Persons System (APPS). She also sponsored CA Senate Bill 819, which fully funded APPS through gun dealers’ fees.
As a senator, Kamala Harris has cosponsored over a dozen gun safety bills this session alone. Mitch McConnell kills them all. She was the first presidential candidate to outline a comprehensive plan on gun violence, including executive action, back in April (and expanded since then). She often speaks with, and comforts, those impacted by our gun culture:
Student: “I just don’t want to die”:
Most Americans under age twenty know the toll active shooter drills take:
Kamala: “It terrorizes you. It is traumatizing”:
The composition of Congress is why nothing has been done:
Kamala Harris is working to protect our House majority and flip the Senate so we can get shit done. She has signed Run for Something’s down-ballot pledge. She is the number-one fundraiser for her fellow Democrats. Her support for the down-ballot includes in-person appearances for state-level candidates, including in Virginia last month. She was helping out in other races before she even won her Senate seat. She knows progress is a team effort.
New: Kamala’s Plan of Action for Asian Pacific Islander Americans
Kamala Harris introduced a plan this week for Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIA):
Media coverage? Nonexistent. So I’m just quickly covering it here.
Kamala’s plan for APIA Action will:
- Dismantle language barriers for limited English proficient (LEP) individuals to enable access to services and the right to vote.
- Disaggregate data to accurately reflect the needs and challenges of the APIA community. Aggregated data conceals the plight of marginalized APIA subgroups.
- Boost economic opportunity, mobility, and growth, with $12 billion in capital grants/technical support, and culturally and linguistically competent services.
- Achieve health equity. Kamala’s Medicare for All includes community-based long-term care services. Provide more in-language support.
- Facilitate family-based immigration. Defend immigrant youth and families.
- Reverse the Trump administration’s actions targeting immigrant communities.
- Restore humanitarian immigration programs.
- Reform employment visa programs to eliminate discriminatory backlogs.
- Seek equitable treatment and support for native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. Address health, homeownership and employment disparities. Restore federal safety-net program eligibility for COFA immigrants.
- Celebrate the culture and history of the APIA community.
After what Trump tweeted about Marie Yovanovitch yesterday, I have to add this:
Kamala has been right all along, as usual:
Nobody is above the law, including the president of the United States:
Justice is on the ballot:
We’re living in upside-down world. Julián Castro will not be in the next debate, while !@#$ and %^&* will be there. Anyone need a hug?
Kamala2020 info and links are below!
Newpioneer has rounded up some highlights of her sponsored legislation here. snowman3 has rounded up some more legislative highlights here. Gay CA Democrat lists 21 bills or proposals here.
Want to know more about her positions and plans? Read about Kamala’s Agenda for the People, and her Policies for the People. (Yes, the kamalaharris.org policy pages have been completely revamped and expanded.)
Or go straight to an agenda item: Affordable Housing, Children, Climate Change, Communities of Color, Criminal Justice Reform, Disabilities, Economic Justice, Education, Foreign Policy, Gender Equality, Gun Violence, Health Care, Immigration, Infrastructure, Labor, LGBTQ+ Equality, Veterans, Voting Rights & Our Democracy.
Go straight to a policy: Kamala's Medicare for All Plan key points and full policy. Kamala’s Plan to Set Fair Prescription Drug Prices key points and full policy. Kamala's Rent Relief & Lift Acts key points. Kamala’s Plan to Transform the Criminal Justice System and Re-Envision Public Safety in America key points and full policy. A Climate Plan For The People key points and full policy. Kamala’s Plan For Action On Gun Violence key points and full policy. America's Teachers Deserve A Raise key points and full policy. Reproductive Rights Action key points and full policy. Holding Corporations Accountable For Pay Inequality In America key points and full policy. Kamala’s Partnership With Rural America key points and full policy. Kamala's Children's Agenda key points and full policy. Kamala’s Commitment To Fight For Organized Labor key points and full policy. A New Roadmap to Citizenship for Dreamers key points and full policy. Kamala’s Commitment to Full Inclusion and Civil Rights for People with Disabilities key points and full policy. Fighting for Justice for Sexual Assault Survivors full policy. Combating Violent Hate key points and full policy. Kamala’s LGBTQ+ Plan To Provide Equality And Dignity For All key points and full policy. Kamala’s Promise to America’s Veterans and Military Families key points and full policy. Closing The Opportunity Gap key points and full policy. Closing The Homeownership Gap key points and full policy. Kamala’s Plan To Honor Tribal Sovereignty And Lift Up Native American Communities key points and full policy. Kamala’s plan to invest in infrastructure and build for America’s future full policy. Kamala’s Plan of Action for Asian Pacific Islander Americans full policy.
Please remember to visit our community group page Kamala2020 and give us a follow! That way all our group efforts will appear in your stream; this makes it easy for everyone to keep up with our latest posts. As always, any who would like to join our group please leave us a comment and we’ll get your invitation right out to you!
If you’d like to volunteer to host one of our Kamala 2020 diaries, please leave your comment in the ”Calling all Volunteers”thread.
Even if you can’t commit to a weekly spot due to your busy schedules, guest bloggers are always welcomed!
Please volunteer! Come share your story about why you support Kamala!
Upcoming schedule:
Monday — November 18th — anotherdemocrat
Thursday — November 21st -
Saturday — November 23rd— Diana in NoVa
Monday — November 25th — DigitusImpudicus
Thursday — November28th — GayCADemocrat
Saturday — November 30th — noweasels
Monday — December 2nd — DigitusImpudicus
Thursday—December 5th—
Saturday—December 7th--thumbsupcecil
Monday—December 9th--
As we get closer to the first votes being cast the schedule is beginning to fill up. Let your voices be heard!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
November 15 - Nov 16:
Members of the California Democratic Party and several of the presidential candidates will gather in Long Beach on Friday, November 15 and Saturday, November 16, 2019. We will be there in full force to support Kamala!
November 20: MSNBC and The Washington Post will co-host the fifth Democratic presidential primary debate in Georgia--airing 9 to 11 p.m. ET--on MSNBC and Radio One, streaming on MSNBC.com and washingtonpost.com. Moderators: Rachel Maddow, Andrea Mitchell, Kristen Welker, and Ashley Parker.
November 22: Muscatine Meet and Greet with Kamala 5:35 PM CST Muscatine, Iowa
November 23: Washington Meet and Gree with Kamala Saturday 8:30 PM CST Washington, Iowa
While you’re here, don’t forget to visit Kamala’s Official Campaign Website and her Swag Shop for your favorite campaign gear! 😄
And don’t forget to donate:
If you’re on Twitter, please follow@KamalaHarris and @SenKamalaHarris
(If you’re not on Twitter, bookmark to ersatz follow)
on Instagram: @kamalaharris
and facebook: KamalaHarris
Group Guidelines
The Kamala2020 community group has been created to positively support Senator Kamala Harris, and not to engage in negativity towards other Democrats running in the 2020 primaries.
All should be made to feel welcomed here. What’s not welcomed here is petty bickering over any of our preferred candidates, or personal attacks on fellow Democrats. We’re not responsible for the actions of others who may offend, insult or attempt to sow discord and disunity — that’s on them.
What we are responsible for are our own words and actions — that’s 100% on us.
I’d like to ask all group members, as well as those dropping by who support or are interested in Kamala’s bid for the nomination, that we not respond to negativity from other campaign’s supporters with even more negativity. Let’s do better than our best and respond with respect, humor or try to hold our peace. Recipes and cat pics work, too 😃
Doing no harm costs us nothing... pie-fights will cost us everything.
And now for something completely different:
Jyothika and Madhavan, from the 2001 film Dumm Dumm Dumm (Director: Azhagam Perumal Cinematography: Ramji Music: Karthik Raja Lyrics: Na. Muthukumar Singers: Harish Raghavendra, Sujatha)