In a 2014 speech, then-California Lawyer Common Kamala Harris stated 18- to 24-year-old folks “are silly. That’s the reason we put them in dormitories they usually have a resident assistant. They make actually dangerous selections.”
The quote is lacking essential context. Harris made the facetious comment throughout a speech about lowering incarceration and recidivism within the legal justice system. The quote supposed for instance the purpose that younger adults in that age vary are developmentally susceptible to creating “actually dangerous selections” and the system ought to take that under consideration.
Forward of the 2024 presidential election, a video of Vice President Kamala Harris went viral by which she purportedly known as younger folks “silly” and stated they “make actually dangerous selections.”
A number of posts by Harris critics shared the video over the summer time and fall of 2024, describing it for example of “the actual Kamala” and telling younger grownup viewers, “take note of what she says about you.”
As now we have reported before, whereas it’s true that Harris made the comment — she certainly known as 18- to 24-year-old folks “silly” throughout a 2014 speech when she was lawyer basic of California — the video of her making the remark lacks essential context. Harris was speaking about lowering incarceration and recidivism and the way the legal justice system unjustly treats younger folks in that age vary who’re susceptible to creating “dangerous selections.” As such, the quote is accurately attributed, and the video is genuine, although they deserve further context.
Harris was talking about Back on Track, a program she started in 2005 as district lawyer of San Francisco and was described as a “reentry initiative aimed toward lowering recidivism amongst low-level drug-trafficking defendants.” Program members have been younger adults aged 18 to 30 years outdated dealing with first-time, low-level drug sale costs. The initiative allowed them to have their circumstances dismissed in the event that they met sure academic and profession objectives.
Harris’ full quote said (emphasis ours):
So we designed this program across the 18 by way of 24 [age range] principally but it surely was often as much as 30 [years old]. First time, low-level drug gross sales offender [ …] And this is what we did. We acknowledged the truth that 18 by way of 24 — after I was at Howard College and we have been in school, we have been 18 by way of 24, and you understand what we have been known as? School children. However while you flip 18 and also you’re within the system, you might be thought of an grownup, interval. With none regard to the truth that, that’s the very section of life by which now we have invested billions of {dollars} in schools and universities figuring out that, that’s the prime section of life throughout which we mildew and form and direct somebody to turn into a productive grownup. What is the different factor we find out about this inhabitants? And it is a particular section of life, bear in mind, age is greater than a chronological truth. What else will we find out about this inhabitants of 18 by way of 24? They’re silly. [Crowd laughs.] That’s the reason we put them in dormitories, they usually have a resident assistant. They make actually dangerous selections. So we targeted on that age inhabitants.
The total speech might be seen below, uploaded to YouTube by the Ford Basis, a non-public charitable basis. Harris made the in-question assertion across the 16:30 mark:
In the end, as now we have reported earlier than, Harris was calling younger folks “silly” as half of a bigger level about treating them with empathy since they’re susceptible to creating poor life selections. As such, she was advocating for leniency within the legal justice system to assist younger folks dealing with low-level drug costs keep away from committing additional offenses.
Snopes’ archives contributed to this report.
