Response to United States Capitol Attack - Jan. 7, 2021

What we say yesterday, in our nation’s capital, was, as the president-elect has called it, ‘an assault on the rule of law’ – and it has no place in our democracy. So, I believe we must ask ourselves two questions about what happened yesterday: “what went wrong?” and “how do we make it right?”

And I believe the answers require us to recognize that the challenge we’re facing in our country, is about more then the actions of the few we watched yesterday. It’s about how to reform – how to transform – a justice system that does not work equally for all. A justice system that is experienced differently depending on whether you’re white or Black. A justice system that is experienced differently, if you’re rich or poor. A justice system that is experienced different depending on whether your job requires you to take a shower before you go to work or requires you to take a shower when you come home after work. We witnessed two systems of justice when we saw one that let extremists storm the United States capital, and another that released tear gas on peaceful protesters last summer.

The American people have expressed, rightly, outrage. We know this is unacceptable. We know we should be better than this. The promise of our country is that all people will be treated equally – that’s what the rule of law is supposed to be about. That’s what the ideal of “equal justice under law” is all about.

Harris, K. [@KamalaHarris]. (2021, January 7) The challenge we’re facing in our country is about more than the actions of a few. It’s about how to [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1347314397790818304. Retrieved on March 14, 2022.