The Damaging New Meme About Kamala Harris That’s Circulating on Facebook

Summary

The article discusses a derogatory meme about Kamala Harris circulating on Facebook, which undermines her achievements by suggesting her success is due to personal relationships rather than merit, and contrasts it with Harris's own empowering message to young girls.

Abstract

The author of the article encountered a meme on Facebook that disparagingly suggests Kamala Harris's political success, particularly her potential Vice Presidency, is a result of romantic involvement with powerful men rather than her capabilities and achievements. The meme, shared by a high school friend with daughters, is critiqued for perpetuating harmful stereotypes about women in leadership. The author, while not aligning with a specific political ideology or feminism, emphasizes the importance of respecting strong female leaders and the need for a societal shift towards recognizing women's merit. The article contrasts the meme's message with Harris's own words about inspiring young girls to dream ambitiously and to see themselves as future leaders, regardless of gender. It calls for a celebration of Harris's potential historic role as the first female Vice President and advocates for a world where women are acknowledged for their leadership qualities without resorting to baseless accusations.

Opinions

The author is critical of the meme's content, viewing it as disrespectful and damaging to the perception of women in politics.
The author does not identify strictly as a liberal or a feminist but values strong leadership in women and believes in giving credit to their achievements.
There is a concern that the meme reflects broader societal issues, potentially influencing how young girls perceive their own potential for leadership.
The author points out a double standard, noting that male politicians like Vice Presidents Pence and Biden were not subjected to similar derogatory memes questioning their paths to power.
The article suggests that the friend who shared the meme may not have considered its impact on his own daughters' future ambitions.
The author aspires for a future where women's leadership is celebrated, and girls are encouraged to pursue their dreams without gender-based limitations.

And Why It Matters

Yesterday I was scrolling through Facebook and came across a meme that a friend from high school shared about Kamala Harris. I usually ignore political Facebook memes, but this one stood out.

The text from the meme reads as follows:

“She will be an inspiration to young girls by showing that if you sleep with the right powerfully connected men then you too can play second fiddle to a man with dementia. It’s basically a Cinderella story.”

This is not a political post. I don’t consider myself a liberal — I’m actually categorized as more of a moderate. I also don’t consider myself a feminist, but I do respect and admire strong female leaders.

This friend of mine that posted the meme has two young daughters. Would he feel the same about them someday if one or both of them end up in a powerful leadership position?

Chances are, he will be proud of his daughters and their career choices won’t matter. What kind of world will these young girls grow up in if this is how strong women are viewed?

The same memes were not shared when Vice President Pence was elected into office. It was accepted that he worked hard throughout his life and, with his experience, deserved his position. Also, no one posted memes about Vice President Biden sleeping his way into that position. Men don’t have to “sleep their way to the top.”

Maybe this friend of mine never had a second thought about posting this meme and he’ll never think of it again. He strongly disagrees with Kamala Harris’s politics, so this kind of disrespect is okay, in his mind.

Kamala Harris is projected to be our next Vice President. If this happens, she will be the first female voted into that position. Women on both sides should be celebrating this event.

Compare the quote from the meme above with Harris’s quote below from a pbs.org video:

“While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last, because every little girl watching this tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.

“And to the children of our country, regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message: Dream with ambition, lead with conviction and see yourself in a way that others might not see you, simply because they’ve never seen it before. And we will applaud you every step of the way.”

Politics and policies aside, this is the world in which I want my friend’s daughters to grow up and thrive. A world where a little girl can dream about growing up to be President of the United States. A world where a woman can be a strong female leader without it being said that “she slept her way to the top.” Women are strong, smart, and thoughtful leaders. We should all try to remember that, even when it’s tempting to hit the “share” button on a Facebook meme.