Vice President Harris tells young activists in Chicago they can end gun violence: ‘Your generation is critical’

Vice President Kamala Harris told young gun violence activists and leaders gathered in Chicago on Friday they mean “everything” to the future of solving the violence epidemic — as the vice president sought to bolster support among key Democratic voters.

At the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund’s annual Gun Sense University conference, Harris was asked by a high school student what young people can do to help solve the problem.

“How do you see my generation playing a role in this movement?” asked Erin DeSantis, of Students Demand Action’s Pennsylvania chapter. “And what do you think we should be doing?”

Harris, who had been seated for the discussion, stood up to point at the audience.

“Your generation is critical. Critical. Critical. You are critical to this issue,” Harris said to a standing ovation at McCormick Place. “We are counting on you. We need you. You are critical to this issue. You are everything. Everything. Everything.”

Tina Sfondeles/Sun-Times

Harris — who appeared to have tears in her eyes — then sat down.

“Students Demand Action is so critical, and when you and your peers ... when your generation starts to vote in your numbers, I see this changing completely.”

Just hours earlier, the Illinois Supreme Court narrowly upheld the state’s assault weapons ban, which also halted the sale of high capacity magazines. The vice president did not mention the decision — which found one Democratic justice voting to overturn the ban — during her Chicago appearance.

Harris has visited Chicago three times since July 16, as she continues a monthlong series of events to energize key Democratic groups, including Hispanic and Black voters.

She has focused largely on voting rights, gun violence and the economy. The vice president has taken a leading role in addressing gun violence, a focal point of the Biden-Harris reelection campaign. The vice president has traveled to 16 states this summer, including to Virginia, where she delivered remarks calling on young people to continue leading efforts to end gun violence.

Mark Black/AP

At the Everytown event, Harris, who started her career as the district attorney of San Francisco, said she has seen the toll of gun violence firsthand.

“I don’t mean to get too specific, but I prosecuted homicide cases. I have seen autopsies. I know what this violence does to the human body,” Harris said. “And so we have to take seriously the importance of helping communities heal and not requiring you to do it on your own.”

Harris said gun violence is a public health issue, “and we cannot let them get away with politicizing this or pretending that this is some intellectual, ideological debate when there is literally blood on the streets, without consequence.”

“We need these so-called leaders to hear the people and act,” Harris said to applause.

Prior to the event, Harris held a private meeting with a small group of gun violence prevention activists, including volunteers from Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, as well as gun violence survivors.

Friday marked the vice president’s ninth trip to Illinois since taking office. She was last in Chicago on July 24 to speak at the UnidosUS 2023 annual conference, also at McCormick Place.