Say Her Name: When Public Service Fails Its Promise

Rep. Jasmine Crockett took an oath to serve the American people not to dismiss them. Yet during a House Judiciary Committee markup session for the Kayla Hamilton Act, she referred to Kayla, a 20-year-old autistic woman who was brutally murdered, as a “random dead person.”

That phrase wasn’t just careless it was a betrayal of the very pledge Crockett made when she entered office. She vowed to be a voice for the voiceless, to uphold justice, and to represent her constituents with dignity. But in that moment, she erased a name that should have been spoken with reverence.

Kayla Hamilton was not random. She was real. She was loved. And she deserves better than to be reduced to a rhetorical footnote in a political debate.

This article is not about party lines. It’s about the line between dignity and dismissal. It’s about holding public servants accountable when their words wound instead of uplift. And it’s about saying her name because silence is not neutrality, and forgetting is not forgiveness.

Disclaimer & Author’s Opinion

This post reflects my personal opinion as a community advocate, writer, and citizen concerned with the dignity of victims and the integrity of public discourse. I am not affiliated with any political party or organization mentioned herein. All commentary is based on publicly available statements and proceedings, including remarks made by Rep. Jasmine Crockett during the House Judiciary Committee markup of the Kayla Hamilton Act.

I believe elected officials have a duty to speak with care, especially when referencing victims of violence. Dismissing Kayla Hamilton as a “random dead person” is not just inaccurate it’s harmful. Her name deserves to be spoken with respect, and her story deserves to be heard without political deflection.

This blog is part of an ongoing effort to document, educate, and advocate for responsible representation, especially when lives are lost and justice is on the line.