On a day to what was already a pivotal moment in the United States–the Georgia state runoff election–Wednesday, at 2:07 p.m. EST, pro-Trump supporters broke into the east side of the U.S. Capitol building. Armed rioters began to flood Capitol grounds with hate symbols and overwhelmed Capitol Police in efforts to dismantle the confirmation of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over President Trump. As a nation representing a democracy, there is an absolute disappointment to what is an attack on our nation’s founding principles. The event sparked questions on our trust, anger, and anxiety about what the United States may endure if the hatred and violence do not stop. Reflecting upon the devastating event, we realize that there are several themes that an act of insurrection only magnifies.

First in foremost, truth matters. The accumulation of lies and manipulation which weaves from the Congressional halls and corporate media to our cell phones and computers has turned our nation into two different Americas. Second, racism exists, and it will continue until we enact structural change in our society. As the crowds swarm around the U.S. Capitol Building, institutionalized law enforcement repeatedly reinforced how our skin color dictates our treatment amongst fellow Americans. Violence does not represent the values of our country. In addition, insinuating harm does not justify the motivation to prove a point.

The U.S. continues to build upon the democracy of the American people and the efforts of keeping individuals informed, educated, and protected from the despicable perils. Yet, there are times we are complacent with the social and political division. Consequently, we continue to face distraction until we face another tragedy. The riot will be one of the generational travesties young people will experience. This is not the United States we know of, and this is certainly not the land we should let the next generation endure. As information regarding the violence unfolds, it is important to remember that because irresponsible events happened in the past, does not justify them to happen in the future. Taking on Wednesday’s teachable moment, we must take the importance of investing in civics education and also media literacy. As we continue to heal, we have an imperative role in protecting our fragile state of democracy.