Like many Americans, I was shocked, depressed, and dismayed by what happened in Washington, DC, earlier this week. Though I have a deep understanding of the frustrations felt by the vast majority of the protesters, I found the actions of a few to be revolting and anti-American. The two warring tribes of our country – the left and the right – settled into their predictable social media patterns. Lefties who didn’t dare condemn any of the riots and looting that engulfed the country last summer couldn’t wait to shame those who participated in DC apoplectically.

Those on the Right who condemned the riots and looting of last summer made excuses for the bad actors who stained the entire movement earlier this week. And what about those of us who are neither hard-left nor hard-right; Those who love America and agree with American values but find ourselves increasingly alienated from the fringes that exist in our social media culture?

I believe that the truth and personal integrity are the only two things we can lean into in a moment like this. We need to ask ourselves what we think and why we believe it. We need to ask ourselves what we could do more to understand people who don’t think like us. We need to ask ourselves how we got to this moment and how we can move on from it.

If we don’t ask ourselves these questions and get serious about the answers, then what happened in DC is only a small preview of what’s to come.