Being the oldest child who always excelled it was easy to over-inflate my value, and I put my worth in my achievements. Growing up, I gave undeserved power to features about myself that could be taken away at a moment's notice. In stereotypical American fashion, I believed I was special.

Think of any hot button issue, and you'll hear essentially two sides. Abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, the economy, racism, you name it. As Americans, we tend to fall on either side of an issue. As I've gotten older, more involved in politics, and consumed more media, it's required me to reflect on how many of my views are my own. How have my beliefs been molded by my media consumption? Do I actually believe what I think I do?

Our words have power. We must recognize that what we say encourages the actions of others.

What happened yesterday shows us how powerful what comes out of our mouths can be. Months of lying and deceit around election rigging lead to terrorists (yes, white people can be terrorists too) attacking the Capitol building.

Millions out of work, millions barely or unable to pay rent, millions struggling to get food on the table. Under normal circumstances, these are terrible issues. Add in a global pandemic, and you have the makings of a humanitarian crisis.