At moments like this, we realize that without the integrity of our democratic systems, and protections for the rule of law, we are vulnerable to impulses which would tear us apart.

At moments like this, we affirm that our disagreements and differences, while expected and perhaps unavoidable, should not devolve into violence toward each other, or to our democratic institutions and constitutional commitments. Indeed, there is utility in dissent and discussion which encourages us to live up to our constitutional mandates, and which furthers our aspirations for inclusive justice.

Protest, if peaceful, is not antithetical to democracy. Indeed, as a nation, we have witnessed the power of protest in moving us toward greater civil rights in ways that have highlighted our shared humanity, not undermined it. And so, in moments like this, we must condemn the rejection of dialogue, as well as the violence that threatens the positive and healing virtues to which we should aspire.

At moments like this, we recognize the role of all who believe in the core values embedded in our Constitution. All of us, including our students who are our future leaders, are protectors of our democracy, with a special role to play in ensuring its longevity.

At moments like this, all those who love democracy must recognize the responsibility we have, both to learn from the tribulations of this historical moment, and to help us move forward with integrity, humanity, and a true embrace of the power of the law to work for the common good.

At moments like this, with Raphael Warnock becoming the first Black United States senator from Georgia, and the first Black Democrat from the South, and Jon Ossoff becoming the youngest member of the Senate in the 117th Congress, and the first Jewish senator from Georgia, we recognize that Jan. 6, 2021, will not soon be forgotten.

The insurrection in Washington, D.C., dealt a devastating blow to the fabric of our democracy, as well as to national security, and our international standing.

At moments like this, all those who love democracy, especially future lawyers and leaders, must recognize the responsibility we have, both to learn from the tribulations of this historical moment, and to help us move forward with integrity, humanity, and a true embrace of the power of the law to work for the common good.

At moments like this, I am reminded that the American Bar Association Model Rules provide that lawyers, are “ … public citizen[s] having special responsibility for the quality of justice.” And that, “Lawyers play a vital role in the preservation of society.”

At the Universty of Hawaii’s Richardson Law, we take this responsibility seriously. We are called to help ensure that we all understand the role and rule of law, the importance of critical thinking in our national dialogue, and to support the empowerment of leaders who will speak truth to power to preserve what is best about this country.

This is a moment from which we should learn, including about ourselves. How we resolve to go forward will reverberate beyond our years. At this time of peril, legal education, and the role and responsibility of lawyers in upholding the law, and in pursuing justice, is most evident. We have an opportunity to work toward unity, for peace, to recommit to inclusion and nonviolence, and the setting of higher expectations for ourselves, and ultimately to healing.

At moments like this, we have an opportunity to signal who we aspire to be, both to people within the United States, and to observers around the world. To remain whole, we cannot be divided, let alone against ourselves.

Camille A. Nelson is dean and professor of law at the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii-Manoa.