Across America these last several months, we have witnessed violent actors trying to do an end-run around public discourse.

This has underscored a need to improve civic education in our country. (THREAD)

Violent actors have tried to intimidate, to silence voices. These folks want to short-cut public debate through fear. They want to make people scared.

This is un-American. And it certainly has no place in South Dakota. (2)

Whether on the right or on the left, political violence is not the answer. Our political process, though contentious at times, works because we resolve issues through discussion and rigorous debate. (3)

Sometimes, political debate includes peaceful protests. Assembly is a tool, enshrined in the Constitution, to help drive our point home. Every American has a right to peacefully protest. But that right ends where violence begins. (4)

We saw a similar situation play out on Capitol Hill a few days ago. We were all appalled by it. Frankly, it was horrible to watch. Today, we have an opportunity to address the root cause of this problem: we must reform young Americans’ civic education. (5)