Featuring governmental podiums stolen, police barricades broken, and even a noose dangled from a gallows set up on an erected platform, the events that unfolded on January 6, 2021, revealed a chilling, dark side of America. In the midst of an unforgiving pandemic ravaging the country, the mobs of the Capitol Hill Insurrection aired on TV screens across the world.

With this month marking a year since the insurrection, we look back to reflect on what the riot has revealed about America’s institutions, democratic ideals, and how the country can move forward.

The events of Jan. 6 deeply affected American citizens, especially us, the students, a small part of a larger whole: Generation Z. As members of this generation, we have witnessed not only the aftermath of 9/11—War on Terror—unprecedented pandemic, and a historical Capitol raid, exacerbated by the continued influence of social media. Unlike Baby-Boomers and Generation X at our age, we have almost-instant access to news from around the world within seconds of an event occurring. And yet, while having boundless knowledge at our fingertips at any given moment certainly is a blessing, 24/7 coverage of Capitol Hill has also given us a front seat to the deterioration of American politics over the past decade, for better or for worse.

As the younger generation who grew up watching scandal-ridden politics broadcast on primetime TV—blaring headlines illuminating an endless train of controversies of everything ranging from nepotism to foreign quid pro quo’s in the Oval Office—accompanied by nothing short of openly sexist, xenophobic, and even blatantly anti-democratic political speech regarding not only sexual misconduct and immigration, but the very underpinnings of American democracy themselves, we hoped that the insurrection was meant to be the straw that finally broke the camel’s back and drove lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle to action. 

But little has changed since last year; if anything, the promise of American democracy has crumbled even further. It’s evident as the refusal to acknowledge President Biden’s 2020 presidential win became a commonplace occurrence among Republican politicians who seek to retain pro-Trump voters and the passage of legislation adding more roadblocks to deter voters from the voting booth.

Yes, over 700 participants in the insurrection have been arrested and a House-appointed Select Committee has continued to investigate, but at the end of the day, almost no foundational change has occurred to finally shake the grips of the instigation of the insurrection from the GOP, no commitment has been made to a less antagonistic political scene, no grand change has occurred to finally convince voters that enough is enough.

As young Americans approach the cusp of adulthood, it’s all very disheartening to see—the insurrection itself, the ardent condemnation of the former president gradually fading into lukewarm commentary, the underlying problems behind the insurrection overlooked. And yet, at the same time, this is hardly a novelty. 

We see the spread of misinformation that baselessly convinced rioters that the election had been stolen, reiterated in the conspiracy theories of anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers that have prolonged a pandemic that has already killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. It leaves us to wonder: with so much miscommunication, prejudice, and ignorance present in our society, how are we supposed to be the agents of change as the upcoming generation of voters?

The Jan. 6 insurrection was yet another symptom of the underlying bigotry festering deep within American society that had resonated throughout so many other memorable events in today’s age. More grimly, it sends voters the message that their sole direct contribution to democracy, of having their voice heard in a country of over 330 million people, will no longer be guaranteed or even respected. Trump relentlessly argued that the election was stolen and the results should not be accepted by Americans, a notion that several Republican Congressmen have and continue to uphold. 

Ultimately, it leaves young Americans, many of whom will vote for the first time in the coming years, already fatigued by the prospect of shouldering the burdens of previous generations—of political polarization, of racial injustice, of inflation and financial security, of climate change—with an even more jaded, cynical view of the future.

After all, if the most serious threat to one of the greatest symbols of American democracy in over two centuries couldn’t change public sentiment and incite change, then what can? Well, the answer lies with the young people. 

In another year or two, we will be the ones voting and shaping American politics. Though it seems like change is hard to achieve, with the Capitol Insurrection bringing a fresh grim reminder of the escalation of bigotry into violence, it’s not impossible. Progress is never linear, nor is it a guaranteed outcome. 

Progress is made through purposeful choices: using our voices and ballots, and reaching out into our communities in every way we can with social media and our advocacy. By being informed, objective, and compassionate, we, the voters of tomorrow, can change the trajectory of the future of America for the better.

Photo courtesy of PATHEOS.COM