The United States Capitol. It is the singular most important building in the entire country; laws have been made, landmark bills and amendments have been voted upon, nominations have been confirmed, and the United States has operated from this historic building for over 200 years.

Until this era, no one would think that this hallmark of the American Government, a bastion of freedom, liberty, and equality, would ever be violated by the very people whom its occupants work to govern. However, it is known that this belief to be in vain after the capitol attack of Jan 6th 2020. 

Seeing the one year anniversary of this sobering event come and go, and with many young adults preparing to cast their first ballet in the upcoming midterm elections, it is imperative that they know the significance that this event possesses in reflecting the political climate that they will be entering.

Regarding the political climate, US government teacher Trevor Kielmeyer said, “The climate is contentious; although, not particularly more than is typical. Politics has always been a combative exercise that is becoming more visible due to social media and access to information that was not readily available in the past.”  

This opinion is shared by fellow government teacher Kelly Stocker who stated, “We have become increasingly polarized and the end result is that students will have to enter this climate.” 

Stocker further stated that students will need to watch out for oversimplified political issues and try not to be drawn into bickering between red and blue. 

Government teacher Tim Smith stated, “Over the last decade our political climate has been bitterly divided.”  However, Smith is adamant that there is more that unites American society than divides it, and that there are many forces at work within the United States that emphasizes division over unity that young voters should avoid.

Regarding the importance of this event in analyzing the current political climate that young voters could expect to enter, Stocker stated that this event is very important because it is the culmination of increased partisanship.

She also said she did the best to teach the event in the moment and that she will likely continue to teach about it for years to come. 

Keilmeyer said, “January 6th to me represents a bridge too far in political behavior. Those responsible should be punished accordingly.” 

Smith stated, “This event is important and it will go down in history as a seminal moment in the history of the United States.”  He added that the American people only have begun to start to analyze this event and what the repercussions will be.

Some believe that this event is the result of a sinister minority, and others believe that it is the result of a lack of tolerance for others beliefs. Smith stated, “Throughout human history, people have always not tolerated others’ viewpoints.” These opinions are by no means isolated.

 Kielmeyer said  there have been many controversial elections held in the past with no incidents even nearly on the scale of January 6, 2020 and that “while a lack of interest in the viewpoints of other citizens is a growing problem, the events of January 6, 2021 were in my view the result of dangerous actions endorsed by a very small, extreme faction of the county.” 

Another danger new voters face is shown by how many individuals have taken sides on the issue based on partisan loyalties.  Kielmeyer stated, “There are some actions that cannot be condoned by political beliefs. In my view, attempting to prevent the certification of electoral votes falls in this category.” 

He further stated that bipartisan cooperation is the driving force behind some of the country’s most landmark legislation and can seldom be found in today’s political climate. 

Stocker said that she does not think it possible to observe this event in an objective manner. She further stated that “this event is too close to observe objectively, it requires 20-30 years to pass in order to do so.” 

Smith added, “Anything of that magnitude [and] seen by many will be seen politically.  Some people spin everything politically, and it is hard for people to see things differently; however, there are other things to see.”

It is important for young voters to be aware of the effects of social media when they decide who to vote according to Stocker.  “We can be trapped in social media echo chambers where we are surrounded by people who agree with us,” she stated. 

Adding to this, Smith said, “Social media is a tool, like a gun is a tool or a knife is a tool. Social media is a powerful tool if used by a skilled politician.” 

Kielmeyer explained that the bias found in news outlets towards one side of the political spectrum or the other, and the general disagreement on what is news let alone what is objective is an ongoing issue.  He added, “The growth of social media has exacerbated the partisan divide.” 

Stocker also stated that regulation of social media would not have stopped the planning of this event. The social media posts from extremist groups allow documentation of the people responsible, however social media did help to facilitate the Capitol riot via allowing extremist groups to plan and rally for this event.

New voters might also want to know how the government is moving to address this event. Stocker said she is pleased at the government’s response to the situation. 

“The January 6th commission was established to refer findings to the justice department who will then sentence offenders,” Kielmeyer explained.   “I am pleased the January 6th commission was established. I wish the composition of the committee was more bipartisan and that more witnesses were freely willing to testify before the commission,” he added.

 Many believe that young voters should be concerned about something like the January 6th capitol riot from happening again. Smith is adamant that an event of this proportions could happen again if steps are not taken to prevent it.

“Regardless of the climate, it is critical that students, especially those eligible to vote in the upcoming primary and midterm elections educate themselves about issues, participate and vote,” Kielmeyer said. 

“Voting is the great equalizer.” Kielmeyer said, “Regardless of wealth, influence or education, we are all equal in the voting booth.” 

It is important that citizens track their elected officials and verify that they are behaving in the interest of the constituents that they represent. In addition to this, Stocker said, “Always be ready to protect democracy.  Democracy is fragile; it is important to be concerned about voting.”