A mob of Trump supporters raided the capitol on January 6 in response to learning that Joe Biden won the presidential election. Egged on by Donald Trump, they broke into the capitol in a successful attempt to stop the count of the electoral college votes, endangering the lives of many congressmen and House members. On January 13, President Trump was impeached for the second time for the charges of abuse of power and the obstruction of congress. This is just one example of how America has changed from the greatest place to the laughing stock of the world. With the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20, a new chapter opens in American history.  

As teenagers mature into voters, the current political chaos is not a good representation of what America should be and it is up to them to be the change. 

The raid on the capitol showed the hypocrisy of either political party. Those who raided the capital were the same ones who were criticizing the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest, and those who were committing violent protests during the BLM movement are criticizing the capitol raid. Either time an act of protest goes from expressing a need for change to destruction of property, it has lost its power to promote change and has now become a crime. 

Regardless of political affiliation, the childlike actions of Trump should be chastised as they are not a good reflection of what an American leader is supposed to be. He encouraged the protest that promoted himself, but not the protest that promoted human rights. He has shown himself as a sore loser by publicly stating that he will not attend the inauguration of Joe Biden. He had the opportunity to take the high road and celebrate his past four years in office, but instead has shown America what not to do as a president. 

If Americans do not recognize the need for change and finally unite, America will continue to be the laughing stock of the world. Four years from now, when a new president is elected, high schooler students will be able to vote. Now, they should take advantage of this time to learn and educate themselves on who America needs as a leader.