Attack on democracy started from the top

As a student in high school, I am a relative novice to politics when compared to other, more senior, people who might have a different opinion on the events that took place on Jan. 6. However, as a high school student, I feel an obligation to provide my perspective and opinion on what just happened.

What we all saw on the day of the Capitol riots was not business as usual, nor was it what politics should represent. What we saw on that Wednesday was not "peaceful protest." It was a form of sedition orchestrated from the highest echelons of government.

As we have the time to reflect on the recent events, I hope more people understand the true magnitude of the current mess our political system is in. Now is a time to stand up and make sure that every person responsible for the attack on the Capitol is punished to the highest extent of the law. That starts from the top, and I believe now, more than ever, impeachment is the right and sound thing to do.

As someone who doesn't identify as a Republican or Democrat, I try to look at the facts without having a preconceived bias or opinion. And yet as I saw what was happening around the handling of the pandemic to the false claims of election fraud, I became more and more disgruntled.

After the events we all witnessed, a line was crossed, and our democracy was on the brink of collapse. I believe that there is no other right path than removing Donald Trump from public office. If Americans don't stand up against the anarchy our country is facing right now, our standing in the world and our trust in the democratic process will forever be tarnished and weakened.

Regardless of who you voted for, now is the time to do right at a time of great wrong.

Ilya Vynnyk

Mundelein