Then and now: 1 year after the Capitol insurrection

(WISH) — Since the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, many have openly asked if it will happen again — and a new poll from The Washington Post-University of Maryland suggests it could.

The poll showed that 1 in 3 Americans said violence against our government can be justified.

Raymond Haberski, professor of history and American studies at Indiana University, said it’s alarming and that we need to pay attention to politics.

“We have to pay attention to the politics at the state level, right? Because there’s a lot of noise about stopping the steal and remaking America or whatever,” said Haberski. “State legislatures all across the United States are reforming election laws — that could actually be problematic to the next election.”

He said a few reasons why people think it’s justified to attack the government are disinformation, believing their rights or freedoms are threatened or believing election results aren’t accurate. 

He continued to compare the insurrection to the Civil War. 

“Before the insurrection last year, the last time our Capitol was attacked was by the British during the War of 1812,” said Haberski.

As a country, Haberski said Americans need to focus on the groups that are at the center of this event such as white supremacists, white power groups and nationalists.