( CNN ) -- It was n't supposed to happen . America 's youth were supposed to be apathetic and disheartened . We were n't supposed to be at the polls . The word was that we had fallen out of love with President Obama , the man who inspired us four years ago . Big money would silence our voices and make our efforts inconsequential . Two-thousand-twelve would be nothing like 2008 ; the youth vote would n't be the decisive force it was four years ago . We saw it differently . In two consecutive elections , more than half of my generation voted : It is clear now , if it was n't before , that we recognize our responsibility to our country . In fact , this time we made up an even larger percentage ( 19 % ) of the electorate than we did four years ago ( 18 % ) . Opinion roundup : Where Obama , and America , go from here . We still support the man who has stood up for us : Sixty percent of voters age 18-29 chose President Obama on Tuesday . I do n't think any young person was surprised , however , that older Americans had no idea what we were thinking . My generation has been burdened by a misguided war that damaged our credibility abroad . We 've been told the national debt is so large that we 'll never be able to pay it back . We have experienced an economic crisis unlike any since the Great Depression . We have watched our environment head toward disaster and our government stand at an impasse . We have been told over and over that America is no longer the great country it once was . But our participation in the election and our overwhelming support for the president are indicative of our hope for the future and our compulsion to start tackling these problems now . Opinion : Women gain wider access to power . We do n't support the president just because he 's `` cool , '' plays basketball or listens to Jay-Z . Instead , we recognize that he , too , is ready to meet these great challenges . And we want to help him build a stronger , safer , more just America . This election also revealed that my generation has moved past many of the debates of our parents and grandparents : The youth vote was imperative to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Maine and Maryland , the rejection of constitutional discrimination in Minnesota and the election of a president who supports equal pay , reproductive rights and fair immigration reform . For us , these issues are a matter of common sense . We may have been disenchanted with politics over the past few years , but this election proves that it 's not because we do n't care . Rather , we reject petty posturing , partisan gridlock and inaction . Voting is great , but it 's not an accomplishment . It 's a responsibility . We recognize that going to the polls is the easiest thing we are going to have to do . In August , I wrote that in this election , young people would display a deep commitment to our country and its ideals , and provide a preview of the America we intend to build . We accomplished the first two , and that gives me hope that we will succeed in building a future of which we can be proud . The next time someone claims that my generation does n't care and wo n't help , remind them that we showed up , voted for change and are ready to get to work . Letter from the editor : Election night was about the facts . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jack Schlossberg .
David Schlossberg : Young voters were said to lack enthusiasm and to be unlikely to vote . He says they came out to support President Obama , which they voted in . This is a responsibility , he says , and his generation is prepared to do much more .