This year's election season has been one for the books. With some people claiming that SNL was behind this year's presidential candidates, it all seems like one big orchestrated joke. With plans of building walls and e-mail controversy, it's hard to find a candidate that will lead our country in the right direction. I consider myself in the middle when it comes to politics. I like a lot of the Republican aspects like smaller government, ways to reduce the budget, and protection of the Second Amendment. I agree with a lot of Democratic platforms on social issues like gay marriage. I am at an impasse when it comes to November, who do I vote for? I thought I was stuck to choose either Clinton or Trump, then I found out there was another option.

Knowing that there is a candidate that I can support more than Trump or Clinton, is a ease to my mind. It's refreshing to see that there is another candidate in the presidential running. We are so used to a two party system, that we sometimes forget about the issues. When we find a party we identify with, we tend to stick with it regardless of changing platforms or candidates that you do not agree with.

Gary Johnson is running as a libertarian and will be on the ballot in November. He was the 29th Govenor of New Mexico and turned their deficient into a surplus at the end of his term. During his first term as Govenor, he reduced the state's annual budget by 10 percent. During his two terns he was considered a Republican. He is now identifying himself as a Libertarian. A libertarian blends both Democratic and Republican ideals.

Libertarians believe in giving more power to the individual. This means less government intervention on what we do to our bodies. This means that abortion is taken out of government intervention. Being Catholic, I consider myself pro-life. However I would want women to have a safe procedure versus horrendous "coat hanger" procedures that occurred before before Roe v. Wade. The definition of what a relationship is should stay with consenting adults according to libertarian ideals. We also should have the right to defend ourselves, promoting the Second Amendment. Also advocating government transparency, this means less government censorship in the media so we have a stronger sense of freedom of speech.

These are just a few of the principles that Gary Johnson takes to heart. To learn more about these principles you can visit their site at http://www.lp.org/platform to look at it more in depth. You may not agree with Gary Johnson, but it's important to be educated of all the candidates running for the president.