There was some part of me that believed that my first voting experience would be imaginable and unforgettable. It was, but for all the wrong reasons. I was excited to cast my vote for Bernie Sanders and think that my vote could make a difference. As a Bernie Sanders supporter I was excited to think that this man could overcome all the obstacles and become the first president to actually change our country for the better. Now, I’m not saying Bernie Sanders has lost his opportunity as democratic nominee because the democratic nominee is appointed in July. I wish with all my heart that Bernie Sanders won the nomination, but the media has already chosen a winner.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to share my admiration for Bernie Sanders. I am here to share my disappointment in the entire process. I am here to share my disappointment that the two candidates that have been said to be the winners of their respective party are no where near qualified to be candidates and definitely not qualified to be presidents. I am here to share by disappointment and disbelief at how much fraud occurred during the voting process and how many people were denied their right to vote because of errors that were out of their hands. I am here to share my disapproval of the media because from day one they chose their favorites and didn’t allow the candidates ideas and plans to speak for them.

If what the media is saying is true and the candidates are Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, I refuse to vote and I refuse to settle for the second best. I will not vote for the simple fact that everything leading to the election was wrong and corrupt. I refuse indulge a process that is supposed to allow us to chose the best president and then forces us to settle. I am conflicted with this decision because I either vote for a cynical, self-centered person or I vote for someone who just adapts to situations and says what others want to here.

I have been told more than once to vote for Hillary Clinton because she is a woman and a democrat, that she is better than having Donald Trump as president. But she is a white woman who lacks the true understanding of what it is to be a person of color and to truly struggle. She is a woman who enjoys the privilege of being a white woman and not a woman of color. She is someone who has changed her beliefs and opinions to match voters and to gain support.

I will not settle for either of these candidates, I will not settle for what the media is pushing on me, and I will not settle for candidates that do not understand the true struggle of minorities. The only candidate I would change my mind for is someone who has always expressed and supported minorities, someone who has dedicated his life to help those he can.

I will not settle, and neither should you.