Dear Millennials,

I think we need to talk. As the largest group of eligible voters in the nation, you have the chance to make your voices heard, to change the way the future will be shaped. And, with this bleak election season, you need to be heard now more than ever.

At first, Bernie Sanders was the man of choice for most young voters. He came across as relatable, approachable, even grandfatherly, and to many, he didn’t seem like a politician at all. He spoke a message that you believed in, and thousands of his young supporters were disheartened to see him lose in the primaries.

But the primaries were the least of your worries in this soul-crushing election. Out of the ashes of the Republican primary rose Donald Trump, and from the other side Hillary Clinton rode in on the back of a beaten Bernie Sanders. America braced herself for the incoming tide of crude remarks, campaign posters and yard signs, political articles, and biased media. You, the young people, were shocked and disgusted by the sudden divisiveness showing up in your own backyards. For many, this is your first time voting in a presidential election. For others, it’s the second or third, but easily the most hate-driven.

To put it simply, you were looking for a miracle. You thought you had found one in Bernie, but after his defeat and subsequent endorsement of Hillary, you knew it had to be someone else. Enter Gary Johnson.

Gary Johnson rode in on a metaphorical white horse, bursting with promises of the best ideas from both the Republicans and Democrats. No gun laws, no big government, lots of weed, free trade, “keep the government out of our bedroom and out of our pockets.” To millennials with nothing to lose and no inclination to check his actual stances on any issues, he sounded perfect. Why vote for a crazy orange businessman or a woman with all the experience but none of the charisma, when you could vote for a third, and surely better, option?

Here’s when things start to get fuzzy. Gary Johnson isn’t necessarily the best, or even the better, candidate. And yet of all the age groups, you, the information generation, flocked to him. Could it be that his policies are better than the others? Probably not. The sad truth is, Gary Johnson has risen in polls so dramatically simply because he isn’t Trump or Clinton. His whole campaign has marketed itself on doing just that. It hasn’t mattered what Johnson’s policies are, because his supporters follow him based on the idea that he is the least of all the evils.

This may be true, but aren’t his actual stances more important? Are his plans and ideas for the nation a better indication of whether he should be president?

For those of you who came here for some facts, here they are. Johnson ran 2012 as a Republican. He ran this year on a revised platform as a Libertarian, hoping to appeal to more voters in this time of high separation between parties. This essentially makes him the equivalent of that creepy uncle who pops up every four years at family reunions trying to bribe you with candy into liking him. Sadly, it’s working, not only for dissatisfied Republicans but for Bernie supporters as well.

Looking at issues, he does exactly what he says. He keeps government out of the home and the pocket. No government funding for abortions, no mandatory vaccines, no laws against gay marriage, no gun laws at all, legalized weed and an end to the war on drugs, no corporate tax, no Common Core, no tariffs or restrictions or trade, and last but not least, climate change.

He has also become known, in the last month, for not knowing where the city of Aleppo is, not being able to name any world leaders, (including Angela Merkel, Justin Trudeau, and Vladimir Putin), promising to stop coming to interviews high, and openly admitting that he needs to learn more about current events if he were to become president. Is this really who you want for office?

Let’s face it, Johnson is and has never been the white knight, riding in to save us. He is more Don Quixote than Prince Charming, but it is his followers who are trapped in the illusion. What becomes of America when the white stallion turns out to be no more than an old nag dusted with chalk?

The answer is, America has to save herself. There is not politician in the world who can fix everything wrong with this country, and it is up to you to vote for the person who you believe in the most, with whom you share the most ideals. If that is Gary Johnson, vote for him with a clear conscience. But if your vote is only going to him with the intent of making a statement, of saying something to the two-party system and being able to pat yourself on the back after voting because you stuck it to the man, please reconsider.

Educate yourself before you vote. But if nothing else, just vote for the person who sits best on your conscience.

For more information on the candidates, issues, or voting statistics, check out Pew Research Center and OnTheIssues.