At the recent Utah State Democratic Party Convention a travesty was committed against democracy. As a 19-year-old, I was so excited to be elected a county and state delegate that I decided to try my luck at being elected as a national delegate to go to Denver in August. I filled out the proper paperwork to run for both the District 1 male for Clinton delegate and the at-large Clinton male delegate. After I lost the election for District 1, I was looking forward to the next day's election for the at-large delegate.

But my name was not on the ballot. I was told, "You have been purged by your candidate's campaign." I was shocked that just because someone who Clinton's Utah campaign manager Donald Dunn liked didn't win in the first election, Dunn simply removed everyone else from the second ballot so his friend could win that seat. Why would he authorize this joke of democracy? Why would Utah Democratic Party Chair Wayne Holland Jr. allow it?

I know why young people don't vote: We still have hopes, dreams and the idea that we can actually make a difference, and horrible abuses of power like this make us hesitant to participate.

Andrew Gilbert

Hooper