I was a World War II baby, growing up in Tennessee, the "Buckle of the Bible Belt." Ironically, although most people were presumably very religious, segregation of the races was accepted as proper and just. My father was a member of an extreme evangelical Protestant sect. He was far more bigoted than most, not only hating blacks but Jewish people and Catholics as well. Like most young boys, my father was my role model. In my youth, I accepted his prejudices without question and accepted his view of the world. It was not until after college, while "seeing the world" serving three years as a U.S. Naval Officer, that I become to realize how distorted my father's views were. I also came to realize the destructiveness of being consumed with hate and ignorance. I desire a tolerant secular world with due respect for the brotherhood of all mankind. Robert L. Hamlett was born on June 13, 1943 in the "buckle of the Bible belt." After attending local schools, he enrolled at the University of Tennessee, where he graduated, with honors, in December 1965. Between 1966 and 1969, he served as an officer in the U.S. Navy. His service included tours aboard the USS Frontier (AD-25) and at the U.S. Naval Support Activity, Danang, South Vietnam. Upon return to civilian life, Mr. Hamlett worked as an Audit Supervisor for the State of Tennessee for thirty-three years, retiring in 2003. While working full-time, he attended law school at night, graduating 3rd. in a class of 83 in June 1976. In July, 1976, he passed the Tennessee Bar Examination. Mr. Hamlett enjoys duplicate bridge, Fantasy Football and extensive reading when not writing. He is married with two grown children. His first book, Surviving Depression: My Agonizing Struggle with Sanity was published in 2008.