What Happened to the AMERICAN DREAM?The 2012 Congressional and presidential elections, as well as the state elections, will be a defining time in America, determining the direction that our country will take in the future. Basically, American voters will have three alternatives. The first alternative is completely unacceptable, leaving our government divided between progressive Democrats and reactionary Republicans, with constant bickering and hopeless gridlock, while our country's massive problems remain unaddressed. The second alternative is even worse, turning our government over completely to Republicans and their Tea Party cohorts, resulting in the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer and the middle class gradually disappearing. The only hope for our country to find rational solutions to our problems to return state governments to Democratic rule, re-elect President Obama, continue the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate and throw the Republican and Tea Party extremists out of the House of Representatives!Robert L. Hamlett was born on June 13, 1943 in Nashville, Tennessee. 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, where he served as Inventory Control Officer. Upon return to civilian life, Mr. Hamlett worked as an Audit Manager with 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, but chose not to engage in the practice of law.Mr. Hamlett enjoys duplicate bridge, Fantasy Football and extensive reading when not writing. He is married with two grown children. this is his fourth published book.