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127 thoughts on “My Two Cents”

1. Thank you, for an exquisitely worded and rational explanation to what I’ve been observing these past 2 months. Responding, rather than reacting, and being rational, logically thinking human beings can help us move forward as a nation.

   1. Thank you for voicing what a lot of people are thinking. I would love to have a woman President but to me Hillary wasn’t the right one. I voted for Trump because I knew if Hillary got in there the first thing she was going to TRY to do is go after our gun rights.
      I feel that everybody has the right to vote as they want but you don’t have the right to be nasty as a lot of people are being to people who don’t agree with them.
      So with that said Thank you once again for telling it like it is.

      1. Brenda your response was spot on to my way of thinking as well. We (as Americans) should stop hating each other and try to show compassion and start healing the divide that has happened over the last 8 years. If we can’t come together I am afraid there will be no hope for us as a Nation.

      2. What a joke. You knew she was going to go after your guns they same way you knew President Obama was going to go after your guns. It wasn’t going to happen it hasn’t happened and it won’t happen, but every election the evil Democrat is going to take your guns. The last President who actually banned assault rifles was Reagan.

2. I am a long time fan of your books and I just want to say “Thank you” for such an intelligent, logical (and source noted!) post. I may not agree with everything you say, but I appreciate seeing a well thought out presentation of facts. Thank you. and your books are awesome!

   1. I agree with you Liz. However I will add that I am very pleased with our new President Donald J. Trump and i am a 56 year old woman who voted for Obama twice for exactly the same reasons as Laurell. We needed a business man in office and I think he is doing an amazing job so far. Time will tell, but we need to give this man a chance to right tne many wrongs of our previous leaders and system. Just my thoughts.

      1. Why do we need a business man in office? I take exception to that whole line of thinking. The United States is NOT a corporation. The health and welfare of our citizens is NOT a profit center. The people of this great nation are not firable or worth less. It would be better to think of the government as parents watching over it’s children. We owe it to each other to put PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT.

         I call bullshit on a corporate overlord more concerned with profiting than the american people profiting.

3. What truly scares me is the new executive order that it is okay to torture “suspected terrorist” and that it also opened up many blacklisted prisons, including Gitmo. To be honest, everything he has done scares me.

   This is not the America I envision, one filled with hate and intolerance. This is truly a scary time for all of us.

   1. America has always been full of this hate. People can blame it on Trump all they want but that is the way their pea brains have always been. If they would stop acting childish and own up to their own racist or sexist nature people would see it for what it really is. Trump didn’t come along in one day and turn the whole nation into racist and sexist idiots. He just made them show their true nature.

      1. To paraphrase Will Smith, the hate has always been there. The bigotry has always been there. The racism and misogyny have always been there. We’re just now shining a light on it, pointing the camera at it. People being forced to recognize this negativity that has always been a part of our culture. I am completely ashamed of the fact that Donald J Trump was elected our president. I’m grew up in New Jersey, I watched him turn Atlantic City into a complete and total cesspool. That man has no respect for anybody else, he is a complete self-centered narcissist. However, this is what the country chose, this is what we have to deal with. Our only recourse as Citizens Is to watch him like a hawk and make sure he does the temp job that he was hired to do. We just need to remember, he works for us. We don’t work for him.

         1. Agreed.

         2. Well said.

         3. Very, very well said Jeanette Aughenbaugh. Not to mention his lack of respect for women, disabled, families of deceased veterans, immigrants (need I remind everyone our ancestors “all” were…unless you’re of Native American descent, directly), etc., etc., etc. That’s what scares me. I don’t have to agree with my President, but I should at least respect him/her and vice versa, and at no point during this election, or now, do I feel respected. Especially as a “minority”, woman, and tax paying citizen. Laurell, I love you and your books but disagree with your political views. Isn’t that what makes this country so great?!! Let’s just strive to respect each other always and help your fellow man daily.

      2. Hate is no stranger to you I see. Don’t let it blind you to the truth. We Trump supporters don’t hate. The hate is in the hearts of the liberal defeated. Be honest, at least with yourself.

         1. I don’t necessarily believe that Trump supporters as individuals are hateful, bigoted, misogynist jackasses. But you voted for that hateful, bigoted, misogyniist jackass. Therefore you condone his behavior. And there are a lot of people that have a difficult time differentiating between the two.

         2. He is a racist. This isn’t something new. I remember in the eighties when he had different standards and applications for black and Latino tenants vs white tenants. He surrounds himself with other racist people. For the 1st 6 yrs of Obama’s presidency he claimed Obama wasn’t even a American. Would he have said that about a white man NO. The scariest thing is that I thought that we as a nation had come so much further than this. One of his top advisor in a public statement compared the black lives matters group to ISIS. He refused to publicly denounce the former leader of the KKK. on top of that he is too thin skinned and to quick to respond in anger. He may be a successful business man but it takes more than that to be a good President. If you don’t agree with him he attacks and labels you the enemy. That is not the person I want to negotiate peace. This man never did 1 day of public service before becoming President. He refused to show his income tax return because he didn’t want his supporters to see how invested he is in foreign governments. Trump is all about the almighty dollar wills he will sell out his supporters so fast to get richer. Who is he to tell me that he wants to help the black man. He hit the trifecta when he was born. He was born a 1. Rich 2. White 3. Male. I have many white friends who genuinely believe that they understand racism but they really don’t. They understand intellectually what it means but until you have experienced it until you had it aimed at you you can’t really know. I hope that you all have a person of color in your life that you trust ask them if they think Trump is a racist. America I feel so betrayed and so hurt but I love you still.
            This

            1. Person of color……white is also a color, I am a white woman whom grew up as only 1 of 3 white families in a black neighborhood, I know about racism, have experienced it first hand……I chose to NOT let that define me and make me a racist……I love everyone no matter what race, religion, sexual orientation, or political choice….We need to love ourselves and each other to truly be able to make America great again!

            2. Just to address some of the issues you raised:

               1. Trump did claim that a white man, Ted Cruz, couldn’t be president because he wasn’t a natural-born citizen. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/424104/?client=ms-android-verizon

               2. He was awarded an Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
               “The Ellis Island Medals of Honor embody the spirit of America in their celebration of patriotism, tolerance, brotherhood and diversity. They recognize individuals who have made it their mission to share with those less fortunate their wealth of knowledge, indomitable courage, boundless compassion, unique talents and selfless generosity; all while maintaining the traditions of their ethnic heritage as they uphold the ideals and spirit of America. As always, NECO remains dedicated to the maintenance and restoration of America’s greatest symbol of its immigrant history, Ellis Island.”
               http://neco.org/medal-of-honor/medalists-database?ltr=T

               3. Trumo DID denounce David Duke. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2016/03/03/politics/donald-trump-disavows-david-duke-kkk/index.html?client=ms-android-verizon

               4. I wasn’t able to locate a single reputable source that said a Trump aid equated BLM to ISIS. Perhaps you can provide a link?

               5. The Clinton Foundation received millions of dollars from 7 foreign governments while HRC was SOS.
               https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/foreign-governments-gave-millions-to-foundation-while-clinton-was-at-state-dept/2015/02/25/31937c1e-bc3f-11e4-8668-4e7ba8439ca6_story.html?utm_term=.7c449a8b5749

               6. Trump Foundation has no paid staff and is funded by the Trumps and individual donors.
               https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/10/22/us/elections/clinton-trump-foundation-comparison-criticism.html?_r=0

               As for the white people cannot understand racism, I don’t feel I can respond, and really neither can you. That is because no matter what, I will never understand how a person of color feels because I will never be a person of color. You will never know how a white person truly perceives racism because you can never be a white person. It is like how one can never understand how a rape victim feels unless he/she has been a rape victim or how a man can never understand how an unwanted pregnancy (and what to do about it) feels because he can never be pregnant.

               I hope you will read my comments and respond. Perhaps all we need is to open a discussion, see each other’s sides, and if necessary agree to disagree without devaluing the other side’s argument.

               Wishing you all the best.

      3. Over 100 years ago Arthur Canon Doyle has his character Sherlock Holmes say something to his friend Dr. Watson approximately like this” When times are flush we praise God, and when harsh we blame the Devil, but rarely do we shoulder the blame for our failures ourselves!” I agree with whoever said ” It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness!”

   2. The general he put in charge of the decision said no.

   3. I agree completely.

   4. When you the fine print you will realize you will realize it states interrogation techniques as described in Field Manual. Trump stated his personal preference, but did make it clear he will defer to his cabinet…who have already testified techniques are not approved. Another MSM scare tactic

   5. Really? You gained nothing from reading this article? Is it really fear you feel or is it anger that your way of thinking is not America’s?

4. Very well said! I agree with many of your points. Thank you for sharing.

5. I entirely agree with what you said. The biggest things that scare me for the future: the Vice President-he is more terrifying to me than Pres. Trump, the fact that for at least the next 2 years there is no checks and balances in the government- the house and senate are R controlled and before the year is up so will the Supreme Court, and the fact that human rights are/will being ignored- Native American, women, LGBT, etc…
   The President is not all powerful, but the President has not shown that he plans to stick up for the minorities of this country including the ones who predate most everyone else. And that is my biggest fear for the future.

   1. I totally agree. I’m not scared I said I hope he does well by this country but I’ve followed this man since the 80’s he is a pitiful excuse for a human. I’ve listened to him down grade women on Howard Stern for years. I’m consistent I never liked him. It’s about him being a great person he must be top dog. What is scary is the things he wants to do that will hurt people most being those at poverty level. This nation was formed on immigrants. The ones indigenous keep getting screwed.

6. I agree with you. I wanted a female president. I thought it would show that the country as a whole was ready to move forward, but Hillary? No. I believe that if she had made president, she would have made sure the country never wanted another female president. She is not what we should be setting our precedence on. I didn’t vote at all. Yes, I know that it was my right, but I am not a lesser of two evils person, and I didn’t agree with any of the candidates. To me they are all the same just with different shapes. I believe if people will give him a chance, Trump might make changes. Either bad or good, at least it is changes. America is stagnant and it is time for us to catch up to the rest of the world. We are no longer on top. It’s only 4-8 years. We need to give him a chance, it’s not like the votes can be changed.

   1. Rethinking ever buying a book by you again. Obama negative, trump positive??? Did you fall on some ice. Trump also just put a gag order out and in effect closed down the EPA. We may have guns but not any other rights on the end. And he is sooo derogatory against women. And the earth!! Sorry but voting in trump will bring a change, maybe to 1940s.

      1. This!!

      2. Do you ever look up actual facts or just read off the news feed? This is a standard transition move and you need to just breathe.
         You already managed to push women back to the 1940’s with your “pussy parade”. The threats and intimidation tactics get old fast. I am not a Trump supporter but I don’t want to see him fail so I can say told you so either as that is really a no win situation.

         1. She quite literally put 9 freaking sources supporting her position.

            1. Teresa was responding to Jill, I think. Note the indentation of the thread.

         2. No, what is pushing women back are things like legislation which restricts or hinders women from getting the care they need. My state is on its way to defunding Planned Parenthood. On the list of “alternatives” to PP? High school nurses and a dentist office. That is what is hurting women, not marching for a few hours one day out of the year.

            1. The health dept. is the same thing as planned parenthood, they just don’t do abortions, He is not getting rid of planned parenthood he is taking away the money that the government gives to it. If you get pregnant now you go to the welfare get a medical card and then go have your abortion. Or since everyone is required to have obamacare anyway it should be covered by your insurance. Have you ever looked up what they do with aborted children? They sell the parts for money. Let them take some of that blood money to fund their own killing machine. Have you ever noticed where these clinics are built at? In the poorest neighborhoods, and usually around the African American ones. That is because the person that created them wanted to use them as a way to control the African American population. Please dig a little deeper into these places. They say they offer women’s health services but I have never met anyone that relieved any help there but the ones seeking to abort a child. I can not go to a Dr. to get a pap because I do not have insurance and called them to ask them about getting it done thru their offices and surprise Nope they do not offer that or cancer screening, or mammograms. All they are are money makers from the poor choices of the low income.

      3. Jill, I completely agree with you, wish I had not wasted a moment reading this b.s.

      4. I’m black. I’m always put off when ppl say Obama divided the country. McConnell made it clear the first day that the GOP would never support anything Obama tried to do. He wasn’t perfect. I didn’t like the bombings of brown countries or the massive deportation no one gives Obama credit for. However, he did go to bat for all of us. The affordable care act was for the whole country. It wasn’t trash that needed to be scrapped. It was a rough draft that needed to be edited. We who will be disproportionately affected by stop and frisk will not “give him a chance.” We whose schools are already underfunded will not “give him a chance” to take federal funds and stick it in private schools. We whose water is at the greatest risk of being polluted by those pipelines will Never give him a chance. We will fight. We will resist. And we won’t accept him. The same way the GOP didn’t accept Obama. You’re still one of my fav authors Laurell. But ur afforded the benefit of the doubt. I live in Louisiana where a law just got passed where anything I do including recording the encounter at a traffic stop could end with a felony resisting arrest charge. This is bad. I am terrified. And like Anita, I will not go quietly or peacefully along. I will fight.

         1. White people always make the mistake of thinking that acknowledging differences causes divide. It does not. What causes a divide is attempting to rank our differences as more or less acceptable, based on cultural norms that may not even apply to those we are judging. That type of thinking grows contempt, silences those on the periphery of power, and degrades the voice of the oppressed.

            Let’s face it. Whites have very little to lose with Trump, so of course your ignorance to others’ life experiences means you judge others with, “eh, you’re overreacting.” Well guess what, that 22yo Muslim girl, born in the US, who can’t walk to class because she gets harassed for her hijab, has valid reasons to be afraid. That 10yo who was born in the US to undocumented parents is scared right now that he may have to leave the only country he has ever known. Women who have had to choose between birth control or bus fare to work are scared. Women who have hopes of furthering their education before starting a family, are scared. Those of us pursuing higher education but cannot afford it, are scared. These people exist, and just because they are not in the <1% of people that YOU PERSONALLY KNOW, does not mean they do not live, do not dream, and do not hope for a better future for their families. These people are afraid. And those not in that position should be afraid for them.

            Pretending everyone lives your life, with your struggles, your experiences, your opportunities and your treatment, is ignorant and honestly, reduces my respect for you as a professional, especially one with an alternate lifestyle. I suggest you leave your ivory tower, visit and have honest conversations with people who have not lived your life.

            1. If a woman wants to further her education before starting a family can get birth control (condoms, sponges, spermicides) in any damn store in the country, she can go to any health department clinic (including on school campuses) in the country and get bc pills, iuds, hormone implants, diaphragms or hormone rings for free or small fees. Or she could choose to control her uterus/body and be selective about her sexual activities. If all else fails- pay for your own abortion- not Medicaid, or any other taxpayer funded benefits.

         2. Yes…this.

         3. Keke, thank you. Stay safe.
            X

   2. I agree with what was stated. I did not vote either because there wasn’t a “lesser of two evils” running at this time. But as a country we need to see if he is able to stand by what he stated.

7. I agree with everything you said. I never vote democrate, but I was happy Obama was president. I also believed that he would bring us together. It made me sad and angry to see the opposite happening. I voted Libertarian this time as well. Just couldn’t vote for the other two. Hillary lost my vote at Benghazi. I thought Donald running was a publicity stunt as well. My conscience wouldn’t let me vote for either of them. I truly believe that Johnson would have done a great job as president. He has the experience and the mind for it. Too bad more couldn’t see that. You are an awesome person Laurell. I love your books. Keep up the good work and keep speaking your mind. We are listening.

8. Anita Blake books, Merry Gentry books and now your blog – everything you write manages to speak to me. Thanks for putting this into such eloquent words.

9. Rethinking ever buying a book by you again. Obama negative, trump positive??? Did you fall on some ice. Trump also just put a gag order out and in effect closed down the EPA. We may have guns but not any other rights on the end. And he is sooo derogatory against women. And the earth!!

   1. Bye

   2. Reading comprehension isn’t your strong suit is it?

10. Thank you for writing this!

11. The only issue that concerns me is climate change and how our new administration is clearly pro fossil fuels and the actual words “climate change” have been removed from our governments website. All other issues are important…but if the world’s dwindling resources and weather patterns are further impacted, pretty soon it will be the only issue.

12. I too “threw my vote away” and voted for the only person I felt was honestly best for the job. Hillary and the Donald were equally reprehensible to me, oh how I wish the DNC had actually given Bernie a chance instead of sabotaging him at every turn.

    1. Yes Bernie got screwed. Neither Trump nor Hillary. Though I’m highly anticipating a woman president. But neither of the primary candidates we were left were or even are worthy of the position.

    2. Bernie was an Anarchist and closer to Trump lite.Guy spouted all sorts of things he could never accomplish even though those things enrage people.Read up on whether they can actually accomplish the things they say.

13. I am one of those who feels the fear. I live in a conservative state so it is no surprise that my state is a red majority. I completely understand that Trump does not have the power over everything, but where my fear stems from is from those who now feel emboldened to spew hate and vitriol and take it to another level. I work on a university campus and since the election results were finalized there has been a dramatic rise, on my campus alone, of students (both international and domestic) being harrassed verbally and physically with words of “Trump won B*tch, You’re f*cked now!” Or “Our guy won, we can do what we want”. While that is, obviously, not legally true, the people that have “lost their minds” since he won are not just on the liberal side. There is a sense of entitlement from those who have a natural inclination to be horrible humans to do it openly and without fear of consequence. That is where my fear lies. Policies are forever changing, but I have seen a marked lessening in the general goodness of humanity. I believe that while it may have always been waiting in the background, that the President opened that door wide open and said, “welcome”.

    1. Well said Ami. This scares me as well.

       1. Then let’s be part of the solution! Using Laurell Hamiltin’s prose as an example lets be clear about our concerns, and be open to listening without judgment and conversing with respect

14. I’m of the same opinion. The 2018 election for congress and senate seats is where we can effect change. We need to focus on progressive candidates. No more of these Christian rights and same old same old lefts. Find candidates that will work for the people. If you can’t find one, be one.

15. Thank you for this, I too voted for Johnson, Hillary I could not trust, and Trump was worse. Our people need an education, there is a 2 party system, if you wish to change it, then start looking at the other party’s and get them noticed, then the 2 major parties may just decide to give us better candidates to chose from. That is one of the powers that we the people have in sending a message to Washington.
    Also thank you for your clear analysis on how Trump won.

16. You expressed a lot of how I felt (feel) as well. I did end up voting for Trump because I couldn’t stomach the Clinton corruption. It seemed a choice of whether to be stabbed or bludgeoned for 4 years. Trump is crass and does not possess the mental and vocal filters that most twelve year olds develop. If there is a silver lining I guess it would be that there is at least transparency, everything he thinks spews right out his mouth or his twitter account. Here’s me, hopefully optimistic that being an irritating a$$hole doesn’t completely erase any good he might be able to do.

17. Thank you for your insight. I agree with you whole heartedly. I just wish the masses would stop for a moment and think instead of just reacting. It would be nice to see clear headedness win the day over rioting and fear/hatred. That will help our country heal. Again thank you ❤

18. I voted Trump. There I said it, and for exactly the reasons you stated. I am a conservative. I do not say Republican because I was taught to vote my conscience and for the best qualified person for the job. I did not like Obama, not because he was Democrat or liberal, but because he wasn’t honest even in his campaigns. President Trump may or may not be who he claims to be, we’ll have to wait and see. All I know is that in 8 yrs of Obama, the country was racially divided by his action and non-action, social policies were put in place to favor a few, and a vast majority of people were treated as ignorant because we didn’t agree. Sometimes there really is a silent majority, but when they do decide to end their silence its in a big way. Election 2016 ended the silence of those that Obama ignored, inflamed, outraged, and disenfranchised for 8 years. I’m not sorry I voted for Trump, and I sincerely hope he can accomplish the things he’s set out to do. In the end, I believe we all, regardless of political stand, want America to be great again.

19. I think blaming Obama for what he “couldn’t accomplish”, is wrong. Look at what he did accomplish with a do nothing Congress. They, even against their own constituents, blocked anything reforms or improvements because they would not vote or work with a African American President.. The ACA was tore down and not implemented in it’s full potential, lucky some of it was put into law saved many lives. I work in healthcare and have seen people die without it and live because of it. I have no respect for people who voted hate in our office. Hate and division started by Republicans NOT excepting our first African American President! RESIST

    1. Die hard fan here. I don’t agree that Obama or what he did during his administration is what divided us. I believe that his presidency brought division that was already there to the surface. However, with that being said, I did not like Hilary nor Donald. I voted for Hilary as the lesser of two evils which often happens in politics. Donald, as he is proving by his current actions, is cutting funding from too many things I hold Dear. I am not a liberal but more independent. I will not stop buying and reading your material because we all have our reasons for voting the way we did and I trust that you don’t have division in your heart. Peace and love

20. I voted for Trump. Why? Because we have more Americans on food stamps than ever. Because our work force participation rate is lower than it had been in a long time (if not ever). Because every SSA and SSI dollar is worth less for the many Americans receiving them. Because America first means just that, not America only, but first. Because immigration is broken, and we can’t fix it until we secuure the boarder.

    Now, how do I feel about being called every -ist and -phobe in the book? Disappointed, disheartened, disgusted, ashamed that we let this happen. That we let Americans get away with calling us nasty things. That the media applauds and celebrates the bad behavior and nastiness. The democrats picked Trump. Then forced us to vote for him by calling us vile names. I don’t hate them. I feel sorry for them. I know how great this country is for those who believe it is. If you want a good life for your self, in America, no one can stop you from achieving your goal.

21. Your writing always speaks to me. This more than most. The deterioration of civility in America under Obama has been shocking. The past couple of years specifically have just appalled me. I don’t hold out much hope for the next 4 years, but maybe something will change. We can dream I guess

22. I’m terribly disappointed in your views. Try being a married lesbian in trumpys world!!!!!

    1. What exactly in your marriage has changed from 1/19/2017 and today 1/26/2017?

       1. Actually, Texas has already started the process which will lead to a challenge of marriage equality before the Supreme Court, to which Trump gets to add a justice. Since the views of the right have been pretty consistent on this topic, it is assumed that the new Justice will be much more conservative. This provides the possiblility of overturning the marriage equality act, and returning that power to the states. My state has already tried to defy the act twice since it was implemented, so if the power goes back to the states, the LGBT community will lose the right to marry here. So yes, something that has affected her rights is in the pipeline since Trump’s inauguration.

23. Thanks for your frank reply Mrs. Hamilton. I’m happy to read your opinions and I’m thankful for your insight. I’ve never been much of an Obama supporter myself. The skyrocketed cost of my health insurance alone was enough for me to want him out of office. I am however a Trump supporter, but my reasons are specific. He’s flawed and he admits it. He’s not been perfect and he admits it. He’s made bad decisions and he admits it. But on point he is not a politician and he admits that too. I think it’s about time we took politicians out of DC and we replace them with people who say, on a daily basis…I want to make America Great again. Is he going to do this in a way that makes everyone happy…I know he’s not going to, but I certainly can’t see a problem with what he’s done in the first 6 days. Love your books honey…I had to stop for a while so I could catch up again, but I really am a huge fan and I’m not going to stop being a fan because we have slightly different political beliefs.

24. Laurell, Thank you for such a Heart felt , well written statement. its neither, left, right, or middle. It just is, and that’s what we have all been lacking for so long. just plain pure facts that can be backed up and cross checked.

25. Ma’am, I love your books, but I wish you did as much research on your political views as you do when writing novels. Several things you said are demonstrably false. If you read down further in the first link you posted, you will read that Obama tried to close Gitmo on his third day in office. Congress blocked him. His letter to them was a last Hail Mary, not so he could say he kept his promise. He has already done that.

    I’m not going to address the more complicated issues of throwing away votes and the Nobel Prize. I will skip right to Hitler and guns. The Nazis inherited a strong gun control law, and in fact loosened gun control laws. They had to take them from their enemies but they did not use laws to do it. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/oct/26/ben-carson/fact-checking-ben-carson-nazi-guns/

    I know this probably won’t penetrate your confirmation bias, and that you will continue to think that you are correct in all your beliefs and were correct to vote as you did. I can only urge you to seek out the truth instead of burying your head in the sand, and to donate to, and advocate for, voting reform so that ranked choice voting becomes the system we use. It would allow you and any other voter who doesn’t want to throw away their vote to vote their conscience instead of worrying about unconsciously supporting the lesser evil.

26. I love you, but the president does scare the hell out of me for many reasons.

27. The reason there was divisiveness during President Obama’s term in office was because the people on the right vowed to see him fail. In spite of that, he still managed to accomplish great things. We now have a man in office who is issuing gag orders, talking about “alternative facts” and making decisions that will further imperil our planet, not to mention, women’s lives. To vote for a third party candidate in our system of government is to, not only waste you vote, but usually elect the most horrible option. To vote for Gary Johnson, who was a complete boob, is to show ignorance about the intelligence needed to run the country. So, the whiny Bernie Sanders people who didn’t vote, and those who voted third party, gave us Donald Trump. So, as he’s undoing all the arts programs, EPA, public schools, equal voting rights, free speech and women’s rights, to name a few, I hope you are pleased with what you have wrought.

    1. This

    2. This ??

    3. These things go in cycles. When a candidate can not bring out the expected voters, or worse, drive expected voters to vote out of party, this is a teachable moment. This time around the democrats got their teachable moment. For the last 4 years I have seen political blogs (both left & right) acknowledge the fact that when youth voters don’t come out to the polls, the democrats lose. Amateur armchair politicians know this. The leaders of the DNC should know this. When they chose to run Hillary over Bernie, knowing full well that they could be casting aside the youth vote, they are the ones that handed Trump the election.

       1. This

28. I respect you thoughts and opinion on this subject. However there are a few things I disagree with. President Obama tried his best to work with republicans and bring our country together, but it’s difficult to have unity when the other sides only objective is to oppose everything you do, even at the cost of the American people, and it did cost us dearly. I also wanted that prison closed, but please note he tried his best, and as you noted, he only had so much power. Trump scares me. Pence scares me more. We are not walking in love. We are not respecting or honoring each other’s rights. Trump to me appears to only has his and his peers best interest in mind. But I recognize that no matter what the future brings, we will get through. FYI you are one of my favorite authors and I admire the way you live your life in love unapologetically. You are an inspiration.

29. Whew! I thought I was alone here! So glad we share so many points. So many of my fans and fellow authors are terrified and vilifying Pres. Trump it causes me concern. I am being very cautious how I post right now because I don’t want to lose fans and readers, so I was very glad to see your point of view. BTW, I’ve been a fan a since your first book. I know…shhhh too long to talk about! Take care.

30. I too am a fan of your books. I have been watching and investigating whats going on. When we 1st heard that Trump was running, i didnt know if it was a publicity stunt or real. If Hillary had won, she would have followed Obamas blueprint. What no one realizes is the protestors(majority of them) are being funded from Soros. He was the hate monger. I dont agree with everything Trump is doing but which Presidential candidate is 100% what we want. We need to give him a chance. Why is this election so much worse than any other? Because people didnt want ISIS here. Because cops were being targeted. Because Obama started racial divide and kept throwing wood on the fire. When have the Universities ever has a playdough room because their students cant handle reality? We need to look at it as a whole, not just 1 thing. Trump got it and we need to come together as a nation and try to help fix it. It’s not going to be easy. Not by a long shot. But maybe, just maybe if we do this? We will be helping ourselves and our country. We are all scared of what is and what will happen. If we talk and not scream, I think we can do this.

    1. I’m sorry, I marched in the women’s march. I was not paid or coerced into doing it. I want to see non-propaganda facts on this please.

       1. Why did you march?

31. Thank you for posting this. I’m one of those who did not vote for Obama nor did I vote for Hillary. I was afraid to waste my vote on a third party in both elections. I agree with most everything you said and I really appreciate how well thought out it is. I know we don’t all agree on how this country should be run but I am hoping that this presidency does bring us together and repair the divide.

32. Hi Laurell,

    Thank you sharing your personal views with us on politics as I know it opens you up to personal attacks.

    I initially read the comments on your Facebook page before throughly reading what you wrote and see that some commenters have accused you of saying things you haven’t actually said. As all you’re really saying is “take a breath, think, do not immediately panick.” So I wanted to ask if you’re willing to share your personal opinions on Trump’s recent executive orders or comment more on why you’re not panicking and why we shouldn’t be either?

33. i have to say that as a member of the lgbtq community i’m terrified. not of the president himself, but of the people who see his election as legitimizing violence against us. Still, I also voted libertarian. Not because I thought Johnson was the greatest thing since scrambled eggs but because I thought he was better than either of the other choices.

34. I have been told for years that I throw my vote away because I am Libertarian. I am hoping this last election and all its controversy, on both the red and the blue side, will help more people realize that voting for the lesser evil doesn’t work. Too many people voted against Hillary or against Trump instead of voting for a candidate they thought would be good for this country.
    I will continue to vote my conscious and not let fear decide.
    As for Obama and his presidency…oh don’t even get me started on him.

35. Very well written. Thank you for publically and eloquently stating your opinion.

36. I disagree. Do you want to know what led to the divide in the US? The internet. The internet has given everyone a voice. And they use that voice to not have open communication, but to be ugly with one another. People dont learn peace on the internet. They learn how to effectively hate on the internet. Obama had nothing to do with that! Now, the reason i am going to stop reading your books is pretty simple. Your books have evolved from incredible monster/action stories to constant sex. Dont get me wrong, i love some sex but it is now the core of the stories. I get that she has to eat or people die but when i buy this thick book i am hoping for a great story with some action and comedy and revelations! But what i get is chapters of sexy time. If you ever go back to the old good days i will be back. Thanks. Oh….and the electoral system was created to give slave owners a fair shake. Slavery isnt a thing anymore here so we should probably go to an every votw counts system to ensure the person the majority wants in office makes it there. Your vote was wasted.

    1. Abolish the Electorial College? So that the majority opinion can crush the minority opinion every time? Without EC, that is what would happen. It would not be every vote counts or one person-one vote.

37. Thank you for your thoughts. I think you made interesting points about your hope for President Obama to be able to help unite the country. I agree that those things didn’t happen on as large of a scale as I hoped. However, what I discounted, and you did as well (in your thoughts), is the overwhelming amount of disrespect, vitriol, and hate leveled against President Obama from those who refused to work together. You mentioned that President Obama didn’t reach across the aisle, but you didn’t mention Mitch McConnell’s stated intention to make President Obama a one-term president. The GOP was in lock step with that sentiment. Not only did the GOP fight Pres. Obama at every turn, but they fought amongst themselves if they weren’t actively obstructionist enough (ask John Boehner). That doesn’t sound like a good start for collaboration. I don’t think that you mentioned that the obstruction was not only political, but it also had other, non-political causes. Why else would you see so many traditional symbols of racial animus at “political” protests. I think you may have also underestimated the amount racial discord/anger that was fomented during the time of President Obama (as noted by the spike in racial hate groups that were born or grew during the last 8yrs). Do you think that President Obama CAUSED that, or was that simply a deeply held belief that blossomed due to a significant catalyst (like a Black President)?

    I appreciate and agree with a reasoned, rational approach with Trump. However, that shouldn’t mean that we forget the lessons that have been learned, around the world, when people like Trump have ascended to power (and guns won’t always be enough to protect us). There are too many people without the privilege of being able to ignore the signs.

    1. Best comment here. Thank you.

38. Wow.. I love your books too.. and am thankful for those very rational thoughts.. you just impressed me .. ?

39. Thank you for voting your conscience! I also proudly voted for Johnson, and I’m hopeful that in four years, more Americans will opt out of the two-party system. Voting for the “lesser of two evils” is really just a subjective evaluation of degree, and the results are still evil.

40. Love your books. That being said, I have to respectfully disagree with much of your statement. I believe that President Obama was a statesman, a fine man and father. He was given a rough time as he inherited a war and a country that still is divided by race, religion, gender, sexuality, etc. There is no way to fight these if you are curtailed at every turn. The Republicans stated verbally that they would fight him on everything he did, and they did. When a president nominates a Supreme Court Justice, and the legislature refuses to even have hearings over him, something in our system is broken. We can only hope it is not broken irretrievably.

41. I m a huge LK Hamilton fan. With all due respect, I dont understand how its Obamas fault that the country is divided and its not fair that anyone would blame him. I certainly dont understand why anyone would tell us to just accept it and be quiet. Even thou everyone knows that the republicans sid all they vould to obstruct him, they even admitted such, he is the blame. This country will never come together noone with a brain will just shut up and accept Trump.

42. This is why you’re my favorite author. Well said. We are All Americans we all bleed the same color and we need to unite. I pray President Trump does a great job for our country and I pray those who didn’t vote for him will give him a chance as we all gave obama a chance.

43. first… obama did not have democratic support to close gitmo, what he did was reduce the number of prisoners there…that was what he could do on his own. secondly trump is now talking about sending federal troops to disarm chicago .

44. you wasted your vote, regardless of whether it was yours to waste or not. i didn’t particularly enjoy either option this election either, but hilary was clearly the lesser of the 2 evils. you talk about looking beyond the facts presented by the media at face value all the while raising your nose at obama for bombing other countries and keeping guantanamo bay open. did it ever occur to you that this was done for a reason? not just a reason, but a good reason, one that helps shape the world we know in a better light?

    not wanting a continuation of the last 8 years is a good reason not to vote for hilary. that being said, there are a lot more than 1 reason trump was and still is going to be a terrible leader.

45. I wish I had never read this!!

46. This is the very thing I have been trying to say. You put it together so well. This is why I continue to read your books. Your not fake like most of the celebs out there. I knew that when I met you at a book signing on my birthday in St. Louis.

47. Agree with a lot of what you say, here, Laurell. I agree 100%, it’s our vote and I really, really don’t like being bullied into voting for the lesser evil. The lesser evil is still evil, is it not? I’m not scared, Laurell, I’m sickened. Gag orders on the EPA, Natl Parks Service, & the EPA??? WTF? Nope, he hasn’t come for the guns. He can’t. His own party would impeach him so fast, his head would spin. On the plus side? He is making Saturday night Live great again

48. Problem 1-the creature is a mysoginist. Problem 2-the republican party has been intent on destroying the social safety net as long as I have been alive, have you ever had to rely on medicaid or foodstamps?
    Problem 3-every piece of evidence indicates that our elections were tampered with via misinformation programs ordered by the highest levels of Russian government
    My intention is to fight harder than ever for the things I believe in. One of those things is a strong government, that protects citizens, resources, and peace.
    We should all also understand Robert ‘ Rules of Order, as well as whatever the current rules in Congress are. Each party is responsible for modifying those rules to serve their purposes when they have the majority.

    Next point – The constitution established the Electoral College as a way to prevent the kind of tyrants we have now from being elected, they failed their constitutional duties. See th Federalist letters. These same men gave us the ability to make up for their heir shortsightedness by being able to alter the Constitution.
    One of those shortcomings was a failure to provide checks and balances between the popular vote and the electoral college.
    The President has and ready signed executive orders that will allow for the continued abuses of native Americans, destruction of our environment rather than it’s protection. We live in a nation that couldn’t even pass the ERA because of people like him. We don’t have equal rights in this nation, we are being ruled over by coporate stoolies, traitors, and moralistic one faith fools. I want to be free from having Evangelicals telling me how to live. I’m tired of living in a quasi police state. Finally I’m tired of excuses! You excuse a bad vote by saying it’s your choice, but when I researched Gary Johnson, I found him to be more anti regulatory than republicans. We have returned to a time of robber barons like J.P. Morgan, and John D. Rockefeller who gained their wealth on the backs of the people doing the work that earned the money and not being compensated fairly. A time when the regular person is held down, denied opportunity and financial security. I could go on but it would become a series of books.

49. From the Day that I first picked up a copy of Guilty Pleasures I have been a fan of yours Laurel. This just says it all to me. I also voted Libertarian, because I did not like Hillary or Trump. I did not agree with all of Johnson’s Policies, but he had enough I felt comfortable with him becoming president, and because of that, he took the highest independent vote percentage EVER. I worry over the things Trump says Not because I think he’s the anticrist, or because he’s a bigot but because I am a disabled, Gay, woman. The things he says, about those three issues, being Disabled, and on Social Security, Being a Lesbian, and being a woman, terrify me. We are raising daughters who will see women being treated poorly by their husbands and will think it’s ok. Then again they see 50 shades of Grey which is also a book about an abusive relationship and how it sucks you in and keeps you. I’m terrified that all the striving we’ve made all the effort to be equal is going to be taken away and we will wind up in burka’s and not allowed to leave the house with a *Man* watching over us.

50. This man is not sane. I can’t see him bringing about positive change when all he can concern himself with is building a wall, the popular vote, and inauguration numbers. He repeatedly quotes lies and then doubles down on them. There is no way I will ever support this individual. He is not normal. I will not normalize his words nor his actions. His handlers are having a difficult time keeping pace with his irrational behavior. Yes, I’m terrified…everyone should be.

51. This is the reason given by the Nobel peace prize for Obama prize: https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/press.html
    The leader of the Nobel committee at the time was Torbjørn Jagland former prime minister of Norways Labour party. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorbj%C3%B8rn_Jagland
    The prize was mostly given to Obama for out hope he would do great things and for our countries general dislike of Bush I believe. Under Bush it was a very tense situation the was felt in Europe war wise. If the President after Trump is on the more friendly road towards the world peace and tries to calm down the war situation in the world and changes the course that is now in the making I would not be surprised if you get a new Nobel prize. Trump scares the living daylights out of most people in Europe. The lying, the way he talks and the way human rights gets turned back is frightening, also the inauguration speech was a black day in Europe. The situation with Russia is extremely scary, over here it has not been as close to a cold war since the 80s. Since we share a border with Russia this is very close to us. Trumps views on Nato makes it even worse.
    This was mean to explain the Nobel peace prize to Obama from the Norwegian point of view. Under Obama the world was less tense than under Bush in general. It is building up again now as I tried to explain above.

    I hope that this gave you some explanation to why. I am Norwegian so I am just giving you the view from my part of the world. The Nobel peace prize is given by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

    What it is like inside the US in a day to day life I do not know as I only and there on holidays from time to time. But here the Press here has to tell the truth, there is a Ethical Code of Practice and if the overstep and gets judged the have to show and read the sentence on TV or print it in the newspaper that gets the sentence. I believe the press in the UK has similar practice and why you feel you get better news from UK.
    I do not know the Press code of ethics in the US.

    Kind regards from Norway.

52. Hmm . . . interesting. Let me post a fact. 40% of eligible voters didn’t vote. 60% voted. Of that 60%, 63 million voted for Trump and almost 66 million for Hillary. That is the popular vote you say. Okay . . .
    Look into voter suppression. Not fraud, as claimed by the “alternate facts,” but suppression. Hillary lost by about 10,000 votes in Michigan. 75,000 votes from Michigan weren’t counted. Why? Michigan refuses to answer for it. As does PA. The recount was called off. An American right to a recount was “called off.”
    It seems wildly inaccurate of you to state Obama’s eight years drove people apart. Wildly. He had flaws for sure. But if the only thing his presidency did was keep the hate mongers in their homes and quiet, I applaud it. If he didn’t put a gag order on the press. I applaud it. If he didn’t waste more time with fossil fuels and drive us backward into a horrid 1950’s nightmare. I applaud it. If he didn’t have ties with the companies he had to regulate, then I applaud what Obama did.
    No one can seriously think Trump’s “alternative facts” and white nationalist cabinet is anything to be optimistic about. And if you do, I have to really wonder where you stand.

53. I will not lie, I hesitated to read this post because I was afraid of what you would say. Over the past few months celebrities have lost their mind, spewed hate and venom and because of that I’ve lost respect for so many that I can’t stomach watching them anymore. I don’t mind opinions that differ than mine when those opinions are backed with logical and facts. You did that. And I should have known from the beginning that a writer with the talent that you have would be able to put into words how many (obviously not all) feel. Thank you for your voice of reason, for using whole facts, and for being brave enough to post your opinions publicly knowing that there will be backlash. I have been a proud Laural K. Hamilton fan for years and even more proud today. Thank you for all the books you’ve written and for sharing your thoughts during this tumultuous time.

54. If you want to blame Obama for the division in this country go ahead. You believe that 8 years of the majority of Republicans in the senate and congress didn’t force him to not close Gitmo before his last hours? You don’t think that it was his last try at closing it? Of course not, he was one of the best presidents and he could have sone so much more for the country if the Republican Party cooperated with him and the Democratic Party but of course he gets the blame. Now we are fighting for our rights and to not see or believe this man in office won’t be the worst thing this country has ever had is being delusional. Believing this “alternative facts” when we hear things from the horses mouth is delusional. Now I respect your vote and I don’t believe you threw away your vote because it was your choice and decision. I believe those who voted for him believing the lie about the emails etc accusing Hillary, not only threw out their cotes but gave us this chaos. Less than a week in office and many rallies have formed and they (we) are just starting because if we don’t speak up now, they will screw us later when it is too late.

55. https://mobile.twitter.com/ScribblingSandy/status/824286591761924096

56. On the day of Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2008 Senator Mitch McConnell is recorded saying that the Republicans will do everything in their power to make Barack Obama a one term president from that quote Secret meeting the Republicans did everything in their power to stagnate filibuster block refused to confirm bastardize affordable care act and disrespect him at every turn within the first 90 days of Barack Obama’s first term the tea party was born this group along with the alt right and the constant attack which I believe was racially motivated it’s really amazing that President Obama got done what he did

57. Great article. Once again your intelligence and wisdom is why I think you are amazing, not just for your incredible books. You are a wonderful person. ? ? ♥

58. I appreciate your post and perspective, though my opinion differs pretty seriously. Obama did not divide us as a country. We did that. Having out first black President brought out a lot of intolerance and vitriol that escalated every year. People did and said things about him and his family that were deplorable. Trump just put the icing on the top. Everyone tip toes around race like it’s the big bad bogeyman in the room…as if it plays no role here. Having someone who was “other” in the White House enraged lot of people so that this idea of “taking back” our country gained traction. On hand you talk about Obama not trying to reach across the aisle and not doing enough…then talk about the limited powers that the President (Trump) will have. Which is it? There’s also no mention of the dysfunction of Congress or the tea party’s complete unwillingness to play ball. Do I think that Obama was perfect…absolutely not. But he tried to do a lot of good for a lot of people and was at most too liberal for the conservatives and too moderate for the liberals. Do I believe that everyone should vote their conscience…yes. But telling people to calm down is trying to deny us the right to our very really feelings. Just as you want to protect your family we want to protect ours…if the disregard for ethics, censorship of federal agencies, and broken promises (Mexico will pay for the wall) are any indication we should be concerned.

59. Laurell, I love your books! And you are certainly right about taking a breath! I happen to be a Christian conservative (go figure) and more of a Clinton adversary than a Trump supporter. That said, as much as I want to help people you have to do it within your budget and as a country we aren’t doing that. I didn’t dislike Obama. I found him intelligent and charming. His policies were a different subject because they didn’t make fiscal sense. The national debt DOUBLED in the last 8 years. And discrimination runs both ways. Black people can be as racist as white ones. We tend to be “racist” against people we fear. I personally don’t have an issue with black people. I DO have a continuing struggle with Muslims, even though I have some work friends who are moderate Muslims, but the fear of terrorists drives my struggle. Perhaps if we get to know and understand each other better the fear will dissipate and that can end discrimination.

60. Good article, you use citations and everything. Obama did a lot of the same things Trump did, but suddenly they were alright even if the liberals wanted to impeach Bush for the same things.

    Did you notice how the Flint lead water problem was handled by Obama by just ignoring it and hoping it would go away? Since 2014 nothing was done about it by the EPA or any other federal branch. People were dying and the water was pure yellow, can’t bathe, drink, or cook with it. News media refused to report on Obama not doing anything about it.

61. Thank you for speaking a truth that so many individuals need to hear. I have been afraid to voice my opinions as so many of my friends are highly anti-Trump. They have started calling anyone not against Trump a racist, woman hater, fascist pig so I’ve kept silent on it. Its sad to see the extremes that some have taken over this presidency.

62. I fear I was not for the Libertarian party because I remember the years that William Weld was the republican governor of Massachusetts and feel it is shameful the people forget the monstrosity known as the “Big Dig.” We haven’t forgotten as we are still paying for it in terms of taxpayer dollars and stalled infrastructure improvements throughout the state.

63. Thank you so much for writing an intelligent article that speaks to under-heard “vote wasters.” I was a Johnson fan, of the possible choices, and I was sad that even when our D and R choices were so poor, we still didn’t vote in a libertarian. Johnson may have had the public speaking acumen of a high schooler, but at least he wasn’t objectionable on the levels of his running mates. I thought he’d do better as a nice neutral candidate (relatively speaking). It says a lot about where our country is today, and I think you’re spot on in your assessment of Obama’s contribution to it. I had high hopes for him as well. Here’s to learning!

64. Pres Obama’s election shown how racist america really is, as for some of his accomplishment, I’m disappointed of him being partly responsible by allowing covert assassination of Quadiffi, he was no angel but his demise wasn’t because he this “evil dictator” but for economic reasons, check out rt.org news and other articles (Quadiffi apologists to natives of Libya and his plans) plus Pres Obama could have focused more on economy of this country, I really could say more but space doesn’t permit. I voted for Clinton but I think Bernie Sanders would have been a better candidate. Thank you for listening.

65. Thank you very much for saving me money.
    I won’t bother with purchasing any more of your books.
    With the current POTUS, I won’t be able to afford it anyway, and with the medical insurance situation may not last to read.

    You are very welcome to give your two cents, and I am going to respond by using my dollars elsewhere.

66. Intellectually dishonest articles like this make my head hurt. First of all regarding Guantanamo, just because you have a majority in Congress doesn’t mean you automatically get what you want. Who thinks like this? You had “blue dog” democrats in red states who wanted the prison to stay open because they were concerned about their own political careers and Republicans weren’t going to give Obama a “victory” and fund closing the prison. And to top it off you don’t mention that when Obama couldn’t close the prison he at least relocated many of the prisoners out of that facility throughout his two terms. Details matter. Not everything is as easy and black and white as you make it to be. To make it even worse you contradict yourself about Obama not closing Guantanamo when he had a majority in Congress but then turn around and mention what limited powers Trump has while he has a majority in Congress!! You can’t have it both ways lol.

    And how is it that you expected Obama to wave his magic wand and make the country unite? Was he supposed to be nice to Republicans that opposed his every move and demonized him every chance they got from the very start? Was he supposed to somehow block the cable news media outlets from fueling “us vs them” segments in their nightly news shows? Was he supposed to block technology of HD camera phones so people couldn’t capture videos of black men getting shot, beaten, or choked to death by cops? Was he supposed to stop these videos from going viral on social media sparking the division in this country? This technology didn’t exist in the era of prior presidents. If a man got shot “accidentally” or in the back 5 times while running away it would have been covered up or buried on the back of page 10 of some newspaper but once again you gloss over these factors and go on with your black and white view of the world. And you’re supposed to be a writer? Give me a break.

    An no, Trump isn’t Lucifer or the anti-Christ but he is a crook and a con man. He’s the guy who’s been stepping on the working man stiffing businesses and contractors the majority of his adult life. He’s the guy who created a fake university to scam Americans in all walks of life out of their money so he could maintain his 1% lifestyle. What kind of true “billionaire” does that? He’s the guy who won’t release his taxes (even the ones that aren’t under audit) because I believe they’ll show what a failure as a businessman that he truly is. This is the guy who’s never served a day in his life in the military, that ridiculed a man because he was captured as a POW (spitting in the faces of all POWs) but somehow “loves the troops”. This is the guy that called for a Muslim ban in this country…not once thinking there are Muslims (a few which I happen to know) serving our armed forces this very day fighting for values that don’t include demonizing and banning people of their religion. This is the guy who went on a 16 month insult tour of America where no one was off limits, not even the disabled. A large segment of the country ate up his reality TV show shtick which shows how far we’ve fallen as a society that we’d put aside basic human decency to elect that immature dullard for President.

    I wasn’t shocked when Trump won because I’ve seen the undercurrent of stupidity in this country. I see it every day. Everywhere you look on social media the half-truths, memes and lazy articles (much like this one) are right in your face. You can’t avoid it. No one researches anything. No one cares about substance or nuance anymore. Americans see horrific videos on TV and circulating on the net in a microsecond and make snap judgments about the perpetrator or the victim based on their own bias. They read tripe, take it at face value because the narrative fits what they want to hear. That’s what sows division between your family member, neighbor, and co-worker. It’s not the ONE man you’re trying to blame in this asinine article.

    1. I hope it was understood that I was responding to A.J. Johnson’s wall of text, not LKH’s comments. Oh, well.

       1. You could try debating his points but you really can’t because everything he wrote was true. This was an ignorant, shoddily written piece that didn’t have much thought behind it except “blame Obama”.

    2. Too many people in this country base their views on what is portrayed in the media. I wonder how many would defend Trump if they did their homework.

    3. Too many people in this country base their views on what is portrayed in the media. I wonder how many would defend Trump if they did their homework. I am a disabled vet, who has lived in many of the states in this country and am tired of hearing people open their mouth, only to here the latest media hype come spilling out. The media is only out to make money.

    4. Here, here fellow citizen!

67. Wow. That was some wall of text there.
    Take a breath occasionally.
    Also you might rant less and document your position more.

    On an unrelated note!
    Dear LKH, have some writing fuel…

    Was thinking about the upcoming nuptuals for Jean Claude while driving down the road today, and realized that I was listening to a song on CD that I believed captured JC’s feelings for Anita perfectly, and in my mind there Jean Claude was at the reception, trying his hand at Karaoke to surprise his new wife…

    It’s not your usual hard rock choice, but imagine a masculine French-accented voice singing ‘Fugitive’ instead of the Indigo Girls….

    “I’m harboring a fugitive, a defector of a kind
    And she lives in my soul and drinks of my wine
    And I’d give my last breath to keep us alive…

    Are they coming for us with cameras or guns?
    We don’t know which but we gotta run
    And you say, “This is not what I bargained for”….

    So hide yourself for me,
    All for me.

    We swore to ourselves we’d go to the end of the world
    But I got caught up in the whirl and the twirl of it all
    A day in the sun dancing alone….

    Baby, I’m so sorry….

    Now it’s coming to you the lessons I’ve learned
    Won’t do you any good you’ve got to get burned
    Well our curse and our blessing they’re one in the same
    Baby, it’s all such a treacherous gain

    Hide yourself from me
    You can hide yourself from me
    All for me

    I stood without clothes danced in the sand
    I was aching with freedom kissing the damned
    I said remember this as how it should be…

    Oh baby, I said it’s all in our hands
    Got to learn to respect what we don’t understand
    We are fortunate ones, fortunate ones, I swear….’

    SO looking forward to the big event!
    Happy writing.
    Love, Syn

68. Thank you for a rational, intelligent essay complete with valid sources. I am sad to say yours is the first I have seen lacking some sort of hate propaganda. I am sharing this with others so they may see what it looks like to state and opinion logically.

69. I am sad to read this and the crap posts it emboldened. I have been a fan from the beginning. Even when Anita’s story lagged, and people said you focused too much on the sex. I stayed with you. I loved how Anita grew. Even when I heard people say that you were kind of rude, I gave you the benefit of the doubt; your just human. However, I can’t ignore this. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You are what you are; rich, white, female, who lives in the Midwest. I am just saddened that you are not more. Goodbye, Laurell. And, goodbye Anita. 🙁 Your company was deeply appreciated but there more important things at stake now.

    1. So in other words you only promote hate. She didn’t support Trump of Hillary. She only supported FREE CHOICE! The problem with this country now is everyone thinks other people should think exactly like them and if they don’t they are bad. People are ridiculed, beaten, and murdered because of who they voted for. This is supposed to be a FREE democracy! Comments like yours only support narrow mindedness and leads to the extremists out there killing.

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