We were not at the finals, but my husband and I had the honor of hearing your speech first hand a few weeks ago. As I listened, I felt tears welling up until I could no longer contain them. As they spilled over, my first thought was “wow! This is going to win this hands down. The comments here are correct. People are not ready to hear your message. For this speech not make it to the semifinals is so disappointing, not because you are a friend, but because the message, the artistry, the delivery, were all deserving of winning first place. It was disappointing because as Americans we have not yet matured enough to handle the truth about who we still are. It was disappointing because we still have not learned to just love one another. But there are a ton of people who get you, support you, and believe in your story, so forge ahead with your message Samantha. You’ve got this!!