Honored Guests

Citizen Heroes and the State of the Union

By (author) Stephen Frantzich

Hardback - £55.00

Publication date:

16 February 2011

Length of book:

136 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781442205604

In 1982, Ronald Reagan invited Lenny Skutnick, the government employee who dove into the icy waters of the Potomac River to rescue passengers following the crash of Air Florida Flight 90, to sit with First Lady Nancy Reagan in the House of Representatives balcony during the State of the Union address. Since that time, Reagan and subsequent presidents have found it useful to recognize during major presidential addresses ordinary citizens responsible for extraordinary acts of citizenship. In this book, Stephen Frantzich tells the fascinating stories of forty heroes who have earned this presidential recognition and explores the larger context of whether they represent a presidential gimmick or a touchstone with the American spirit. Taken together, the stories of how they got there, their decision to allow themselves to be used as symbols, and the impact of the recognition tells a great deal about the presidency, politics, and the role of heroes in American society.
Since Ronald Reagan began recognizing every day heroes during his State of the Union address, the practice has become a regular expectation of this rhetorical genre. Stephen Frantzich takes us on a historical journey, telling the story of people chosen to illustrate sweeping lessons of heroism, bravery and daily hardships. In doing so, we gain greater insight into the symbolic and visionary power of an administration to set the tone and agenda for a nation, while also learning how each individual copes with this brief moment of fame.