Saturday, April 18, 2009

Heroes Among Us by John Quinones

John Quinones with Stephen P. Williams. Heroes Among Us. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2008.

As anchor of the TV show “What Would People Do”, the author, a sixth generation American who grew up in the barrio of San Antonio, is amazed at how people react to scenes of discrimination. It upsets him when people openly display their racism.

Among news items that Quinones broadcast was the Challenger launch in 1886. He asked the camera to stay on the proud parents of Christa McAuliffe as this school teacher was among those launched in a space shuttle. The proud faces changed as the shuttle exploded. This was a most heart breaking broadcast, especially knowing that millions of inspired children were watching.

The author explains that a hero is someone who resists following a group towards evil.

Quinones describes family by using a quote from Martin Mull that “a family is like having a bowling ball inside your brain.” He believes heroes arise from how they are raised.

The book describes various incidences of heroism.

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