Daniel Hernandez (4)

The Call Me a Hero: A Memoir of My Youth by Daniel Hernandez is his recollection of the shooting of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords on January 8, 2011 in Arizona, and the aftermath of the event. Hernandez, who had been working as an intern for Giffords was the first to her side after the shooting and is credited with saving her life for his quick response at rendering first aid.

Hernandez who had already decided politics was his career path before the shooting was suddenly thrust into the limelight. His life, his family's life, and his school life (as he was still in college at the time) were suddenly swamped by the media.

It's an interesting look at what happens when the media takes hold of a new story. Imagine what it must be like for very public figures — heads of state, celebrities, and so forth.

Mixed in with that is also Hernandez's thoughts on being Latino and gay. While that's certainly part of his life and perhaps how he will approach politics in the future, it was the media feeding frenzy that kept me reading.… (més)