Ryan Eaton East Bridgewater High School Due: Sept. 27, 2012 Book review for Rawhide Down by Del Quentin Wilber As someone that grew up in the 1980s, many of my memories revolve around Ronald Reagan. I remember being taught to love my country, and that the leader of the country was this man who was as old as my grandparents. Unfortunately, that was most of the education I ever received about the 40th president. I was told that he won the Cold War, and that he ‘rescued’ hostages (Iranian hostage crisis), but everything else I ever learned about him, was through my own reading. Del Quentin Wilber’s book about the assassination attempt on Reagan, was not only an interesting read that taught me a lot about a subject I knew little about, but it also has great possibilities for use in the classroom. In simple terms, the whole incident could be an episode on hospital TV drama. A crazed man shoots at the president who is then rushed to the hospital. Although in pain and having trouble breathing, the president keeps his great sense of humor that has helped him his whole life make friends. The best doctors perform an emergence surgery and although things look bad, the president pulls through. While all this is going on, the members of the president’s inner circle work to keep the nation calm and debate who is really in charge according to the Constitution. Since the president pulls through, there are no major break-downs in the government. Role the credits and tune in next week. However, the story is much more fascinating. The title of the book comes from the Secret Service code name for President Reagan, Rawhide. “Every modern president has been given a code name… Reagan’s code name fit him well. Rawhide was suitable because the former actor had appeared in several westerns and was known to be a rancher.” (Wilber, p5) Wilber points out that Reagan actually liked the name; he had a great sense of humor. Quick witted, Reagan was comfortable in front of a crowd playing a role, and the reader is often given the analogy of Reagan being an actor playing the role of president. March 30, 1981 started like most other days for the president early in his term. He had breakfast and did a small meet and greet. At this point the reader is introduced to the three men that made up Reagan’s inner circle (they were called the Troika): “Chief of Staff James A. Baker III, Counselor Edwin Meese III, and Deputy Chief of Staff Michael K. Deaver… Reagan delegated much of his authority, relying on his aides to shape policy and negotiate deals before coming to him for a decision or his final approval.” (Wilber, p26) While Reagan was starting his day, his would be assassin was making his final plans for what he believed would be the last day of his life. John Hinckley Jr. was one of those strange characters that had big plans, but not much follow through during his life prior to that fateful day. He had moved around a lot trying to find where he fit in, but was unsuccessful. The life changing moment for Hinckley was the film Taxi Driver. “He watched the movie at least fifteen times… he felt as if he were watching his own life on- screen… and, like the film’s taxi driver, he developed an unhealthy fascination with a woman.” (Wilber, p.37-38) The woman was none other than the actress in the movie, Jodie Foster. Hinckley had contacted her several times and had travelled across the country to commit suicide so she would remember him. However, he saw a schedule for the president and decided he could really make history by assassination President Reagan. The irony of the whole tragedy is that Hinckley obviously became famous for shooting the president, but he was not killed by the Secret Service or a mad citizen, so he actually caused himself to be set further away from Jodie Foster. Although all the Secret Service agents are heroes, Wilbur spends most of his time writing about one agent in particular, Jerry Parr. Agent Parr was the head of Reagan’s security team, and was the agent that actually pushed him out of the way of danger (Agent Tim McCarthy actually took a bullet shielding President Reagan.). After getting Parr’s background story, we are told about how he wasn’t even supposed to be with Reagan that day, but he wanted to get to know Reagan better. Parr was responsible for the training the agents received. He had noticed the lack of training he went through, and how things didn’t change after the assassinations of the Kennedy’s and Dr. King. When the shooting happened after Reagan spoke to a group of AFL-CIO Union representatives at the Washington D.C. Hilton, it was Parr that grabbed Reagan and threw him into the limo. Although Reagan seemed OK, he was having trouble breathing in the limo; Parr decided he had to go to George Washington University Hospital. Parr stayed with Reagan during the rest of the ordeal as he refused assistance into the hospital, “I can do it myself.” (Wilbur, p94) to being rolled into surgery. President Reagan’s wit in the hospital may have been what catapulted him into legendary status in American History. When a tube was forced down his throat to vacuum blood from his lungs, Reagan said his famous line, “I hope they are all Republicans” (Wilbur, p120) to Jerry Parr. Many of the nurses and doctors commented on his ability to stay calm and polite during the whole ordeal. When his wife Nancy finally was able to see him, he “reprised a famous remark made by boxer Jack Dempsey after he lost the heavyweight championship in 1926. “Honey,” the president said, “I forgot to duck.” (Wilbur, p138) The story splits into several side stories at this point. There is the drama of the other three men that were also shot. Press secretary James Brady received the worst injury; he was shot in the head, and although he survived he had permanent brain damage. Secret Service Agent Tim McCarthy was shot in the abdomen after spreading his arms to literally take a bullet to save the president. Finally, there was Tom Delahanty who was a Washington D.C. police officer that was working along the rope line that was keeping back the crowd. He was shot in the back, but survived with little lasting complications. Another story line deals with the First Lady, Nancy Reagan. What the reader gets out of this portion is the love story romance between the president and his wife. She would do anything to be by his side. On her way to the hospital to see her husband, her motorcade was slowed by traffic. Without any care for her own safety, she almost got out of the car to continue on foot. “I’m going to get out and walk. I need to get out and walk.” (Wilbur, p106) Clearly, she knew what was important to her, and nothing would stop her from being with her husband. After being rushed from the scene of the crime, Hinckley’s story really shows how mentally disturbed he was. The agents that were watching him were constantly amazed how calm Hinckley was and how strange his story was. They found pictures of Jodie Foster, receipts for guns, money, and a pin of John Lennon. Agent Danny Spriggs said, “It was the strangest assortment Spriggs had ever pulled from a suspect’s pocket.” (Wilbur, p.126) Detective Eddie Myers said, “nothing had prepared him for John Hinckley, an emotionless enigma, a man who was both worried about his safety and eerily calm.” (Wilbur, p.128) The part of the book that I think deserves to be used in a classroom deals with the Constitution. While Reagan was incapacitated because he was in surgery, a heated debate raged over who was really in control. Vice President Bush was put on a plane and flown back from Texas. However, Reagan’s inner circle was trying to figure out what to do. The biggest problem came from Secretary of State Alexander Haig, who made a mistake when he thought he was next in the line of succession until Bush arrived in Washington. Haig saw the Troika as “a three headed monster- went out of its way to interfere with his relationship with the president, making it difficult for him to do his job.” (Wilbur, p.160) Maybe he knowingly made his succession mistake to keep control from the Troika. He later went before the press and made the statement, “Constitutionally, gentlemen, you have the president, the vice president, and the secretary of state in that order and should the president decide he wants to transfer the helm to the vice president, he will do so. As of now, I am in control here, in the White House.” (Wilbur, p174) The big problem with this statement is that the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate are actually before the secretary of state in the presidential succession order laid out by the 25th Amendment. Fortunately, Vice President Bush laid all fears to rest when he said to the press, “I can reassure this nation and the watching world that the American government is functioning fully and effectively. We’ve had full and complete communication throughout the day and the officers of the federal government have been fulfilling their obligations with skill and with care.” (Wilbur, p.204) This book would be an excellent classroom source.