Suppose hypothetically that tomorrow, both houses of Congress pass, and the states ratify, an amendment to the Constitution that allows the government to issue titles of nobility. The next day, the president announces the establishment of the Order of the United States; modeled on the modern-day British orders of chivalry, its purpose is to acknowledge and honor Americans who have, over the course of a lifetime, made an extraordinary contribution to the arts or sciences, or through their trade have furthered the advancement of American culture. Members are entitled to call themselves “Sir” or “Dame”, but don’t get any other special priveliges over regular Americans.
Every year, the Order will grant seven knighthoods to members of seven different fields; one actor or filmmaker, one musician, one writer, one scientist of any discipline, one politician, one member of the Armed Forces, and one person of any other field. The ground rules are;
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No posthumous knighthoods. The honoree must be alive and appear in person to accept their award.
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The worthiness of the honoree must be relatively uncontroversial - if mentioning the person’s name is apt to cause fits in about 50% of the population, then they’re not knightly material.
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The awardee must be an American citizen, either by birth or by naturalization.
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The award is given for achievements over the course of a lifetime or a career, not for a single specific act (though a single contribution with massive and wide-reaching effects is grounds for consideration.)
With these considerations, what seven individuals would you nominate?
My picks…
Actor/filmmaker; Sir George Lucas, for creating and developing one of the most iconic and popular American film series of all time, and for pioneering and revolutionizing the use of special effects in filmmaking.
Musician; Sir B.B. King, for his contributions to American popular music.
Writer; Sir Ray Bradbury, for his pioneering works in science fiction literature, and his near-universal position as a figure of inspiration for writers in the genre around the world.
Politician; Sir Jimmy Carter, for his efforts to promote international peace and to aid the homeless and poor in America.
Scientist; Sir James Watson, for his immense contributions to the field of genetics.
Member of the Armed Forces; Sir David Petraeus, for his leadership in and contributions to bringing security to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Other; Dame Sandra Day O’Connor, for a lifetime of service in the American legal system and helping to break the gender barrier in the American judiciary.