Video message marks JFK's 100th birthday

F. KENNEDY'S DAUGHTER AND FORMER
AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN.
WELCOME.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THERE'S A VIDEO MESSAGE TO
COMMEMORATE THE 100th
ANNIVERSARY FEATURING YOUR
CHILDREN, JFK'S ONLY
GRANDCHILDREN.
YOU'RE GIVING US GRACIOUSLY THIS
FIRST LOOK AT IT, SO WHY DON'T
WE ROLL THIS VIDEO AND THEN WE
CAN TALK ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS.
>> OKAY.
>> IT WOULD BE MY FATHER'S 100th
BIRTHDAY.
I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT HIM AND
MISSED HIM EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE.
GROWING UP WITHOUT HIM WAS MADE
EASIER THANKS TO ALL THE PEOPLE
WHO KEPT HIM IN THEIR HEARTS,
WHO TOLD ME THAT HE INSPIRED
THEM TO WORK AND FIGHT AND
BELIEVE IN A BETTER WORLD, TO
GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO THIS
COUNTRY THAT HAS GIVEN SO MUCH
TO SO MANY.
I REMEMBER HIDING UNDERNEATH MY
FATHER'S OVAL OFFICE DESK WHEN I
WAS LITTLE AND SITTING ON HIS
LAB ON THE HONEY FITZ.
HE WOULD POINT OUT THE WHITE
SHARK AND PURPLE SHARK THOUGH I
COULD NEVER SEE THEM.
HE HAD HIS FRIENDS THROW THEIR
SOCKS OVERBOARD WHICH I LOVED.
PRESIDENT KENNEDY INSPIRED A
GENERATION THAT TRANSFORMED
AMERICA.
THEY MARCHED FOR JUSTICE.
THEY SERVED IN THE PEACE CORPS,
IN THE INNER CITIES AND OUTER
SPACE.
HIS BROTHERS CARRIED ON THAT
WORK FIGHTING AGAINST POVERTY,
VIOLENCE AND WAR, CHAMPIONING
HUMAN RIGHTS, HEALTH CARE AND
IMMIGRATION.
AS MY FATHER SAID IN HIS
INAUGURAL ADDRESS, THIS WORK
WILL NOT BE FINISHED IN OUR
LIFETIME.
TO US TO CONTINUE TO CONTINUE TO
PASS THESE VALUES ON TO OUR
CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN.
>> ONE OF DEFINING RELATIONSHIPS
IN MY LIFE IS WITH SOMEONE I'VE
NEVER MET, MY GRANDFATHER,
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY.
IT'S A LITTLE ODD TO BE
CONNECTED TO SOMEONE YOU DON'T
KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN EVERYONE
ELSE HAS ACCESS TO MUCH OF THE
SAME INFORMATION ABOUT HIM THAT
YOU DO.
THROUGHOUT MY LIFE I HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO CONNECT WITH MY
GRANDFATHER THROUGH THE STUDY OF
HISTORY WHICH I KNOW HE LOVED.
BOTH STUDYING HIS LIFE AND THE
ERAS AND PATTERNS THAT
FASCINATED HIM.
TO ME THAT'S WHERE HE LIVES, AS
A HISTORICAL FIGURE ROOTED IN
THE PAST BUT ALSO AS A PERSON
CONNECTED TO SO MUCH OF WHAT
CAME AFTER HIM, HIS WRITINGS AND
FROM THE STORIES MY RELATIVES
HAVE TOLD ME.
BUT WHILE MY GRANDFATHER HAD
REVERANCE FOR THE PAST AND THE
LESSONS THEY COULD IMPART, HE
ALSO KNEW THAT AMERICA WAS A
COUNTRY WHERE CHANGE WAS
POSSIBLE.
WE AREN'T BOUND SOLELY BY
TRADITION IF WE UNDERSTAND THE
PAST WITH WHICH WE ARE BREAKING.
>> I'M INSPIRED BY MY
GRANDFATHER'S SENSE OF EQUALITY,
HIS COURAGE IN NAMING THE
INJUSTICES IN AMERICAN SOCIETY
AND HIS CALL FOR ACTION.
HIS WORDS AND HIS IDEALS MEAN SO
MUCH TO ME AND TO THE WORLD WE
LIVE IN TODAY, BUT WE'RE STILL
FACED WITH TREMENDOUS INEQUALITY
AND INJUSTICE FROM VOTING RIGHTS
TO OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
AND MASS INCARCERATION.
MY GRANDFATHER WOULD BE PROUD
HOW FAR WE'VE COME AS A NATION
SINCE 1963 BUT HE WOULD HAVE
BEEN THE FIRST TO TELL US WE
HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO.
I HOPE EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF
AGE OR PARTY WILL REMEMBER WHEN
PRESIDENT KENNEDY TOLD AMERICA
DECADES AGO THIS.
NATION WAS FOUNDED BY MANY
NATIONS AND BACKGROUNDS, IT WAS
FOUNDED ON THE PRINCIPLE THAT
ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL AND
THE RIGHTS OF EVERY MAN ARE
DIMINISHED WHEN THE RIGHTS OF
ONE MAN ARE THREATENED.
>> PRESIDENT KENNEDY WAS ELECTED
ON A PLATFORM OF CHALLENGES AND
NOT PROMISES, NOT FOR WHAT HE
WOULD OFFER THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
AS PRESIDENT BUT WHAT HE WOULD
ASK OF THEM.
MY FAVORITE PEACH IS THE ONE
THAT PRESIDENT KENNEDY GIVE AT
RICE UNIVERSITY WHERE HE MAKES
THE CASE FOR SENDING A MAN TO
THE MOON.
HE SAID THAT THAT CHALLENGE WAS
WORTHWHILE NOT BECAUSE IT WOULD
BE EASY BUT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE
SO HARD.
MY GENERATION WILL INHERIT A
COMPLICATED WORLD WILL COUNTLESS
UNSOLVED PROBLEMS.
CLIMATE CHANGE IS ONE OF THEM
BUT IT'S THE TYPE OF CHALLENGE
THAT I THINK MY GRANDFATHER
WOULD HAVE BEEN ENERGIZED ABOUT
AND EAGER TO SOLVE.
HE CARED DEEPLY ABOUT THE
ENVIRONMENT, ABOUT SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY AND RECOGNIZE THAT
HAD ONLY IF AMERICA LEADS THE
WORLD IN SOLVING GLOBAL PROBLEMS
CAN WE MAKE SURE IT'S DONE
RIGHT.
FROM THAT SPEECH AT RICE AND
FROM THE SPACE PROGRAM HE HELPED
LAUNCH, WE CAN LEARN A SIMPLE
BUT IMPORTANT LESSON.
GREAT CHALLENGES ARE
OPPORTUNITIES, AND IT IS EACH
GENERATION'S RESPONSIBILITY TO
MEET THOSE CHALLENGES WITH THE
SAME COMBINATION OF ENERGY,
FAITH AND DEVOTION THAT
PRESIDENT KENNEDY AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES DISPLAYED DECADES
AGO.
KNOWY WITH EAR UP TO THE TASK
BUT WE HAVE TO DEMAND ACTION
FROM OUR LEADERS AND WE HAVE TO
VOTE.
>> AS HIS FAMILY, WE'RE SO PROUD
OF WHAT MY FATHER STOOD FOR
DURING HIS LIFE AND HOW POWERFUL
THOSE VALUES REMAIN TODAY.
I HOPE THAT THESE REFLECTIONS ON
PRESIDENT KENNEDY'S LIFE AND HIS
INFLUENCE ON THOSE OF US WHO
SHARE HIS LEGACY WILL ENCOURAGE
PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE UNITED
STATES TO LOOK AT CHALLENGES IN
THEIR OWN CORNER OF THE WORLD
AND SEEK SOLUTIONS THAT HEAL,
LIFT UP T

Video message marks JFK's 100th birthday

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