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American Morning

Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg Discusses New Book

Aired May 08, 2002 - 09:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Forty-five years ago, John F. Kennedy won a Pulitzer Prize for his book, "Profiles in Courage." And courage is something his daughter, Caroline, has seen up close, and proven herself, as a child in the Kennedy White House, and throughout her life as a member of the Kennedy dynasty. And since 1990, the Kennedy Library Foundation has given out yearly Profile in Courage Awards, honoring today's heroes. And their stories are a part of a new volume, a sequel of sorts to her father's work that Caroline Kennedy has edited.

It's called "Profiles in Courage for Our Time," and Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg joins us this morning, helping to keep her father's legacy alive. She joins us from our Washington Bureau.

Good to see you again. Welcome.

CAROLINE KENNEDY SCHLOSSBERG, DAUGHTER OF JOHN F. KENNEDY: Thank you.

ZAHN: And congratulations.

SCHLOSSBERG: Thank you.

ZAHN: So if someone picks up a copy of this book, what do you want them to get out of it?

SCHLOSSBERG: Well, I hope that they'll realize that there are men and women of courage serving at all levels of our government today. And that public service is really something that all of us should make a part of our lives. We don't need to be even in politics; you don't need to be in the Senate or here in Washington. That this is really something that, I think, everybody should be participating in. And I think this book really shows how these people got involved. They didn't ever think that they were going to be heroic. But yet they really set an example for the rest of us. And I think that, that's very inspiring.

ZAHN: Prior to September 11th, we've often heard the analysis that we were -- had gotten lazy and apathetic. Do you think your father would have been disheartened by the lack of respect for public service? That's changed a little bit since September 11th, but I'm not seeing a dramatic numbers of people running to run for public office. SCHLOSSBERG: Well, I think that that certainly was one of his great legacies, was the people that he inspired to go into public life. And I think that you're right. I think since September 11th, even if people haven't changed their lives, they don't look at police and firemen the same way as they might have a year ago. And I think that that, that people recognize that the real heroes are people who serve others. And that the capacity for courage is within all of us. So I think it has made a difference in the way we think about it. And I think the effects will be long term. I don't think people, most people, can change their lives overnight. But I do think that it is a change in attitude.

And this award was created, really, to celebrate that because it's an easy habit to fall into to be cynical about politics. And, but in fact there really are -- we really do need to recognize -- courageous leadership, because we need to expect it and we need to expect it in ourselves as well. So this book, we have a lot of interesting stories of people who just saw something that they didn't think was right and did something about it. Whether it was in environmental justice issues, or civil rights, or education. And then we have some well-known winners, John McCain and Russ Feingold, who took on the kind of structure of the way our politics is run. Or Gerald Ford for his pardon of Richard Nixon.

And this year, the awards went to people really in connection with September 11th. We have the mayor of a small town in Illinois, who stood up on behalf of some Muslim residents, who wanted to build a mosque in his town. And so he was really fighting for religious freedom, and against intolerance. And that was before September 11th. And then we also recognize Kofi Anon, who is really working so hard to build peace. And I think people understand what a difficult process that is.

ZAHN: You also honored...

SCHLOSSBERG: So I think there's a range in the book...

ZAHN: Yes, and you also honored firefighter at ground zero, and I think we have some shots of the actual award ceremony.

SCHLOSSBERG: Right, we had a firefighter and a lieutenant colonel from the Pentagon here who saved a number of people's lives, who were tremendously inspiring. My children were there too, and I think that really we all need to see and hear more of heroes like this.

ZAHN: You talk about part of your father's legacy as being inspiring public service. And I'm just curious, whether you feel a renewed interest in reaffirming his legacy, post September 11th?

SCHLOSSBERG: Well, I think his legacy goes on, and I think people do draw inspiration from it. I certainly do. And I think it is always there for me. But I do think that public service has a calling and politics as a noble profession is really something that he believed in. And I think that since September 11th, people are more willing to look at it that way. ZAHN: Let's talk for a moment about, maybe, some threads that you can tie through all these profiles. What was the biggest challenge in these folks' you honored, lives in being courageous? Just because they were going...

SCHLOSSBERG: Well, I think a lot of them...

ZAHN: ... against the status quo?

SCHLOSSBERG: Well, I think a lot of them go up against the status quo. But even more they go up against their friends, their neighbors, their colleagues. I mean, there was an English teacher who taught for 20 years in the school system and then became the superintendent. And realized that the kids, that there was sort of racial tracking going on, and it started in kindergarten. And as a superintendent, he just thought it was wrong and wanted to change it. And that was an entrenched system, and it pitted him against the entire community. His family was at risk, there were threats to his safety, their safety.

The same thing for the prosecutor in Montana who took on the Freemen. He stood alone for the rule of law in a vast area where everybody was armed. And these people take on a tremendous risk. If they are elected, they often lose their career, which they've worked very hard for. And as well as putting their family's safety at risk. So, I think that it's, it's a tremendous thing to really stand up for what you believe in, and it can be so difficult. So it is really something that the rest of us need to recognize and appreciate.

ZAHN: I know, Caroline, in closing, that you see it -- there is a lot of people see it as unfortunate timing that your book celebrating great strength would come at a time that a book is coming out on your brother. Written by a guy who had signed a confidentiality agreement, not to talk about anything that happened in your brother's company. How violated do you feel that this book is out there?

SCHLOSSBERG: Well, I haven't, you know, read it or anything. I actually heard it was sort of boring. So, I don't know.

ZAHN: But, did you have a strong reaction to it coming out?

SCHLOSSBERG: Yes.

ZAHN: And...

SCHLOSSBERG: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) talk about it. Well, I don't know, I didn't work there and I don't know him. John was great, and the great thing about John I that, I think, the friendship of the people that he really worked with and who really knew him have really honored that in an extraordinary way. And so that one person, you know, didn't is not surprising. But I think John was just, you know, such a great person. And we miss him so much.

ZAHN: Well, we appreciate your dropping by to share with us your thoughts on your new book, "Profiles in Courage for Our Time"; continued good luck to you.

SCHLOSSBERG: Thank you.

ZAHN: Appreciate your time, again.

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