John Fitzgerald Kennedy's Lost Pathway To Peace

Actor Robert Vaughn is the host and narrator for this half-hour documentary which attempts to "correct" the popular image of JFK by re-emphasizing his commitment to world peace through world law. Pointing out that the Kennedy legacy has been lost in all the media hoopla over JFK's private life and his tragic assassination, the program features several clips from Kennedy's speeches in which he calls for a "grand and global alliance." In one of his last speeches, Kennedy spoke before the United Nations assembly on September 20th, 1963, reiterating his hope that the UN could take on more responsibility, revising its charter to embrace and enforce a system of world law. Many of the speech clips also address Kennedy's concern over and his measures for curbing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. In one prescient clip, he expresses the hope that space will never become a battleground for the superpowers, and exhorts his audience to never allow weapons systems in space (foreshadowing Reagan's "Star Wars" program). While the program addresses the seemingly irreconcilable stances of Kennedy's push for disarmament while at the same time increasing the defense budget, that's about the extent of the questioning and/or criticism of Kennedy administration. With most politicians, and certainly Kennedy was no exception, there is always a significant gap between words and actions. Still, the vision, at least, rings true, and the tape successfully conveys that vision to a new generation that is more in need of it than ever before. Recommended. (Available from: JFK Memorial Offer, P.O. Box 6846, Santa Barbara, CA 93160.)