Dec.30

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Reader Reflections on Jimmy Carter, Part I

When Jimmy Carter's health took a turn for the worse, and it was clear the end was near, we asked readers to send in their thoughts on the 39th president. We've also gotten some new ones, since the news broke, and we will undoubtedly get more over the course of this week. So, we're going to share some of those, half a dozen at a time:

• J.T. in Islip, NY: A year after I aged into being a voter in 1975, I felt fortunate to be able to vote for Jimmy Carter. He was intelligent, accomplished, caring and, in some way, a man of the people. Versus Ronald Reagan—a paragon of falsity, bravado and shallowness. That vote was especially sweet because it counterbalanced my Goldwater-besotted father's knee-jerk vote for whatever Republican appeared on the ballot. Thank you, Jimmy—for who you were then, who you became after your presidency and who you remained to 100. Well-lived, peanut farmer.
  
  
• S.W. in Erie, CO: Every time I met President Carter at an Executive Briefing at the Carter Center, I would tell him the same thing, "You were the first president I ever voted for." Unlike our previous (and future) president, after Carter's lost 1980 campaign, he and his wife went back to their modest ranch home in Plains, founded the Carter Center, and did nothing but good works for as long as they capably could. He and Rosalynn were approachable, down-to-earth, and beloved in their community, even though many of their neighbors had differing political views. He will undoubtedly be our last farmer-president.
  
  During the Q&A sessions with his Carter Center donors, the former president was honest, direct, and answered questions with no equivocation. After one donor asked if Tony Blair was an effective leader for his country during the Iraq War, Carter's response was a simple "no," which elicited a few chuckles from the audience used to vague answers from politicians. He would often remind his audience that his term was a rare time of peace for our country. As he famously said, "We kept our country at peace. We never went to war. We never dropped a bomb. We never fired a bullet."
  
  When speaking about gay rights, Carter maintained that Jesus never spoke against homosexuals, even though homosexuality was well-known during the time of his earthly ministry. I remember when he left the Southern Baptist Church because they voted that women should no longer serve in leadership roles in their churches. Before he was well known, he was the only white man in Plains to refuse to join the segregationist White Citizens' Council. His faith was always the driving force behind his works of mercy and his unwavering support for civil rights. Despite the derision of his detractors, President Carter strove to make a difference, and he did.
  
  
• L.S. in Queens, NY: When George W. Bush left office, he started painting. It was controversial. I remarked, "When George W. Bush left office, he picked up a paint brush. When Jimmy Carter left office, he picked up a hammer and built homes. I like Carter's choice better."
  
  May we all make the world better because we were here.
  
  
• T.K. in Fayetteville, NY: In the spring of 1979, an accident at a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania led to the evacuation of all students attending Dickinson College. For me and five of my friends, the time off from school meant a road trip and a chance to spend a day or two in our nation's capital. Young and invincible, we drove by the Unit 2 reactor that was leaking radiation and headed toward Washington, D.C.
  
  When we arrived at the White House, we discovered the President of the United States jogging around the grounds in dark socks and light-colored shorts. As he came within earshot, the six of us began to shout that we were refugees from Three Mile Island. President Carter wanted nothing to do with us and ran in the other direction. We thought we were hilarious. The Secret Service agents arrayed on the South Lawn were less amused. We decided it was time to move on.
  
  I never faulted the president for avoiding us. We probably looked like a bunch of lunatics and he had enough on his plate already. Unlike many of his critics, I believe the humble peanut farmer from Plains has been consistently underrated. Brilliant, honest and forthright, his concern for protecting our environment and his ironclad commitment to democracy and human rights will form a lasting legacy. With our nation now imperiled by vain and self-serving windbags, we could certainly use more people like Georgia's Jimmy Carter. May he rest in peace.
  
  
• R.T. in Arlington, TX: As I reflect on Jimmy Carter, I see many parallels between him and Joe Biden. Both served in the wake of high-drama, scandal-laden presidencies. Their appeal came in part because they were moderates. Carter ran as an outsider, and while Biden was an ultimate insider, he came back from a stint on the outside. Each had a competitive primary season when they were elected. Both convey(ed) true decency and compassion—not an act. Each inherited a foreign policy mess, with Carter dealing with the results of decades-long propping up of the Shah of Iran and Biden dealing with the results of the decades-long military interventions in Afghanistan. The Camp David Accords were nothing short of heroic in the annals of peacemaking. The two men's biggest weakness was/is that they struggle(d) to inspire Americans. Jimmy Carter will always have an honored place in my heart for everything he did and was after he left office. There has never been a better former President. Joe Biden's story is still being written.
  
  
• M.J.M. in Lexington, KY: I am old enough (65) to remember President Carter as the national scold. But in his post-presidency he led by example, instead, which is a slow way to earn a following and respect. But for me, it is the best way. President Carter has character. He has earned my admiration.

Six more tomorrow! (Z)