All that is good
By now the world has heard that former President Jimmy Carter has entered hospice care. I know that I join with people across the country and around the world in hoping that he is able to spend his final days comfortably and in the company of his family and friends.
One of the cornerstones of our democracy is the peaceful transition of power. Though tested in our very recent past, this essential element of our political system has held firm since the birth of our nation. It is this strong foundation that allows presidents to engage in pursuits of their choosing upon leaving office without fear of reprisal from subsequent administrations. In fact, presidents from time to time even call upon their predecessors for advice and counsel, often overlooking party affiliation.
President Carter chose to continue working on issues he cared about after leaving office. He kept his forays into the partisan political whirlwind to a minimum, instead opting to be an agent of positive change on the world stage, using the Carter Center as his tool.
Seen as a genuinely neutral party, he has been called on to monitor elections across the globe to ensure that they are free and fair. The conclusions drawn by the former president and his teams are respected and taken seriously by the international community.
The list of issues the Carter Center has tackled over the years is extensive and impressive. It includes fair elections, world peace, world hunger, world health, and the environment, just to name a few. Whether taking action or simply providing research on an issue, its work is valued worldwide. Much of this work is done quietly and behind the scenes. Neither President Carter, nor the Carter Center, are seeking headlines. They understand that success often comes when things are done without fanfare. As it is not a government entity, the Carter Center has the ability to offer information and conclusions that do not have to be filtered through a political lens. It is this independence that sustains the high level of international respect.
The former president hasn’t limited his activities to the international stage. His lives his values here at home too. He has been active with Habitat For Humanity for decades, not merely as a spokesman or fundraiser. He has spent many a day actually helping build homes for deserving families. Until recently, he could often be found teaching Sunday School in Plains.
I am currently reading his memoir, “An Hour Before Daylight.” It describes his life growing up in Plains. Having grown up in New York City in the 1960s and ’70s, it is hard to relate to the life he lived in rural Georgia in the 1920s and ’30s. What is quite clear to me is that his life experience in those formative years had a lasting impact on him and made him the man he is. That is the point of the book.
There has been much debate about what kind of president Jimmy Carter was. I will leave that to history to pronounce judgment. What there isn’t, or at least shouldn’t be, debate about is what kind of man Jimmy Carter is. He is someone that our nation should be honored to have had as its president. He represents all that is good about our country, and humanity.
You are in our thoughts and prayers, Mr. President.