With the news that ex-president Jimmy Carter has entered hospice care at his home, articles and reviews of his life have begun to surface, and will most likely continue to gain traction until he passes from our world.
Before that sad event, I thought I would offer my own opinion, although this will not be the first time I posted about Carter, as I had done a comparison blog about him and Donald Trump in August, 2015, before the 2016 presidential election. See attached link.
https://wurdsfromtheburbs.blogspot.com/2015/08/jimmy-carter-and-Donald-trump.html
It has been over forty years since Carter lost his bid for reelection. In the immediate years after his departure from the White House, most people considered him to have been a poor president. Of course, time is necessary to truly evaluate a president's effectiveness, and at this point, he has moved up the ranks of presidential ratings although still falling in the middle of the pack, at best, but in he bottom half still.
But, as I mentioned in my first post about Carter, his ranking in terms of his humanity, would place him towards the top. One of his most amazing accomplishments was his desire to combat diseases that are not well known in America but that effect millions of people worldwide, especially those people who reside in the third world. (You know, those countries that Trump referred to as sh**hole places). In particular, his work to eliminate the effects of the Guinea worm stands out. This NPR article explains it very well.
I know it is easy to illustrate Carter's attributes by comparing him to ex-president Trump, but I will do so anyway, with one other example. In 1975 during the run-up to his successful presidential election, Carter admitted, to Playboy magazine of all places, that he had lusted in his heart. At the time, this was considered one of the least savvy political moves of all time. His political advocates shook their collective heads while his political opponents attacked him for his admission, one in particular saying that "he never thought Christ's teachings would be discussed in Playboy and I am a Baptist."
The simple fact is that Carter was acknowledging that despite his fervent belief in his religion and its tenets, he was an imperfect person, as we all are, and that it is far better to admit one's shortcomings, and to pray for guidance, than to pretend every other human being doesn't commit adultery in their heart from time to time.
Contrast that with the orange man who not only admits that he enjoys seeing semi-naked young women in the backrooms during beauty pageants (as most men would), but that his celebrity allowed him to grab their genitals with impunity. And then to brag about it, as another example of his privilege and ability to avoid the consequences of his misdeeds. Carter was contrite in his admission that he sometimes fell short of his desired morality while Trump did not consider his actions to be ashamed of, but to brag about. In effect, the perfect grab.
Is it any wonder that he believed that shaking down a foreign leader for dirt on his political rival in exchange for military equipment, or asking a state's attorney general to "find" enough votes so he could win that state's electors, were OK as well?
Sorry, I shouldn't be demeaning Carter by mentioning Trump in the same post, but I also know that when Carter does pass, and pundits and politicians begin their stream of accolades, there will be Trump supporters who will pretend that their guy could hold a candle to this man.
Another area where Carter exceeds so many other people, let alone presidents, is in the area of humility. Carter continues to live in Plains, Georgia, in the modest house he bought in 1961. He doesn't hawk products with his name on them, doesn't jam his faith down our throats while piling up material possessions. He is gracious when praised, thoughtful when criticized, quick to share credit, slow to blame others. To me, Jimmy Carter is someone I would welcome in my home and welcome at my table to share a meal and a chat.
Finally, let's talk about Carter's ability to inspire others to do good. While he did not found Habitat for Humanity, his non-profit organization has affiliated itself with this tremendous organization for over 30 years. Where you can often see images of various ex-presidents at big name sporting events or Hollywood awards shows or on the golf course, Carter is more likely to be found with a hard hat and a hammer at a construction site, assisting in the building of a home for someone else, someone in need. My wife and I began giving to Habitat as a result of Carter's example, as I am sure millions of other Americans have, not to mention the tens of thousands of people who volunteer their time as well.
So, perhaps Jimmy Carter was not one of the greatest presidents ever, or even in the top twenty. But as for being a great human, a great example for people to do the right thing, a great husband, father and neighbor, we will be hard pressed to identify anyone who epitomized the true meaning of living a life of service to others as James Earl Carter Jr.
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