Jimmy Carter not James,what a simple (not simpleton) man ,so absent of ego and self importance not to insist upon being called James Carter as a US Pres.. I was a kid 11-15 during his presidency and in my ignorance/immaturity thought he was a goober w/that toothy grin,what else could a kid 50 mi. from Boston think about this deep south peanut farmer. As I grew up and learned about this man I came to realize my childhood perceptions were a complete 180 from reality. He was a nuclear engineer,a judo blk. belt (a martial art that doesn't just give away belts),a kind and humble man. While historians rate his presidency as mixed (inflation/Iran hostage crisis weighed it down) his work post presidency serves as a template that former presidents should aspire to. This man and his beloved wife Roslyn went right back to Plains Ga. and lived in the only house they ever owned,a modest ranch that was valued at less than 180K in 2023(an ex. pres. in a humble home in a town of less than 600 people,hard to comprehend these days,NO?) after his 1980 defeat for re-election. His work building houses for the poor in Habitat for Humanity and willingness to hop on a jet to mediate disputes or win release of detained Americans was recognized w/a Nobel Peace prize. Roslyn whom he was married to for 77 yrs. passed in 2023 and Sunday he joined her. This man fought for civil rights,equality, and inclusion before they were vogue,he exuded grace,decency,conviction and humility. In his Inauguration speech he promised the American people that he'd never tell them a lie and was so unassuming that he didn't want "Hail to the Chief" played at his arrivals. I'd like to think that genuine kind folks like Jimmy Carter still exist today(I'm sure they do but the nos. have to have dwindled) and surely America would be in a better place if the current practitioners in DC possessed even a few of his qualities,RIP Jimmy Carter,the world could surely use more men like you.
