Ralph Nader
Jimmy Carter was
the last president to actively open the government for engagement by citizen
groups. Right after his November 1976 election, he agreed to address a huge
hotel ballroom in D.C. full of local and national citizen advocates. It was a
great success never again repeated by succeeding president-elects. Mr. Carter
then chose civic leaders and other solid progressives to head regulatory
agencies such as NHTSA, EPA, OSHA, FTC, and for other high positions in
government. Starting in 1981, Ronald Reagan undermined many Carter
Administration health and safety initiatives.
Mr. Carter was
also the last president to authentically recognize Palestinian rights and
charge the Israeli government with imposing a system of Apartheid (“worse than
in South Africa,” he said) over Palestine. However, he failed to get Israel to
agree to a comprehensive peace settlement, including the creation of a
Palestinian state, and had to settle for a peace treaty between Egypt and
Israel.
Citizen Carter
was easily our greatest former president. For over 40 years his indefatigable
work ethic was applied to advancing peace efforts, initiating health programs
in developing countries, supervising fair elections overseas and, with
Rosalynn, joining Habitat for Humanity as a manual laborer (he was an expert
woodworker, among his many skills) to build houses around the country for needy
families.
The range of
interests expressed through his 32 books and conferences revealed a practical,
results-oriented, humble Renaissance man.
His compassion and honesty infuse the Carter Center to this day.
He nourished the
norms of personal and civic decency, dialogue, truth-telling and working for a
just society, expressing his Christian faith in action.
Compare Jimmy
Carter’s life with the rancid, corrupt, cowardly politicians spoiling today’s
Washington landscapes.
There are
legitimate criticisms of Carter’s foreign and domestic policies that others
will examine. But overall, his legacy will live on to inspire future
generations of Americans to elevate their expectations and strive toward them
with civic dedication and commitment.
I was always in
awe of how efficiently he used his time every day— and truly amazed by his
relentless productivity. This alone would have been a worthy book by Mr. Carter
were it not for his genuine humility.
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