JIMMY CARTER: THE QUIET REVOLUTIONARY WHO SHAPED AMERICA’S CONSCIENCE

“America did not invent Human Rights.

In a very real sense Human Rights invented America.”

-Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter is, without any doubt, one of the greatest Presidents this country has ever had. There are those who would raise an eyebrow at reading such a statement but here’s the deal:

Carter laid the groundwork for a new way of thinking. Jimmy Carter was one of the first world leaders to raise concerns about climate change after receiving a White House report linking fossil fuel to rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Therefore, being a man of action, he was the first President to embrace an alternative source of energy production by having solar panels (32 photovoltaic panels) installed on the roof of the White House. Two other Presidents followed his example; George W. Bush and Barack Obama each had solar applications added to the White House grounds. Carter, in a nod to energy conservation, created a national energy policy and signed into law the establishment of the Dept. of Energy.

Jimmy Carter brokered the Camp David Accords; a peace deal between Israel and Egypt that still holds to this day. His efforts in this regard have had a long reach as Egypt has been pivotal in working with Israel and others in the region to provide humanitarian support to Gaza during the current crisis.

Jimmy Carter was a political hybrid; growing up in south Georgia steeped in Christian religion and rampant racism, he took to heart the best parts of the religion like peace, love, and compassion, while chafing at the inherent hypocrisy of said religion concerning the dignity of Black people. This milieu of contradicting values had a profound effect on young Jimmy Carter; planting the seeds for a life dedicated to the righting of wrongs and the upliftment of humankind.

When Carter was Governor of Georgia his home was a short drive from an area on Peachtree Street between 10th and 14th streets and extending into Piedmont Park known as the “hippie district” or simply “the strip”. This gave him a front row seat to one of the largest counterculture movements the world has ever known. Carter embraced this cultural awakening as it mirrored the very ideals that he stood for. As governor he began to become friends with luminaries of this era including Gregg Allman and the entire Allman Bros. Band as well as Nile Rodgers, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Bono, and Paul Simon among others. Jimmy Carter left the Presidency after only one term thanks to the Iranian Hostage Crisis.

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter took this as an opportunity to continue a lifetime dedicated to humanitarian work. The work included Habitat for Humanity which operates in more than 70 countries, The Carter Center founded on a fundamental commitment to “human rights and the alleviation of human suffering, conflict resolution, enhanced freedom and democracy and improve health.”

Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Mic drop.

Peace,

Al Obert