James Earl Carter, Jr. (October 1, 1924 – December 29, 2024)

by Dr. Joseph Olejak
Old Chatham Meeting

At 100 years of age Jimmy Carter has shed his mortal coil and joined his creator.

He’ll be remembered less for his legislative and presidential accomplishments and more for his true commitments as a humanitarian and peacemaker in presidential retirement. 

Notable among his many contributions to American life and the world as a whole are his work in the area of disease eradication, home building, nuclear anti-proliferation and peace negotiations.

One of the most powerful stories of his post-presidential period was the eradication of Guinea Worm Disease, a water-borne illness untreatable by drugs or surgery. In Carter’s words, “it can only be treated by love and respect of people,” by teaching them how to filter water and care for those afflicted with the disease. By the time Carter passed there were only 14 cases left worldwide, compared to millions when he first left office. His example serves as a reminder of the power of love. 

Carter’s love is also shown through in his work for Habitat For Humanity. Often in overalls with a hammer in his hand, he was humble enough to do the work that was good enough for another carpenter 2000 years ago. He helped construct over 4,447 homes in 14 countries.

In the realm of peace-making it was Carter who brokered a deal between Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat to bring peace to a fragile Middle East after the 1967 war — a task no president has been able to accomplish since. Carter was a diplomat but was also guided by his deep faith in God. He understood that any compromise that does not end in progress for all parties was no compromise at all and likely to fail. 

Carter used this notion when he brokered an end to a nuclear standoff with North Korea. He was a nuclear engineer as a naval officer and understood how nuclear energy worked. He was also no fool. He saw that the nuclear brinkmanship that Clinton was engaging in was dangerous and could have led to war with South Korea costing millions of lives. Carter was willing to step into that situation and step on toes in the US State Department to bring about a positive outcome. He averted a nuclear showdown by offering light water reactors in exchange for allowing the IAEA into the Pyongyang reactor building to inspect. Something that no president has been able to do since.

As a final coda to his presidency, Ronald Reagan removed the solar panels from the White House. Carter wanted to move the US away from dependence on foreign energy. By killing solar power and alternative energy in its infancy, Reagan set the stage for the long 20 year war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The war for oil could have been completely side stepped had we followed the energy policies of Jimmy Carter, never mind the effects of 40+ years of burning fossil fuels on the climate.

As we move into the new political reality of 2025 we should look to the goodness and God-centered politics that Jimmy Carter believed in and practiced. Substance over triviality. Honesty over lies. Clarity over distractions. Integrity over shortcuts.