Translate

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Words of Wisdom from Jimmy Carter


I remember when this guy was president. He was basically run out of town by his own party when he tried to buck party traditions - sort of backfired on the dems when Ronald Reagan swept to power in 1980. Carter came to Springfield on that election day, and I went to see him at the airport. Not many people showed up, of course. Everybody knew he was going to lose, including Carter himself.

I've always respected old Jimmy. He was a knowledgeable and thoughtful man - an honest man. He was ridiculed for his beliefs at a time when politicians didn't wear their religion on their sleeve. Now, he is starting to speak out about the mixing of religion and politics and the lack of moral and ethical leadership from the GOP and the Bush administration. Here's a link to his editorial in the L. A. Times entitled: This Isn't the Real America.

2 comments:

Marty Grimes said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Marty Grimes said...

Excerpt from my blog:

What Would Jimmy Do?

A book called Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis and written by an avowed evangelical Christian is an unlikely addition to my nightstand. But after hearing President Jimmy Carter eviscerate the Bush Administration for taking American down a path of moral destruction, I decided I needed to buy his newest book, if only as a gesture of thanks.

Even if the book were crap, I reasoned, at least a few bucks might go towards a 2-by-4 for Habitat for Humanity. I’m confident Carter isn’t socking away book profits to buy a big yacht or a Major League baseball team.

Given Carter’s reputation for thoughtful reflection and industriousness, I was expecting an excruciatingly researched Michener-sized tome, but instead found a small book, barely cracking 200 pages with unusually large type, oversized margins, and not one endnote. I guess some people are beyond listing their sources—ex-presidents and bloggers.

My childhood memories of Carter are vivid: peanuts and bright smiles, then over time, gas shortages, inflation and hostages. No more smiles. Just an ashen, spent, broken man.

Breathing Holes

Remember when you were a kid and you found a turtle or baby bird and put it in a box?  "Make sure it has breathing holes," somebod...