Hey Mr. Carter! Don't Apologize For Giving Gravity To What Most Americans Already Think

I always liked Jimmy Carter, even more so after he left the White House. Modern historians look at the Carter presidency as being not the best or the worst, but rather somewhere in the middle. Carter assumed the helm at a low point in American confidence. The national psyche suffered from PTSD brought on by over a decade of turmoil- from the JFK assassination to Vietnam to Watergate- and Jimmy Carter, with his honest smile and his downhome goodness, seemed like a good shot at boosting the happy meter, if nothing else. Embroiled domestically by surging energy prices and heavy inflation, Carter, the political outsider, had a hard time of putting any constraints on the ruling Democratic party, who after decades of control were heading towards their own implosion of sorts. But in foreign affairs, Carter proved his endurance and commitment to peace through the Camp David accords, the SALT II treaty, and a commitment to human rights. The Carter presidency is surely a mixed bag, but when compared to the current administration, America in 1978 was in a much better place- internationally, politically, and morally.

If Jimmy Carter never did another thing after his presidency, he would still be a good and honorable man. But he didn’t kick up his heels and retire. Partly out of need and partly out of desire, Jimmy Carter took hold of those things which mattered most to him in life- helping people and working for peace- and continues to this day to press for the betterment of humanity. Part of that includes building homes for those who need them through his Habitat for Humanity foundation. He even uses tools. This is a man who walks the walk.

So it’s even more knowing when he chooses to advance the human conversation through his books or words. Because of his own personal gravity, when Jimmy Carter speaks, people listen. As well they should. Which is why I was so proud of him the other day in his interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette when he had the cajones to say with some decorum what the rest of us say more robustly- that basically, Bush is an incompetant buffoon who has denigrated American prestige back to the mid 1800’s.

Naturally, the Dittohead Brigade went on a rampage, with the White House calling him irrelevent and the talking heads and pundits calling him other things-less than kind things. They belittled his adminsitration as a failure too, but they neglected to highlight some finer points. Like the fact that Carter didn’t go out declaring war on anyone. And Carter didn’t assert for torture. And he didn’t try to spy on the whole country. And he didn’t run the country into massive, overbearing debt. They can blame him for the rise of radical Islam- he helped arm and fund Islamic ‘radicals’ in Afghanistan against the USSR- but you could also blame the moon for the tides. Both have existed for a long time and Carter didn’t create Islamic radicalism, he just stirred the ashes up again. Apparently it seemed a good idea at the time.

But then Carter offered a retraction of sorts. And this, I think, is a mistake. And for that, I am somewhat disappointed in Jimmy Carter. So I have a few words I’d like to share with him…

Dear President Carter,

When you termed the Bush administration as the worst in American history, you were right. Even the Nixon administration pales in comparison to this cabal running our institutions of law and justice into the ground. Many of us on the left (Democrats, liberals, progressives) have been saying this for years now, but with the particularly partisan divide in this country, we’ve faced mute reaction for the last half decade or so. Finally, the presidents own failures and shortcomings are becoming so apparent that even his own party members are jumping ship. But like a man who buys unseen land in Florida, Republicans are fearful of admitting to being wrong, and I think your comments could have helped ease the ‘buyer’s remorse’ so many on the right have these days. And buyer’s remorse it is indeed. It’s guys like Bush that they made “Lemon Laws” for.

That said, you should not have retracted, rephrased, or repaired your comments in any way, shape or form. The truth sometimes isn’t pretty, but it has to be said anyway. To hear it from the mouth of a man of peace and a former president only solidifies how far down the ladder we’ve slipped. You never apologized for criticizing President Clinton when he pardoned that sleazy Marc Rich guy. And you shouldn’t have. (That really pissed me off too. I really liked BC, but that little stunt took him down a notch or two in my book.) And you shouldn’t be doing it now either.

Forget about what the 25 percenters say- America is with you on this one. And your words seem to carry a little more weight than ours do- after all, the White House actually responds to you. They pretty much ignore the rest of the country when we speak.

Sincerely,

Ken Grandlund

Who knows? Could be I’ll actually send this one off to him.

(cross posted at Bring It On!)