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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (May 23, 2012)
Arts & Entertainment President, Peanut Farmer and Sunday School Teacher J ames Earl Carter, Jr., the 39th President of the United States, was born on Octo- ber 1, 1924 in the tiny town of Plains, Georgia. His father, James, Sr., was a farmer and businessman, and his mother, Lillian Gordy Carter, was a registered nurse. Jimmy was educated in the public school of Plains, attended Georgia Southwestern College and the Georgia Institute of Tech- nology, and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Naval Acad- emy in 1946. On July 7th of that year, he married his childhood sweetheart, Rosalynn Smith of Plains. In the Navy, he became a submariner, serving in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets and rising to the rank of lieutenant. Chosen by Admiral Hyman Rickover for the nuclear submarine program, he was assigned to Schenectady, New York, where he did graduate work at Union College in reactor technology and nuclear physics while serving as senior officer of the pre- commissioning crew of the Seawolf. When his father died in 1953, he resigned his naval commission and returned with his family to Georgia. He took over the Carter farms, and he and Rosalynn operated Carter’s Warehouse, a general-purpose seed and farm supply company located in Plains. He soon became a leader of the communi- ty, serving on county boards supervising education, the hospital authority, and the library. In 1962 he entered politics, winning election to the Georgia Senate, before becoming Georgia’s 76th governor on Janu- ary 12, 1971. Jimmy Carter was inaugurated President of the United States on January 20, 1977. Significant foreign policy accomplishments of his administration included the Panama Canal treaties, the Camp David Accords, the treaty of peace between Egypt and Israel, the SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union, and the establishment of U.S. diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. On the domestic side, the administration’s achievements included a comprehensive energy program conducted by a new Department of Energy; deregulation in energy, transportation, communications, and finance; major educational programs under a new Department of Education; and C ELEBRITY I NTERVIEW by Kam Williams major environmental protection legislation, including the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. While in office, he also championed human rights throughout the world. In 1982, he became University Distin- guished Professor at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and founded The Carter Center to engage in conflict mediation all over the world. In addition, the Center has monitored 83 elections in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The permanent facilities of The Carter Presidential Cen- ter include the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum, admin- istered by the National Archives. The Jimmy Carter National Historic Site in Plains, administered by the National Park Service, is open to visitors, too. Jimmy and Rosalynn vol- unteer for Habitat for Humanity annually, helping needy people renovate and build homes. And on the Sabbath, they teach Sun- day school at Maranatha Baptist Church of Plains. For relaxation, President Carter enjoys fly-fishing, woodworking and swimming. The Carters have three sons, one daughter, nine grandsons, three granddaughters, two great-grandsons, and four great-grand- daughters. In 2002, President Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for his decades of untir- ing effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democra- cy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” The author of 25 books, here, he talks about his latest, NIV Lessons from Life Bible. The ‘NIV Lessons from Life Bible’ Interview KW: Editor/legist Patri- cia Turnier asks: What message do you think peo- ple will take away from the Lessons from Life Bible? JC: I think that what peo- ple will get out of these comments in the Bible, and also out of my previous book [Through the Year with Jimmy Carter: 366 Daily Meditations from the 39th President] is how perti- nent, how important and how applicable the ancient texts are to our modern-day life. That’s what I try to emphasize in all my Sunday school lessons when I teach at Maranatha Baptist Church. So, I think the main message to remember is that we must accommodate changing times while clinging to unchanging moral values. That’s why I say the aim is to apply the text to modern-day life. KW: Patricia also asks: Are you interest- ed in writing a memoir focusing on your more recent accomplishments? JC: I’ve already written a book about my more recent accomplishments. It’s called Beyond the White House. http://www.ama- zon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003A02QU4/ ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20 KW: Leon Marquis says: You have done more good after leaving office than any other United States President, from travel- ing the world, to certifying free and open President Jimmy Carter elections, to working with Habitat for Humanity, to traveling to North Korea. You have become the “Soul of American Diplo- macy.” My question is: Why can’t the other ex-presidents get it right? JC: Well, I wouldn’t say they’re wrong, Leon, because each one of us is an individ- ual, just like talk show hosts are different from one another, and newspaper colum- nists are different from each other. So, former presidents are different from each other, too. Some have gone into relative seclusion. Some have decided to teach. In fact, I’m finishing my 30th year as a profes- sor at Emory University. I’ve found it very enjoyable and very beneficial to me to keep active. But I wouldn’t criticize any presi- dent who has chosen to take a different route. See CARTER on page 12 Kam Williams: Hi President Carter, I’m really honored to have another opportunity to speak with you. President Carter: It’s a pleasure for me, too, Kam. Thank you! May 23, 2012 The Portland Skanner Page 9
