Online tributes and well-wishes for Jimmy Carter posted by fellow politicians and celebrities
Jimmy Carter began hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia on Saturday. Since the announcement praise for the former president has been pouring in.
The Carter Center announced on Saturday that former President Jimmy Carter “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.” Not long after, praise and well-wishes for the 39th US president and his family came flooding in.
The former peanut farmer who was governor and state senator of Georgia before entering the White House in 1977 was voted out after just one term. He lost in one of the biggest landslides in modern history to Ronald Regan. His time in office was marked by continued rising inflation, high gas prices and the Iran hostage crisis.
However, the oldest living president, and longest lived at 98 years old, rebuilt his reputation in his post-White House years. He has spent the over four decades since leaving office dedicated to public service, which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and the adulation of a grateful nation.
Tributes and well-wishes to Jimmy Carter, “the best of us”
Celebrities and politicians, regardless of where they are on the ideological spectrum, are paying tribute to the work Carter has done as he spends his final days at his home in Plains, Georgia. Many have pointed out the kindness of the man, who along with his wife Rosalynn Carter, founded the Carter Center, a nongovernmental organization dedicated to advancing health and peace around the world. They have also praised him for his work with Habitat for Humanity, a volunteer organization that builds affordable housing worldwide.
One of the first messages came from the Secret Service. In a post on Twitter the Chief of Communications said: “Rest easy Mr. President. We will be forever by your side.”
“Jimmy Carter is one of the kindest most thoughtful people I’ve ever had the honor of meeting. He’s the best of us,” said comedian and writer Jon Stewart.
“This man moves humanity forward every single day. He is such an inspiration. Devoted his whole life to public service,” wrote Maria Shriver, the niece of former president John F Kennedy “Sending him and his family my love, my respect, my support.”
“To our friends Jimmy and Rosalynn and to their family – Jill and I are with you in prayer and send you our love,” President Joe Biden posted on Twitter. “We admire you for the strength and humility you have shown in difficult times. May you continue your journey with grace and dignity, and God grant you peace.”
“Though Jimmy Carter’s presidency was bedeviled by problems beyond his control, he had a marvelous second act as a former president and humanitarian. This Annapolis grad was responsible for the Camp David Accords and was a better Cold Warrior than history has given him credit for,” said Craig Shirley, a biographer of the Ronald Regan. He told Fox News that “Carter has had one of the greatest second acts in American history.”
“Former President Carter’s love and compassion for all people set him apart as a leader, servant, and simply a great man striving to achieve a Beloved Community,” said Bernice King, lawyer, minister, and daughter of the Reverand Martin Luther King Jr and Coretta Scott King.
“Across life’s seasons, President Jimmy Carter, a man of great faith, has walked with God. In this tender time of transitioning, God is surely walking with him,” wrote Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. “May he, Rosalynn & the entire Carter family be comforted with that peace and surrounded by our love & prayers.”
Carter’s niece gives emotional address
Carter taught Sunday school at his local church in Plains, Maranatha Baptist church, for decades. His niece Kim Fuller, who has now taken over those duties, gave an emotional address on Sunday and quoted her uncle: “I have one life and one chance to make it count for something. I’m free to choose that something … my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I can, whenever I can, for as long as I can.”
“Maybe if we think about it, maybe it’s time to pass the baton. Who picks it up, I have no clue. I don’t know. Because this baton’s going to be a really big one,” she continued.