Jimmy Carter

In this autobiography, President "Carter tells what he is proud of and what he might do differently. He discusses his regret at losing his re-election, but how he and Rosalynn pushed on and made a new life and second and third rewarding careers. He is frank about the presidents who have succeeded him, world leaders, and his passions for the causes he cares most about, particularly the condition of women and the deprived people of the developing world"--Amazon.com.

Reflections at Ninety

A Full Life

Matthew Royal

Jimmy Carter and my grandmother both came from Georgia, and I get a hint of her when I hear President Carter's gentle old-South accent. I respect his balance between his heart-felt spiritual beliefs and the need to respect the law and others. 

For instance, his account of supporting the people's legal right to an abortion while finding it morally repugnant in most cases. He reasoned that since the data showed fewer abortions were performed when mothers had adequate food, pre-natal care, and support, he pushed for the social programs required to maximize those things and hence minimize abortion. He distances himself from religious fundamentalists, and even evangelicalism because of its ties to right-wing extremists.

Nevertheless, much of Carter's presidential career appears to be reacting to one emergency or another without an overall framework for shaping global political discussion. The longer term initiatives he had were goals for responding to humanitarian disasters. This often seemed to surprise other leaders, and given the information we have from the period of his administration, led to suboptimal outcomes for US policy, but he often got human rights concessions from dictators, which has had lasting effect on the lives of millions.

A Full Life Reflections at Ninety

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