Former President Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2002, a distinguished honor for
such a humble man. While certainly not the country's most beloved leader, Carter's tireless endeavors on
behalf of the needy and his peacemaking work after his presidency continue to earn him national respect.
Georgia, his home state, and where he currently resides, continues to hold
a soft spot in their heart for the peanut farmer who went to the White House.
Whether one agrees or disagrees with his political vision, it is difficult to dispute that
Carter wholeheartedly throws himself into his life's work. And he doesn't just sit in the comfortable
confines of the Carter Center in Atlanta and instruct others on what to do. He travels extensively to
third world countries, and areas of the world in political turmoil and upheaval. He helps build houses
with Habitat for Humanity. And while certainly he disagrees with many of the current Bush administration's positions, he
politely refused to comment on the war resolution against Iraq, even though the Nobel committee chairman took the opportunity
to publicly blast Bush's position on Iraq. President Bush called Carter to congratulate him on his
achievement.
Carter had a storied rise to the presidency, from his modest peanut farming family roots, to graduating from
the U.S. Naval Academy and serving his country for several years. He then came back to his home state to
enter politics, quickly working his way up to Governor of Georgia, and then used his honest, humble approach in the wake of the Watergate scandal to
claim the White House in 1976. Ironically, much like our current President Bush, Carter faced extremely
difficult times in office, including hostage, energy, and economic crises. Much like the critics of Bush,
Carter was derided by naysayers as not being up to the task of such monumental responsibility. The country
was moving in a new direction, and Carter was embarrassed by a landslide loss to Ronald Reagan in 1980. Perhaps
it was for the best, because in the ensuing years, Carter was able to use his stature to do what he does best, and that is
grassroots work in the peace and social rights movements, on a national and global level.
While it may be easy for many to dismiss his ideals as being naive and utopian, no one can dispute the fact that Carter
does live by what he preaches, and he works tirelessly to inch closer to his vision for a world that has never been seen before.
| 