by Pa Rock
American
Seven months after entering hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia, former US President Jimmy Carter has reached another milestone. The oldest former President of the United States is turning ninety-nine today!
President Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary last July, setting yet another presidential record.
Jimmy Carter, a former governor of Georgia, defeated Gerald Ford for the presidency in 1976 and served one term in the White House, from January of 1977 until January of 1981, before being defeated for re-election and replaced by Ronald Reagan. His administration was responsible for the Camp David Accords which brought a degree of peace between Israel and Egypt, and the Carter administration also enacted a tougher US stance against the Soviet Union than previous presidencies had done. Carter's term in office also saw the beginning of the infusion of a concept called "human rights" into US foreign policy, a notion that made some Americans feel uncomfortable as they looked back on their nation's past dealings with other countries and cultures.
But it was during his many years as a "former" President where Jimmy and Rosalynn really set the bar for public service by former occupants of the White House. They established the Carter Center in Atlanta which "wages peace and fights disease" on a global basis, and they have been instrumental in efforts to monitor elections and spread democracy around the globe while also helping to combat social nd environmental issues like poverty, hunger, and disease. Both Carters have even worked tirelessly with Habitat for Humanity in building houses for the nation's and the world's poor.
The good works that Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter have accomplished during their lives literally know no bounds.
Happy birthday, Mr. President! May you always have the comfort of knowing that you will live in the hearts and spirits of your countrymen forever - and your Lady, too!
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