President Jimmy Carter Entering Hospice

He is probably the best ex-president. His presidency is frequently criticized, but he did accomplish a lot. He never let political calculations get in the way of doing the right thing. We certainly could use more politicians like him. Looking back, I see Carter more favorably and Ronald Reagan less favorably.


This is similar to what someone else posted earlier.

www.nytimes.com/2023/02/20/opinion/kai-bird-jimmy-carter-life.html

His presidency is remembered, simplistically, as a failure, yet it was more consequential than most recall. He delivered the Camp David peace accords between Egypt and Israel, the SALT II arms control agreement, normalization of diplomatic and trade relations with China and immigration reform. He made the principle of human rights a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy, planting the seeds for the unraveling of the Cold War in Eastern Europe and Russia.

He deregulated the airline industry, paving the way for middle-class Americans to fly for the first time in large numbers, and he regulated natural gas, laying the groundwork for our current energy independence. He worked to require seatbelts or airbags, which would go on to save 9,000 American lives each year. He inaugurated the nation’s investment in research on solar energy and was one of the first presidents to warn us about the dangers of climate change. He rammed through the Alaska Land Act, tripling the size of the nation’s protected wilderness areas. His deregulation of the home-brewing industry opened the door to America’s thriving boutique beer industry. He appointed more African Americans, Hispanics and women to the federal bench, substantially increasing their numbers.

I think Jimmy Carter was a much better President than most people believe. The accomplishments listed here were huge, and his willingness to tackle the tough issues no matter how it impacted him politically makes him even more admirable, in my opinion.

His life after his presidency has been just as admirable, maybe more so. He never stopped giving, working, demonstrating how to treat other people. I think he is the shining example of what true human decency looks like.

At 98 years old, what treatment would you suggest a person undergo?  Certainly the treatment would be horrible and really, how many people live to 98?

I think they are saying that whatever the medical problem is, it is not worth the risk or pain or money to try to treat it. That could be due to many reasons, perhaps the severity of the issue, perhaps due to complications because of his age, perhaps the possible reward is not worth the risk, or many other things. And of course, life in hospital is not pleasant by any standards. It is possible he could scrape out some more time, but is a few months alive in the hospital before death better than a few days or weeks more comfortably at home, with your loved ones? (And we all may have different, equally valid responses to that, of course.)

He is perhaps my biggest hero. It changed my life when he spoke at my university graduation. I didn't know a ton about him before that - I was around for his election and presidency, of course, but just picked up on everyone mocking him more than anything. (Not saying my family did, as that was NOT the case, but just the common perception.) And since then, I've tried to learn as much as I can, and to emulate him in some small way. People forget he was a Navy hero, he fought to eradicate diseases in the world, so many different things. He was a deep and abiding Christian yet understood that godly people come in all traditions. He was still walking the walk until he literally couldn't.

The best I can do to honor him is to try to be a light in the world in my own small way.

I am so very sad to hear this. The man has done so much good in his life, especially after he left office.