The antithesis of Donald Trump and his administration can be studied, at least for those willing to drive 150 miles south from Atlanta, among magnolias, towering pines and seemingly endless fields of cotton, peanuts — and dreams.
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter live just a few blocks from the center of Plains, population 700, a town that has become a monument to the former president and his uncommon decency.
Carter, who turns 94 next month, has shunned the trappings and riches that former presidents typically enjoy, preferring to live in the simple ranch house that he and Rosalynn built in 1961. Now free of the melanoma that threatened his life just a few years ago, Jimmy Carter writes books, teaches Sunday school, and never hesitates to shake a hand or pose for a picture during regular strolls along Church Street.
Although he doesn’t inject himself often in the current political scene, the former president spoke recently with The Washington Post about Donald Trump. “I think he’s a disaster,” Carter said bluntly. “In human rights and taking care of people and treating people equal.”
The National Park Service does a marvelous job of maintaining and showcasing venues in Plains that draw some 70,000 visitors each year. The former high school building, where Jimmy and Rosalynn studied, has been made into a museum known as the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site. Its exhibits trace Carter’s life as well as the civil rights movement in fascinating detail.
A few miles down Old Plains Highway, Carter’s boyhood home has been beautifully restored and is open to the public for self-guided tours. On what was once a 360-acre peanut farm, visitors can explore the main house and outbuildings while listening to Carter’s recorded descriptions of life in the 1930s.
The old train depot in the center of Plains is preserved, just as it was in 1976 when it served as Carter’s campaign headquarters. Only the family’s current residence on Church Street, protected by the Secret Service, is not open to the public. It is a modest home with a converted garage in which the former president does woodworking and writing.
What one gets here is a sense of calm and dignity. It’s more than Southern charm; it’s a philosophy of life.
In his memoir, “Back Home,” President Carter summed it up: “We should be seen as the unswerving champions of human rights, both among our own citizens and within the global community. America should be the focal point around which other nations can rally against threats to the quality of our common environment.”
I visited Plains a few days after watching John McCain’s funeral on television. Like so many people, I was moved by the appeals to restore civility in our government and to work for common goals that ought to transcend political differences.
I was reminded of how two genuine heroes, McCain and Carter — so starkly opposed in political views — could set a uniform example of how to conduct our lives and our government.
Visitors fortunate enough to make their way to Plains, Georgia, are bound to be inspired by what they encounter. Some of our better angels are here, working for peanuts.
Peter Funt is a writer and speaker. His book, “Cautiously Optimistic,” is available at Amazon.com and CandidCamera.com. Columns distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons, Inc., newspaper syndicate.
- Storm forecast puts Prescott on watch with snowfall of 15 to 27 inches predicted
- UPDATE: Latest prediction is 14 to 23 inches of snow in quad-city area
- National Weather Service warns of major winter storm approaching Prescott, Prescott Valley area
- Winter weather, disabled vehicles close I-40, US 93 in Kingman
- Editorial: Prepare for more snow, a lot of it
- Photo Gallery: Prescott area snow storm Feb. 21, 2019
- City of Prescott Mayor signs Proclamation of Emergency, see status reports
- Thursday's school delays, closures
- Prescott, Prescott Valley school districts avoid snow day due to holiday; procedures in place for upcoming storms
- Drivers advised to limit travel later this week
- Why are flags at half-staff today, Feb. 9, 2019
- Teenager killed while crossing Spouse Drive in Prescott Valley
- Prescott home total loss in difficult firefight
- Young Prescott man arrested for sexual assault of teen
- National Weather Service warns of major winter storm approaching Prescott, Prescott Valley area
- Multiple pedestrians struck by cars in downtown Prescott on Thursday
- ‘Prescott Valley Fire’ burns about 300 acres north of Highway 89A
- Local fire departments frustrated with Life Line response times
- Firefighters battling home fire in Prescott
- Yabba- Dabba-Done! - Fred, Wilma and the gang bid farewell as Bedrock City closes after 47 years
More like this story
SUBMIT FEEDBACK
Click Below to:
Community Calendar | |
---|---|
FRI
22
|
Lap sit Storytime
|
SAT
23
|
Aztlan Lodge #1, F.&A.M. Family Breakfast
|
SAT
23
|
Family Storytime
|
SUN
24
|
Prescott International Folkdancers
|
TUE
26
|
Technology Help Hour
|
View More Events...
|
|
This Week's Circulars
To view money-saving ads...