After former President Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize, a journalist asked him whether winning the US Presidency or the Nobel Peace Prize was the most exciting thing to happen in his life?
Without hesitation Carter replied “When Rosalyn said yes to marrying me that was the most exciting thing to happen in my life”. It surely was because they were married for a staggering 77 years.
His reply was typical of the man and speaks volumes to his character. I had the honour of meeting President Carter on three occasions and once with his wife.
The first was a bizarre encounter. I was working at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta under the stewardship of my late, great mentor James B King.
King was known as an advance man without parallel. He had served in the Carter Administration in the White House Office of Personnel and later as Director of the National Transportation Safety Board.
King was the maestro of the convention and a hard task master.
I was assistant during Jim’s rehearsal of President Carter’s contribution to the convention. Carter was extraordinarily generous and patient with this green horn 25 year-old Irish guy now playing in the big league. ( Later Jim would go to be consultant during our peace process and was appointed to the Irish Council of State by President Mary McAleese)
Later, there was a lunch for all the volunteers and as per norm, I was late.
The former President arrived after the meal but I was still eating. Everyone rose and I started to rise but Mr Carter came over and simply said “Sonny, sit down and finish your meal.. you’ll need it as Jimmy likes his troops well fed”.
Colleagues rushed over to hear what wise words of wisdom he imparted. I simply smiled, too embarrassed to say.
A few days afterwards. I received an invitation from the President and Mrs Carter to visit the Carter Centre. Whilst Kennedy’s were feted like royalty - the Carters were the anthesis of all that pomposity and reflected glory.
They exuded their love through warmth and by taking an interest in what I was doing back in Ireland for my then main boss, the late Seamus Mallon. Although long retired- Carter was following Irish affairs closely.
US Presidents, despite courting the Irish-American vote, always took a neutral position on the thorny Irish question and in particular, the recognition of a role for the Dublin government in the future of the north. Even Jack Kennedy didn’t give the subject much attention lest it upset US-UK relations.
But Carter broke the mould thanks to the lobbying by John Hume of the Four Horsemen of Irish America - Senators Ted Kennedy and Daniel Moynihan, House Speaker- Tip O’Neill, and Governor Hugh Carey.
Carter’s intervention promising the support of the American administration for the pursuit of a peaceful settlement, free from discrimination, formally acknowledging a bi lateral approach from both UK and Irish governments and with the all important reference to investment and jobs, started a ball rolling which culminated in the Clinton Administration support-for the Good Friday Agreement twenty years later.
This writer had the privilege of knowing and working alongside two other key members of the Carter Administration- Les Francis -the former Deputy Chief of Staff at the Whitehouse and Brian J Atwood who was his assistant Secretary of State of Congressional Relations. (Brian would become Transitional Secretary of State for the Clinton Administration).
Given the roles these men went on to have in supporting civil liberties and human rights in the USA and abroad, one can appreciate that their service to a individual whose very soul was driven by protecting rights for individuals, the environment and improving international relations is at the core of their commitment to democratic values.
Both Brian and Les took a keen interest in Northern Ireland and the peace process through the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs which Brian led and Les became a consultant. Their support came during the worst of the Troubles.
What I learned politically from these two individuals frames most of my approach to domestic and international politics and human rights. Make no mistake, I am a dye-in-the-wool liberal with values forged in a very different America.
The Camp David Agreement secured by Carter between Israel and Egypt is still the nearest template for peace building in the Middle East.
The former President once said that “America did not invent human rights, in fact, it was the other way around. Human Rights invented the USA.” He would have been aghast to live to see those rights debased and trashed in recent years.
The incoming President Donald Trump is light years away from the wisdom, civility and humanity of President Carter.
There’s a particular irony in the late President will be lying in state in the Rotunda of the Capitol Building on the anniversary of January 6th when mob rule tried to destroy the very pillars of American democracy. A democracy which Carter fought so hard to protect and respect.
The songwriter/poet Bob Dylan once wrote, “A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with freedom”
Jimmy Carter was such a man and the world was better for his presence in it.