finding jimmy carter in the eyes of my Daughters
So…
Jimmy Carter ended up being our nations President at an odd time. Heading into the mid-1970’s I think we, as a country, were on our collective heels. There was a lot of reservation around the oil crunch, our Army was weak and potentially ineffective, and the AMC Gremlin was deemed an innovative car (I feel this is all, somehow, insidiously correlative).
In the face of that, Carter’s role will always be an example of a Chinese maybe. I suppose he’ll be remembered for his struggle finishing a 5k run (after months of training yet), being attacked by a rabbit (and this being photographed), pulling the United States out of the 1980 Olympics, and, setting an example as a global diplomat and establishing the bar for international relations – he probably would have made a better Secretary of State. Finally, he just served up Ronald Reagan, who ate his lunch, in a manner of speaking, and then watched the world change, seemingly, over night.
Just an unusual legacy.
However, it’s been fun to watch his impact as a leader actually grow positively since he left the Oval Office. There are many examples of this. However, I’ll focus on just one today. He’s made a courageous stand (and, stood up for females) against his own church and an archaic view of the world that remains all to prevalent (even here in Alpharetta and people you meet walking around North Point Community Church).
You even see it in sports, for Gods’ sake, where Dad’s (Mom’s, too, are guilty of this) will outright dismiss their daughters soccer matches in favor of a son’s football game (and, the little sissies need pads). The look of utter incomprehension, when this topic is broached, is astonishing to me. It just hit me this is fodder for yet another post. So, I’ll not, yet, allow myself this tangental digression.
Read this article: “Jimmy Carter is “Losing his Religion”. Do it! And, I suspect the message will cross over much better than I could ever relay it.
A reminder, here, that I’m neither a Christian (just hip with God), or a feminist (I know where my bread is buttered). What I always am, and first, is a father of two (hearty and ferocious) daughters.
Peace be to my Brothers and Sisters.
Brian Patrick Cork
Of course, I must say, that is one smokin’ lookin’ Gremlin.
Well, at least as much as a Gremlin can be…
Copy that.
And, the Gremlin, as I recall, could be customized with a variety of paint schemes and options such as wheel effect packages and dash elements.
However, I can’t mention this without failing to recall a story… My buddy Todd’s family bought a new Gremlin in late 1974. We were all stationed at FE Warren Air Force Base. Todd’s dad was a Lt. Colonel, and worked for my Dad. Todd’s Mom picked us up for swim team practice. I grabbed the passenger-side door handle to climb in behind Todd, and the handle came off in my hand. Todd’s Mom did n’t say a word the whole drive to or from practice. That was the real story of American cars in that era. A possible metaphor for much of the country before Ronald Reagan strode in with his big white hat (and he brought cattle with him).
Cork
yeah AMC should have stood for “American Made Crap”. The Gremlin and the Pacer were abominations for the automotive landscape.
By the way, I did read the article on Jimmy Carter. While I think he is a politically dangerous man, his observations on this one topic hold merit.
Now if he went on a worldwide whirlwind crusade on this topic instead of trying to stir up racial controversy, well then, maybe his image around the world could be salvaged, save his amazing work with Habitat for Humanity.
I’ll look to Jimmy Carter long before someone like, say, Jesse Jackson whom I feel is a genuine buffoon with a self-grandizing agenda.
Carter’s efforts abroad come from the heart and a keen understanding of what is happening in the world. This insight comes from his time in the Oval Office and broad influence. People take him seriously. He really is a good thinker – and, a good writer. And, I don’t think Carter has an agenda other than good will and peace.
One of the kids I coach in soccer named “A.C.” once told me that as a Captain she would “…use her power for good”. A simple yet invocative statement from a young mind. When I read Carter’s story, A.C. immediately came to mind (as did Haley Anne and Emma Jo).
Cork
I must say this is a great article. I’m inspired by it’s timeliness. I am in a tough spot, but must remember not to “hate” that which I can’t control.
SJ