OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat who served from January 1977 until January 1981 and was succeeded by Republican President Ronald Reagan, will be spending his “remaining time” at home receiving hospice care and will not undergo further “medical intervention,” according to The Carter Center in an announcement on Saturday.
“After a series of short hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention,” a statement from the organization reads. “He has the full support of his family and his medical team. The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers.”
The 39th U.S. president turned 98 in October, Fox News reported.
After undergoing liver surgery in early 2015, the former commander-in-chief was diagnosed with cancer that had spread to other parts of his body, according to the statement from the Carter Center. In December 2015, Carter told his Sunday School class that he was cancer-free.
“Went for an MRI this past week and they (doctors) didn’t find any cancer at all in the brain,” Carter said at the time, according to the outlet.
Born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, James Earl Carter Jr. came from a humble background. He grew up in a rural area where his father, a farmer and businessman, instilled in him the values of hard work, honesty, and integrity. These values would later shape his political career.
Carter attended the United States Naval Academy and served as a naval officer for seven years before resigning to take over his family’s peanut farming business. In 1962, he successfully ran for the Georgia State Senate and, four years later, was elected governor of Georgia. He served one term as governor before making a run for the presidency.
In 1976, Jimmy Carter emerged as the Democratic Party’s nominee, facing off against incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford. Carter, running on a platform of change and honesty, won a narrow victory in the election.
As president, Carter quickly made clear that he was a different kind of politician. He was a devout Christian who placed a strong emphasis on human rights and social justice. He worked to strengthen the country’s relationships with other nations, signing peace agreements between Israel and Egypt and Panama and the United States.
One of the biggest challenges of Carter’s presidency was the Iran hostage crisis. In 1979, a group of Iranian students stormed the American embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. Carter made several attempts to negotiate their release but was ultimately unsuccessful. The hostages were released on the day of Ronald Reagan’s inauguration in 1981.
Carter’s presidency was also marked by economic troubles. Inflation and unemployment were high, and the country was experiencing a recession. Carter attempted to combat these issues with a mix of tax cuts, government spending, and regulatory reforms, but his efforts were largely unsuccessful.
Despite his many accomplishments, Carter’s presidency was not without controversy. He faced criticism for his handling of the Iran hostage crisis and for his liberal policies, which were seen as out of step with the conservative mood of the country at the time.
After leaving office in 1981, Carter remained active in public life. He became a prominent advocate for peace and human rights, founding the Carter Center in 1982. The center works to promote democracy, advance human rights, and prevent disease and conflict around the world.
In the years since leaving office, Carter has become known for his humanitarian work. He has worked to eradicate disease in developing countries, build homes for low-income families, and promote peace and democracy around the world. He also became an advocate for environmental causes, promoting the use of alternative energy sources and warning about the dangers of climate change.
Carter’s legacy is a complicated one. While his presidency was marked by economic troubles and foreign policy challenges, he also achieved several significant accomplishments, including the signing of the Camp David Accords, which led to a historic peace agreement between Israel and Egypt. He was a champion of human rights and social justice, and his work with the Carter Center has made a significant impact around the world.
