Top quotes by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States and a steadfast advocate for human rights and global peace, passed away on Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia, at the age of 100. The announcement was made by his son, James E. Carter III. Carter was the longest-living U.S. president in history.

Top Quotes –

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  1. 1975 – On Leadership and Humanity
    “We have a tendency to exalt ourselves and to dwell on the weaknesses and mistakes of others. I have come to realize that in every person there is something fine and pure and noble, along with a desire for self-fulfillment. Political and religious leaders must attempt to provide a society within which these human attributes can be nurtured and enhanced.”
    — From Why Not the Best?

    “Our government can express the highest common ideals of human beings — if we demand of government true standards of excellence. At this Bicentennial time of introspection and concern, we must demand such standards.”
    — From Why Not the Best?

    “I am a Southerner and an American, I am a farmer, an engineer, a father and husband, a Christian, a politician and former governor, a planner, a businessman, a nuclear physicist, a naval officer, a canoeist, and among other things a lover of Bob Dylan’s songs and Dylan Thomas’s poetry.”
    — From Why Not the Best?

  2. 1976 – On Personal Accountability
    “Christ said, ‘I tell you that anyone who looks on a woman with lust has in his heart already committed adultery.’ I’ve looked on a lot of women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times. This is something that God recognizes I will do — and I have done it — and God forgives me for it.”
    — Interview with Playboy Magazine
  3. 1977 – On National Unity and Leadership
    “This inauguration ceremony marks a new beginning, a new dedication within our Government, and a new spirit among us all. A President may sense and proclaim that new spirit, but only a people can provide it.”
    Inaugural Address
  4. 1979 – On America’s Crisis of Confidence
    “It’s clear that the true problems of our nation are much deeper — deeper than gasoline lines or energy shortages, deeper even than inflation and recession. … All the legislation in the world can’t fix what’s wrong with America. … It is a crisis of confidence.”
    — From the so-called Malaise Speech
  5. 1981 – On Democracy’s Challenges
    “But we know that democracy is always an unfinished creation. Each generation must renew its foundations. Each generation must rediscover the meaning of this hallowed vision in the light of its own modern challenges. For this generation, ours, life is nuclear survival; liberty is human rights; the pursuit of happiness is a planet whose resources are devoted to the physical and spiritual nourishment of its inhabitants.”
    Farewell Address
  6. 1986 – On Gratitude and Anticipation
    “We appreciate the past. We are grateful for the present and we’re looking forward to the future with great anticipation and commitment.”
    — At the dedication of the Carter Presidential Library and Museum
  7. 2002 – On War and Peace
    “War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn to live together in peace by killing each other’s children.”
    Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech
  8. 2005 – On Fundamentalism
    “Fundamentalists have become increasingly influential in both religion and government, and have managed to change the nuances and subtleties of historic debate into black-and-white rigidities and the personal derogation of those who dare to disagree.”
    — From Our Endangered Values
  9. 2008 – On Barack Obama’s Campaign
    “I think that this breakthrough by Barack Obama has been remarkable. When he made his speech a few months ago in Philadelphia, I wept. I sat in front of the television and cried, because I saw that as the most enlightening and transforming analysis of racism and a potential end of it that I ever saw in my life.”
    — On Obama’s candidacy
  10. 2009 – On Racism in Politics
    “I think it’s based on racism. There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president. … No matter who he is or how much we disagree with his policies, the president should be treated with respect.”
    — Reacting to Rep. Joe Wilson’s outburst during President Obama’s speech
  11. 2010 – On Global Health
    “I’m still determined to outlive the last guinea worm.”
    — On The Carter Center’s work to eradicate guinea worm disease
  12. 2012 – On Campaign Finance Reform
    “You know how much I raised to run against Gerald Ford? Zero. You know how much I raised to run against Ronald Reagan? Zero. You know how much will be raised this year by all presidential, Senate and House campaigns? $6 billion. That’s 6,000 millions.”
    — Reacting to the Citizens United Supreme Court decision
  13. 2014 – On Women’s Rights
    “I have become convinced that the most serious and unaddressed worldwide challenge is the deprivation and abuse of women and girls, largely caused by a false interpretation of carefully selected religious texts and a growing tolerance of violence and warfare, unfortunately following the example set during my lifetime by the United States.”
    — From A Call to Action