Miss you, Jimmy
Twenty years ago the winter issue of Fine Woodworking magazine contained an article by Jimmy Carter. He described his early woodworking projects as being born of necessity, furnishing his and Rosalynn’s apartment while earning $300 a month as a young naval officer.
After his presidency, he built pieces that were auctioned off to raise money for the Carter Center, the human rights organization they started in 1982. These projects included cedar chests, four-poster beds and once he even carved a chess set presented in a maple box that Rosalynn had lined with velvet. He provided notes with each item describing the project step by step. He wrote that the bidding was brisk, and the final prices were high, ranging from $51,000 up to $200,000. He said the Carter Center used these funds to help “eradicate diseases in Africa and Latin America, and help finance our efforts to improve health, increase food production, monitor elections and negotiate peace agreements in about 65 of the poorest nations.”
I ask you to contrast this to the now-defunct Trump Foundation. This “charitable” organization had Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump serving on the board. Donald Trump admitted, in settlement of a civil suit in 2017, he misused foundation funds to promote his presidential bid and pay off business debts. He even used the funds to purchase a portrait of himself. He was ordered to pay $2 million to eight charities and to liquidate the foundation.
Can anyone imagine Donald Trump showing up in jeans to help build a house for a less fortunate family? Me neither.
The contrast of the character of these two men could not be more apparent. One hawked Bibles for personal profit. The other lived the Bible every day.
We will miss you, Jimmy Carter.
Cope Gale
Moscow
