I think my favorite Jimmy Carter quote is the one in which he refers to America as “not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic.” This is saying a lot as President Carter, although he was considered during his time as a “failed president” is definitely one of the kindest men to ever sit in the Oval Office, and has said so many wise things that it is worth devoting a column to them.
The concept of the "beautiful mosaic” implies a tolerance of other Americans it is wise to remember in this fractious election season. It is good for us to air our differences of opinion. It is necessary for the strength of our democracy to engage in debate about what we want this country to be like in the future. It is useful to make our arguments in as compelling a manner as we can.
But we need to remember that we are a country made up, as the rest of the quote goes, of “different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.” We are justified in having our own vision of the future, and to be a good citizen we are required to share that vision. But we are not entitled to force it on anyone else. We should put out our opinions with respect for other Americans and for the process itself. Is it perfect? No. But it's a work in progress.
President Carter points out also that "in religion or in secular affairs, the more fervent beliefs will attract followers. If you are a moderate in any respect… it doesn't evolve into a crusade where you are either right or wrong, good or bad, with us or against us.” And also that "a fundamentalist can not bring himself or herself to negotiate with people who disagree with them because the negotiating process itself is an indication of implied equality.” He believed the best way to enhance freedom in other lands was "to demonstrate here that our democratic system is worthy of emulation.” He stated that "war may sometime be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary always an evil, never a good. We cannot learn to live in peace by killing each other's children.” Astutely pointing out that we "cannot both be the worlds leading champion of peace while being the worlds leading supplier of weapons of war.” But he also said that “ aggression unopposed becomes a contagious disease". Being a strong Christian he both felt that he could not separate his religious beliefs from his moral obligations, and bringing peace to the Middle East "holy land” was extremely important to him. But at the same time he believed strongly in separation of church and state. While being personally against abortion he chose to oppose it by trying to eliminate the need for abortion as much as possible rather than outlawing it. He is a complex man, with complex thoughts, and he has not ever spoken in sound bites. He was a peanut farmer, a nuclear physicist, and an American President who tried to heal the country after the chaos of the sixties, the Viet Nam war, the Nixon resignation. And is now a great world champion for human rights, which he points out were not created by America as much as they were the creator of America.
It is disheartening that a president with such brilliance and high morals was felt in his day to be a failure and has never been awarded the full respect he deserved even in retrospect, especially in comparison with Ronald Reagan who defeated him and who is nearly deified by his party in retrospect in spite of his many flaws which are ignored. Another example of how powerful the right wing smear campaign can be.
But back to the mosaic quote. The reason I love it so much is not just the intrinsic respect for other ways of thinking embedded in it. There is a whole visual imagery that it brings to mind. And it is further explained best by my second favorite quote from him. “ The experience of democracy is like the experience of life itself- always changing, infinite in its variety, sometimes turbulent, and all the more valuable for having been tested by adversity.” It's poetic. And timely.