Readers Write: Jimmy Carter dies at 100, immigration, abortion debate

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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Former President Jimmy Carter died on Sunday. I always felt a deep personal connection with him and even had the honor of meeting him at a White House event during his presidency. He was just three weeks older than my mother and was part of what we have come to call the Greatest Generation that defined much of the 20th century.

His one-term presidency made him famous, but his post-presidency defined him. He wasn’t bitter about his defeat, and built a legacy of making a positive change to benefit others. Teddy Roosevelt talked about the “bully pulpit” of the presidency — the ability to draw attention to issues because people pay attention when the president is speaking. Jimmy Carter developed what I call the bully pulpit of the post-presidency.

His personal legacy is unique among ex-presidents. His long life was not fueled by resentment but by compassion. He lived his life as an extension of his theology — to do good — and was a model for those of us who wonder if we, too, can make a difference. Whether it was domestically by volunteering for Habitat for Humanity or internationally through his Carter Center, he rolled up his sleeves and followed his calling: to generously use his time and talents right up until the very end. He never really retired; he just shifted his energy.

Jimmy Carter is one of my heroes. He personified the adage that we all do better when we’re all doing better. His good work seems to have been drowned out in recent years among the din of anger and outrage. In a world full of unconstructive noise, he saw constructive clarity in doing things for others. His humble and soft-spoken manner brought hope. Like most of his generation, he has now passed, but may his memory — his example — never die. Rest in peace, Mr. President. You made a difference.

Alan Tuchtenhagen, River Falls, Wis.

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Our loss of former President Carter makes us realize the bright light he brought most occasions and his lifelong commitment to selfless giving. Rest in peace, Jimmy — you got it done!

Bruce Harten, Apple Valley

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Take a moment and think about the essence of the man elected to the White House in 1976. Former President Carter was a man of quality, class and empathy who lived his 100 years as someone who could truly be called a quality human being. Now think about the man who, in January, will enter the White House as the next president of the United States. Unfortunately, quality and class are not words that are often used to describe him.

George Larson, Brooklyn Park

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Here’s a plea for the Minnesota Star Tribune to publish direct quotes daily from politicians and leaders of the world. No opinions offered — resist the tendency to be biased on what quotes to print — make it an equal opportunity for readers to read and make their own interpretations.

For my own biased offering (granted, I’m not following my own advice), let’s look at part of former President Carter’s 1977 Christmas message and part of Donald Trump’s 2024 Christmas message. What does it say about where we are today in choices of how we engage others in our shared community?

“Our country has been especially blessed throughout our history. In this season of hope we seek, as individuals and as a nation, to serve as instruments to bring the ancient promises of peace and good will closer to fulfillment for all the peoples of the earth,” Carter said in 1977.

In contrast, Trump posted this to Truth Social on Dec. 25: “Merry Christmas to the Radical Left Lunatics, who are constantly trying to obstruct our Court System and our Elections, and are always going after the Great Citizens and Patriots of the United States but, in particular, their Political Opponent, ME ... Also, to the 37 most violent criminals, who killed, raped, and plundered like virtually no one before them, but were just given, incredibly, a pardon by Sleepy Joe Biden. I refuse to wish a Merry Christmas to those lucky “souls” but, instead, will say, GO TO HELL!”

Maybe in this instance, the good old days really were the good old days?

Steven McCormack, Hugo

A mere week after a beautiful piece on St. Louis Park’s mayor, a Somali refugee, and her work to build bridges and lead our city well (”Somali Muslim mayor is reaching across many lines in St. Louis Park,” front page, Dec. 18), we were reminded of the fear-laden, hate-fueled rhetoric and policies of a Trump presidency in the important article “Refugees in state on edge” (Dec. 27). As a City Council member in St. Louis Park, a United Methodist pastor, and substitute teacher at St. Louis Park High School in 2023-24, I for one have found our Somali and other immigrant communities to be a blessing to our state and our nation. They are an asset, not a liability, and we must all stand strong against this hateful, un-American rhetoric that very well could materialize into policy once again. This is not about “law and order” (it’s pretty clear President-elect Trump doesn’t care about the law); this is about painting our immigrant communities of color as dangers to society solely to gin up fear for the sake of political support. It’s disgusting, needs to be called out as such, and we all need to stand against it.

Paul Baudhuin, St. Louis Park

The writer is a member of the St. Louis Park City Council.

In a Dec. 30 letter to the editor, a writer asks “Are some lives worth more than others?” My response is to ask whether his religious beliefs are better than mine or many others. The abortion issue is so difficult because there are many religious beliefs about the status of the embryo and fetus and how that compares to the legal and moral status of an independent living being. There is life in an embryo or fetus, but its existence depends upon the existence and life of the woman who has that pregnancy. Does the life of the fetus get to automatically increase the risk of death for the woman carrying that pregnancy?

It is well shown medically that pregnancy is a risk to the life of that woman. It is a medical fact. When a woman wants to be pregnant, that is one thing. A woman’s view of that risk is often different when she does not want to be pregnant.

I appreciate that some in our society believe that it is murder to perform an abortion. But there are many — in fact, a majority — of citizens in our society who do not believe that abortion is murder.

I am a Christian. But the God that I know and love does not say that all abortions are wrong. There are some members of the Christian faith that interpret certain Bible passages very differently than how I understand them. If all abortions are wrong, then why do 1 in 4 pregnancies result in spontaneous abortion (i.e. miscarriage)? I do not think that a loving God would create a world where that is a reality.

Are some religious beliefs worth more than others? Do we have freedom of religion in our society?

Jeffrey Nelson, Wayzata

The writer is author of the book “What Should I Do? A Family Physician Discusses Abortion, Religious Freedom, and Difficult Decisions.”