CARTER AND CHARACTER

When Giants Fall: Character in an Age of Moral Compromise

Fidelity, charity, humanity, and service. These are the traits that Jimmy Carter personified. His passing comes at a time when the contrast between his character and that of his felonious successor is stark.

The death of Jimmy Carter marks more than the loss of a former president; it signifies the dimming of a moral beacon whose light feels increasingly rare in today’s political landscape. Over his remarkable 100-year journey, Carter became synonymous with character ~ not by accident, but through a lifetime of choices to prioritize principle over expediency, service over self-interest, and moral courage over political convenience.

It feels fitting, and perhaps ironic, that memorial services for Carter are taking place at a moment of historical resonance. Six years ago to the day of this publication, the nation bore witness to the desecration of the Capitol, an assault on democracy itself. Today, a new president will be peacefully certified, reaffirming the process of democratic governance that Carter so fervently upheld throughout his life ~ a process and democratic norms that Trump, to his everlasting discredit and shame, sought to undermine and continues to deny.

Carter’s passing invites us to reflect not only on his legacy of humanitarian service and ethical leadership but also on how dramatically our collective tolerance for moral transgression has shifted since he left office. His presidency may not have been marked by sweeping political victories, but it embodied something that feels almost foreign in contemporary discourse: an unwavering commitment to integrity and moral principle.

Here was a man who, after leaving the most powerful office in the world, devoted himself to building homes for the poor, monitoring elections in developing nations, and working to eradicate disease in forgotten corners of the globe. He exemplified what he preached: service above self, truth above convenience, and dignity above personal gain.

We now live in an era where criminal indictments, moral impropriety, and naked self-interest are not only tolerated but often celebrated as signs of "fighting the system" or "telling it like it is." This shift raises profound questions about our society's moral trajectory. How did we arrive at a point where character, once fundamental to leadership, has become optional?

Several factors help explain this troubling evolution. The rise of tribal politics has led many Americans to prioritize partisan victory over ethical considerations. The instant-gratification culture of social media rewards provocation over principled steadiness. The erosion of shared civic values has left us without common moral touchstones. And the gutlessness of party politicians, too often afraid to stand on principle, has left governance in disarray.

Perhaps most significantly, growing cynicism about institutions has led many to dismiss character as naïve or irrelevant in the modern political arena.

But the consequences of this shift run deeper. When we accept leadership divorced from character, we don’t just lower our standards; we reshape what future generations consider normal. Every time we rationalize moral failure in our leaders, we chip away at the foundation of civic virtue that democracy depends on to function.

Carter’s life stands as a rebuke to this trend. Through his humanitarian work with the Carter Center, his modest lifestyle, and his unwavering commitment to public service well into his nineties, Carter demonstrated that power need not corrupt. True leadership, he reminded us, is measured not in personal acquisition but in service to others. His 77-year marriage to Rosalynn Carter spoke to his fidelity ~ not just in relationships, but in all aspects of life.

The challenge now isn’t merely whether we’ve lowered our standards; it’s whether we can reclaim the value of character in leadership.

The path forward demands more than lamenting the loss of figures like Carter; it requires active resistance to the normalization of moral compromise. We must reject the false choice between effective leadership and ethical behavior. It means calling out character failures regardless of partisan alignment and recommitting to the idea that leadership without a moral foundation is not leadership at all ~ it is mere power.

As we bid farewell to Jimmy Carter, we are not just saying goodbye to a former president but to a living link to an era when character was considered indispensable to public service.

His passing challenges us to ask ourselves: In a world that increasingly treats virtue as optional, can we reclaim the moral courage to demand better? The answer to that question will shape not just the quality of our leadership but the very nature of our society’s future.

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