Rosalynn Carter has died | Hacker News Reader

Rosalynn Carter has died

nbcnews.com

105 pointsianai24 comments

I met them once, by accident, while returning my ski rental gear to the shop in the base of the Snowbird lodge. She was friendly and kind, and ribbed me a bit. I'd recently read President Carter's book on aging [0] and, being ~20 years ago, it was too soon for me to be reading that kind of thing.

[0] 'The Virtues of Aging', Jimmy Carter.

I also met her, about 20 years ago. Boarding an RJ, bumped to 1st, I was in row 1 putting my bag into the overhead. An older guy in seat 2A stands up, reaches his hand out over the seat back towards me saying "pleased to meet you, I'm Jimmy Carter". I shake his hand but think "yeah and I'm the queen of Sheba". He didn't really look like him. But then I notice the woman sitting next to him is Rosalynn. I think well the chances of some crazy guy who thinks he's Jimmy Carter also sitting next to Rosalynn Carter are pretty low. She looks at me with a look like "yep he's Jimmy Carter". Secret service came on the plane before we deplaned and ushered them off into a waiting limo.

I can only imagine his reaction to needing his wife to vouch for his identity as golden.

Jimmy Carter will probably be going soon. God bless them both. Really an end of an era in American society.

Eras only end when there's no one left to carry on their ideals.

I think Carter realized that after he left office. Why he dedicated time to the things he did.

Carter is the model for being 10x more impactful without having to get into politics.

The (political) system wants us to believe we need it - and yeah, lightly at times we do - but the truth more often is it needs us more. Carter proved that you can do more (read: better) outside the political system. The (media) system recognized him - cause it can't ignore a POTUS - but didn't really give him the status quo disruptor he deserved.

See also Carne Ross' "Leaderless Revolution" (book).

For the constitution to work citizens really have to participate and insist upon the constitution. So yes in a sense “it” needs us more than we need it. I’d argue though we stand to gain a lot by insisting upon it than letting any slack and ignorance into the social compact.

The alternatives from ignorance to that compact (laws/institutions as set out in the constitution) are far, far worse.

We, by definition, need a Federal government. On the other hand, does Uncle Sam have to be so massive? So overreaching? (Hint: No.) Is there danger in so much power being so concentrated? (Hint: Yes.)

When we buy into the idea that we need it (more than it needs us) we fed an unruly self-serving beast.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solipsism

It's difficult to imagine a peanut farmer from Plains having as much influence on the world as he did.

As someone once remarked, the presidency does serve as a rather good pulpit.

>Eras only end when there's no one left to carry on their ideals.

The Carters obviously have many more ideals to prolong than just his presidential ideals, so those are safe. However, in today's political environment, that era has definitely ended.

My family also met them once by accident on a holiday cruise in the Caribbean. They apparently take their family on a vacation every year and just happened to book the same cruise as us.

They were very friendly and down to earth. My father spoke to Jimmy at a book signing event on the ship and asked if he could say a few words to Rosalynn if she was around. Jimmy just said something like "sure, head on in to the back room", which was guarded by a member of secret service who let my dad right in.

Side note: The most fun aspect for teen-aged me was seeing the Carters on a bike ride with two Secret Service agents following in tropical shirts and shorts.

I heart aches for President Carter. Such true love is a thing of dreams. I can't imagine his sorrow in such a moment.

I'm so sorry to hear this. She personified service to others. My condolences to her family.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalynn_Carter

I expect he'll follow suit promptly, as they were so very close.

Good people and IMHO he was unfairly maligned for his time in office.

His time in office was a victim of timing. Yeah, agreed, sadly that's too rarely acknowledged.

Post-office? What an amazing run. Unfortunately, he's going to have to die to get the red carpet they (he + wife) truly deserve.

Regan’s group did a great job of successfully rewriting the narrative. Knowing Carter would never argue in public they pushed everything off on the former administration, while keeping the warm and fuzzies for themselves.

My wife met Jimmy and Rosalynn on her parents' island many years ago. She was quite taken with the way Jimmy introduced himself and his wife: "I'm Jimmy and this is my Rosalynn." Very humble, kind Southern couple.

My wife fell in love with a rescue dog about three years back, and we agreed we just had to have her. The rescue organization called her "Rose", and I recalled the "this is my Rosalynn" story which made it obvious to me what her full name should be. Rosalynn Drew is happier now with us than she's ever been, and I think of the positive influence her namesake has had on the world throughout her long life, the lives she's touched sometimes even with just a greeting.

Jimmy Carter, her husband and the former US president, just turned 99:

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter

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