Respect Jimmy Carter

While most Americans agree Carter was an average president, he served our nation with dignity and devotion. Assisted by a great national security advisor, Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter had respect for human rights, which served as the fundamental tenet of his foreign policy.

Here are several foreign policy decisions of his one term presidency.

1. His faith-based peacemaking skills were demonstrated at Camp David in 1978. The Camp David Accord between Israel and Egypt was concluded, and still serves these two former bitter enemies well.

2.Carter resolved the Panama Canal Crisis.

3.When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979, he took three important actions. He ordered a grain sale embargo against the USSR. He gave military aid to the Afghans. He ordered all U.S.A. teams to boycott the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics.

4.The violent Iran Revolution of 1979 brought an end to the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. This “political earthquake” led to Ayatollah Khomeini seizing power. Seventy-nine Americans were taken hostage after students stormed our embassy. President Carter ordered Operation Desert One — a U.S. military mission to rescue our citizens. The failure of this operation cast a dark shadow upon the rest of his presidency.

During the past 30 years, Jimmy Carter has emerged as a great champion for many noble causes. I hope all Americans would respect his service and devotion to the cause of human rights.