Reader’s Voice: Presidents not all the same

January 11, 2025
Dear editor;

Trump says: I didn’t do anything wrong;

It was a perfect phone call;

It’s a hoax, witch hunt;

Fake news;

It’s not Russia;

I’m going to build a great wall and have Mexico pay for it;

I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters;

I only need 11,780 votes;

I’m automatically attracted to beautiful – I just start kissing them. I don’t even wait. When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything, grab them by the p…y;

If she weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her;

Caravans of people from all over the world, from jails, prisons, mental institutions, insane asylums;

They’re poisoning the blood of our country;

They’re eating your dogs and cats;

You’re going to walk to the Capitol, I’ll go with you. You’re going to have to fight like hell or you’re not going to have a country anymore;

Mike Pence didn’t have the courage…;

Fight the steal;

Very fine people on both sides;

Proud Boys, Stand Back and Stand By;

That’s my second wife Marla (it was a picture of E Jean Carroll);

I alone can fix it;

Insert light inside your body;

Windmills kill whales;

Once prices go up, it’s hard to get them back down;

I don’t know anything about Project 2025;

We have a concept of a (health) plan;

Has intentions to pardon Jan. 6th insurrectionists (he calls them patriots);

On Truth Social he wants “one big, beautiful bill” to cover border security, energy policy, and permanently increase tax cuts for billionaires and pay for it all with tariffs.

On the other hand, every vice president, president and colleague who worked with president Jimmy Carter, every family member who loved him, and every regular person who had a chance to meet former president Carter had these words to say about him:

Decency;

Character;

Integrity;

Morality;

Compassion;

Commitment to leave the world better than he found it;

Civil rights;

Human rights;

U.S. Naval Academy graduate serving in a Navy nuclear submarine program to the rank of Lt. Commander;

Returned to Plains, Ga., to run the family peanut farm after his dad died;

Served in the Georgia State Senate;

Georgia governor 1971-75;

1976, defeated Gerald Ford for president, but they formed a life-long friendship;

Changed VP Walter Mondale’s residency to the White House;

Signed treaty to return Panama Canal back to Panama effective 1999;

Brokered peace between Egypt and Israel with signing of Camp David accords;

In 1979 worked with Soviet president Brezhnev leading to signing of SALT II treaty;

In 1979, Iranian militants took 52 hostages from U.S. Embassy in Tehran which helped lead to his 2nd term defeat by Ronald Reagan who made a deal with Iran to release the hostages once he was inaugurated;

In 2002 awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development”;

Founded Carter Center whose mission is to resolve conflicts, protect human rights and prevent disease around the world;

Created Department of Education and Department of Energy;

Put many people of color on the federal bench;

Initiated environmental protection legislation;

Installed solar panels on the White House roof;

Started FEMA;

Doubled the size of America’s national parks;

All but eradicated blinding guinea worm disease;

Worked with Habitat for Humanity;

Walked with humility, modesty and grace all of his 100 years on earth;

Left a legacy of service and citizenship. Thank you president Jimmy Carter.

Judy Siedlecki, Oswego