By Steve Egbo
“When beggars die, there are no comets seen, but the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of Princes” – William Shakespeare.
All over the world, the death of a President is a very huge affair. Whether it is in Africa, Asia, Europe or America. A presidential death is a big deal in any part of the world. It doesn’t matter whether he died from the assassin’s bullet or from natural causes, or simply old age, the death of a president is a great event and the world never fails to take notice.
For America, the death of a president is a spectacular affair. America, from time to time, finds opportunity to intimidate the world. Not always with nuclear, biological or other sophisticated weapons systems. Not with a strong dollar and robust economic muscle, but with its power of organization, pomp, ceremony, elegance and abundant glory. They do their thing in a unique style. A presidential funeral is one of those rare events. Even the special manner in which the pall bearers climbed the steps of the Capitol must be deliberate, spectacular and intriguing..
Sure, America knows how to put up a show. You may ask “but who else could do this better?” The British? Well, perhaps. “London Bridge,” code name for the death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth, was one such event when the British put up such a spectacular show as the world never saw. Hence it is often said that when the British are involved, you will discover that America is still learning – learning from their cousin and partner and best friend.
In the United States, a presidential funeral is strictly a military affair. Whether the president had a military background or not does not count. The president was at one time a Commander in Chief and that’s that. In the case of Jimmy Carter, he served in the navy. He was the only former president to have served in the US Navy. Presidential funeral arrangements start on the day of Inauguration. Every president takes active part in the planning of his funeral. They chose who would speak, songs to be used, the guest list and other details. This is updated as the years roll by until the deadline, or, if you like, the climax.
On a day like this, you realize that America is still a young nation. America has buried 41 presidents. The most recent were Richard Nixon (1994), Ronald Reagan (2004), Gerald Ford (2006) and George Bush Snr (2018). Others on the waiting list are Bill Clinton (78), George W Bush, Jnr (78), Barack Obama (63) ,Joe Biden (82) and Donald Trump (77).
The death of a president, whether in office or out of office, gives America cause to pause and reflect. It brings America together. It is also a period of national healing and reconciliation. At the National Cathedral this afternoon, four presidents and some of their spouses sat on the same pew. On Monday evening, all US Senators, past and present, and Supreme Court Justices and Members of Congress all gathered inside the Rotunda. Personal animosities, bickerings and political differences were put aside and all were united in gratitude and honor, in pride and deference for their Americanness.
Jimmy Carter personified the heartbeat of the American dream – the boundless opportunity from grass to grace . Even without wealth and privilege, Jimmy Carter’s life proved the indomitable spirit of America, where a peanut farmer could rise from relative obscurity to become the most powerful man on the face of the earth. And many consider Jimmy Carter a consequential president.
The four years of the Carter presidency witnessed remarkable imput and re-alignment in the global scheme. Whether these changes were attributable to his political and leadership genius or whether they were the climax of events already in roiling crescendo before his arrival at the White House, will be properly situated by historians at the appropriate time and place. But the world and America witnessed remarkable events during the tenancy of Jimmy Carter at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
These include :
1. Laying the foundation for peace in the Middle East between Israel and her Arab neighbors. In 1978, president Carter mid-wifed the Camp David Accord which established peace between Egypt Israel.
2. Negotiated the SALT 11 Treaty on Strategic Arms Limitation Talks with the Soviet Union.
3. Successfully negotiated the peaceful transfer of the ownership of the Panama Canal from the US to Panama.
4. Carter made Human Rights Policy a central aspect of his foreign policy. He fought for the rights of the poor and less privilege.
5. Established diplomatic relations with the Peoples Republic of China.
Mr Carter also had several foreign policy challenges which ultimately denied him re-election. These include the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979), which caught America unawares, and the Cuban refugee crisis of 1980. The Iran hostage crisis was the final nail on his political coffin. It was believed that if he had provided enough support for the Shah, the revolution of 1979 probably wouldn’t have succeeded. This was compounded by the failure of the attempt to rescue American hostages being held in Iran and which led to the death of 8 American servicemen. His electoral defeat in 1980 by Ronald Reagan was a rout.
Despite the cloud under which he left office, he continued what he considered his life’s work for the betterment of humanity. His life in the last 44 years was devoted to humanitarian work, conflict resolution, and the promotion of democracy and human rights around the world. Some analysts believe that Jimmy Carter probably achieved more out of office than he did during his four years in the White House. The Carter Centre became a world-wide organization involved in humanitarian works all over the world. Diseases like Guinea worm, malaria, river blindness, etc, were tackled in remote parts of the world including here in Nigeria.
The Center also dealt on environmental issues, election monitoring and conflict resolution. In a book in 2003, I singled him out along with Nelson Mandela as example of “private individuals who enjoy international personality”. Jimmy Carter left a legacy of peace and compassion, love and fellowship. Winning the Nobel Prize, 22 years after leaving office, is a great testimony to his out-of-office contributions to human progress. The Nobel Prize is not conferred in retirement. It rarely happens.
As I remarked the day he passed away, I may not have been a great admirer of Jimmy Carter, but I acknowledge his greatness and the enviable height he attained in his journey through this planet. From across the world, the political spectrum and of course the family and friends, there was a unanimity on the fact that Jimmy Carter was a HUMBLE MAN and a DECENT MAN and a GOOD MAN.
Jimmy Carter was a born again Christian who believes that politics could be played without lies and deceit. He held unto those principles to the end. He worked as a Sunday school teacher for over 70 years even while in office. The records reveal that he was the only American Presidential candidate who never told a lie during his campaign.
As Jimmy Carter is laid to rest tonight in his hometown, Georgia, beside Rosalyn, his wife of 77 years, after a very long life devoted to work and service, he will go home a contended man. For he came, he saw, he conquered and above all, he served.
For president Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States, father of 4 children, 12 grand children and 8 great grandchildren, it is GOOD NIGHT, AMERICA.