Today will commemorate the 39th President of the United States. I remember, probably because I’m well old enough, Jimmy Carter’s presidency. I also remember when he ran against Ronald Reagan, and how our school decided to celebrate that election year.
Like most presidents, I recall the good and the bad that was said about him. How he was a peanut farmer in Georgia who became President. If one looked at that accomplishment alone, it would be easy to remind our students that they, too, are not limited in their success. However, having taught in agricultural areas, I can say that farming goes beyond the stereotypical ideology that I grew up with having known. Farming itself is a success, and there are a lot of great people who are farmers. Having students research some great people in agricultural advancements would be a fantastic way to combine the two.
While Carter’s success is his being the 39th President, there were quite a few things that tainted that presidency, namely, the Vietnam War. Although it wasn’t supposed to be a war that we were in. We were supposed to only be there in a military police capacity, but that is a whole entire can of worms in itself.
I remember the sounds of the helicopters when I was a little girl as they passed overhead and my father talking about, “it’s hard to sneak in and free those soldiers when those things are that loud.” My father was a U.S. Marine. He was proud of it, and thankfully, his service ended before we became a part of what was happening in Vietnam. Many of our soldiers were imprisoned. So many, in fact, that the idea of tying yellow ribbons in remembrance was a thing. A reminder to pray. A reminder that someone was still MIA.
As federal offices close on Thursday, take time to remember, not just Carter, but to pray for those that we have in office or soon to be in office. These people that we elect have a great deal to shoulder, whether you are Republican or Democrat. We should be in prayer for them to make wise decisions regarding our country and our well-being.
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