Issue of the Week: Human Rights, Hunger, War, Economic Opportunity, Environment, Disease, Population, Personal Growth
U.S. Capital, January 7, 2025, (c) 2025 Planet Earth Foundation
No need for greed or hunger … Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
–John Lennon, “Imagine”
Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood performed John Lennon’s “Imagine” at the conclustion of the State Funeral of President Jimmy Carter at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. yesterday. It was a fitting ending to days of events. The lyric from the song highlighed above goes to the heart of our own work which impacted Carter and his historic contribution to history on the hunger issue. As the moving funeral eulogies made clear, and as we noted last week, his historic contributions were many.
We are in Washington D.C. as this is written, after the conclusion of the funeral. But as inspirational as the service was, we would offer that Jimmy Carter would agree with what the author here is about to say.
The most moving tribute to Carter and the universal values he stood for, believed in and lived by, were exemplified by the many thousands of people, from the area, all over the country and the world, who had come to honor him, by standing in the extreme, windy, often effectively 8 degrees or less weather, with snow on the ground following the winter storm on Monday, for many hours, from Tuesday at 7 p.m. until Thursday at 7 a.m., in order to say goodbye in the rotunda of the Capital where he lay in state.
Keith Blume and Clara Lippert, founder and project director respectively of Planet Earth Foundation/Planet Earth Media/World Campaign, started outside on Tuesday night, were there for hours before experiencing the sacred silence around the flag-draped coffin in the rotunda, and for hours over two days and nights, observed, talked with and interviewed on video numerous members of the throngs come to pay ther respects.
It was a community, real community, of countless thousands, all together at the same time and place, unified by grief and admiration and hope for the future, from every background: national, ethnic, racial, gender, generational, religious, political and any other designation one could conceive of.
Following are select photos over these three days from the video that will be produced on the experience in the near future.
Following this is an article in PBS News that has links to viewing the entire funeral service and its many inspirational moments. The only critique we have is that there were no women speakers about a man who did infinitely more than any president before him for women’s equality in government and the judiciary, and only one Black, the incomparable Andy Young, for the man who did so much for the equality of Blacks, people of color, and the human rights of all people across the world. There was a synergy, nonetheless, of those who spoke, representing a multidimensional history of Carter’s one hundred years, and America’s, to the present.
Photos, (c) 2025 Planet Earth Foundation:
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Article and video links of the funeral:
“Notable quotes from Jimmy Carter’s funeral”, PBS News, Associated Press, Jan 9, 2025
Jimmy Carter was remembered at his funeral Thursday at Washington National Cathedral as a man of “character” and “something of a miracle” with “prophetic” vision.
From relatives to former aides and the current president, here’s a look at some of the memorable and quotable moments from Carter’s funeral.
President Joe Biden
Repeating “character” several times as Carter’s chief attribute, Biden said the former president taught him the imperative that “everyone should be treated with dignity and respect.”
WATCH: Carter established ‘model post-presidency,’ Biden says in eulogy at state funeral
“We have an obligation to give hate no safe harbor,” Biden said, also noting the importance of standing up to “abuse in power.”
“The very journey of our nation is a walk of sheer faith, to do the work, to be the country we say we are, to be the country we say we want to be,” Biden said. “Today many think he was from a bygone era, but in reality he saw well into the future.”
“I miss him, but I take solace in knowing that he and Rosalynn are reunited again,” he concluded. “To the entire Carter family, thank you — and I mean this sincerely — for sharing them both with America and the world. We love you all.”
Jason Carter
“His political life and his presidency, for me, was not just ahead of its time. It was prophetic,” Carter’s grandson said.
WATCH: Jason Carter honors his grandfather Jimmy Carter’s life, legacy in eulogy
“He had the courage and strength to stick to his principles even when they were politically unpopular. As governor of Georgia half a century ago, he preached an end to racial discrimination and an end to mass incarceration. As president in the 1970s, as you’ve heard, he protected more land than any other president in history.
Fifty years ago he was a climate warrior who pushed for a world where we conserved energy, limited emissions and traded our reliance on fossil fuels for expanded renewable sources.
By the way, he cut the deficit, wanted to decriminalize marijuana, deregulated so many industries that he gave us cheap flights and, as you heard, craft beer. Basically all of those years ago, he was the first millennial. And he could make great playlists, as we’ve heard as well.”
Andrew Young
Seated at a microphone, Young — whom Carter appointed as United Nations ambassador — drew laughs from the crowd when he called Carter “something of a miracle,” noting, “It’s still hard for me to understand how you could get to be president from Plains, Georgia.”
WATCH: Rev. Andrew Young remembers Jimmy Carter’s legacy pursuing equality
Young, who is Black and was a pastor nearby, said he was “nervous” sometimes driving through the small town.
“Time and again, I saw in him the ability to achieve diversity by the personality and upbringing,” Young said, of Carter. “He went out of his way to embrace those of us who grew up in all kinds of conflict.”
Stu Eizenstat
“He may not be a candidate for Mount Rushmore, but he belongs in the foothills,” said Eizenstat, Carter’s former chief domestic policy adviser who also wrote a book on the Carter administration.