HOST: HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE WITH THE LATE PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER STARTING TO MAKE ITS WAY UP TO THE U.S. CAPITOL, PROCEEDINGS THAT WILL BEGIN HERE SHORTLY FROM THE U.S. NAVY MEMORIAL TO THE CAPITOL GROUNDS.
AND WE ARE EXPECTING THAT SOME OF THE CARTER FAMILY WILL FOLLOW BEHIND THE HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE. WHEN THEY ARRIVE AT THE U.S. CAPITOL SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THERE WILL BE A CEREMONY IN THE ROTUNDA UNDER THE CAPITOL DOME. YOU WILL SEE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND MEMBERS OF THE SUPREME COURT ALL GATHERED TO MARK THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JIMMY CARTER.
PRESENT ARMS! PRESENT ARMS! ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ READY, DOWN. READY, SET. READY.
HOST: FUNERAL FOR LATE PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER. THE REMAINS OF THE PRESIDENT AT THE U.S.
HE WAS THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY POLICY, INCLUDING PROVIDING SOME OF THE FIRST FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR CLEAN ENERGY. HE ALSO PASSED OVER A DOZEN MAJOR PIECES OF LEGISLATION REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. AND MORE THAN DOUBLED THE SIZE OF AMERICA’S NATIONAL PARKS, INCLUDING PROTECTING OUR BELOVED RED WOODS IN MY HOME STATE OF CALIFORNIA. HE WAS A PRESIDENT WHO BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 1977 AND 1981 APPOINTED MORE BLACK AMERICANS TO THE FEDERAL BENCH THAN ALL OF HIS PREDECESSORS COMBINED. AND APPOINTED FIVE TIMES AS MANY WOMEN.
AND IN THE WAKE OF WATERGATE, JIMMY CARTER PASSED HISTORIC ETHICS LEGISLATION TO HELP REBUILD AMERICA’S FAITH IN GOVERNMENT. JIMMY CARTER AS PRESIDENT WAS ALSO A RESPECTED GLOBAL LEADER. TO BE SURE, THE YEARS OF HIS PRESIDENCY WERE NOT WITHOUT INTERNATIONAL CRISES OR CHALLENGES. BUT HIS LEGACY OF GLOBAL LEADERSHIP IS WELL ESTABLISHED. IN ASIA, HE INSTITUTED FULL DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH CHINA, WHICH HE WOULD LATER CALL ONE OF THE MOST HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF HIS PRESIDENCY.
AND HIS LEGACY LIVES ON IN THE MIDDLE EAST BECAUSE DO RECALL IN THE DECADES BEFORE JIMMY CARTER BECAME PRESIDENT, ISRAEL AND EGYPT HAD BEEN AT WAR NUMEROUS TIMES.
FEW THOUGHT PEACE COULD BE ACHIEVED BETWEEN THEM. YET JIMMY CARTER DID THAT. THROUGH HIS PERSISTENCE AND PERSEVERANCE. THROUGH HIS UNSHAKABLE BELIEF IN THE POWER OF AMERICAN DIPLOMACY, HE SECURED THE CAMP DAVID ACCORDS.
ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AND DURABLE PEACE TREATIES SINCE WORLD WAR II. AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, JIMMY CARTER ELEVATED THE ROLE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN AMERICA’S FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES AND UPLIFTED THE IMPORTANCE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN DOING THAT WORK. JIMMY CARTER WAS A FORWARD-LOOKING PRESIDENT WITH A VISION FOR THE FUTURE. CONSIDER HIS ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY. IN 1977, WHICH ANTICIPATED THE CENTRAL ROLE IT WOULD PLAY IN ADDRESSING THE CLIMATE CRISIS, HIS CREATION OF FEMA IN 1979, WHICH ENABLED OUR NATION TO MOBILIZE A NATIONAL RESPONSE TO DISASTERS WHICH HAS HELPED COUNTLESS COMMUNITIES REBUILD AND RECOVER.
AND HIS FOUNDING OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LATER THAT YEAR WHICH ELEVATED PUBLIC EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AND INCREASED NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR THE EDUCATION OF AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND FUTURE LEADERS. JIMMY CARTER WAS THAT ALL TOO RARE EXAMPLE OF A GIFTED MAN WHO ALSO WALKS WITH HUMILITY, MODESTY, AND GRACE. RECALL THE STORIES FROM THE 1976 CAMPAIGN ABOUT HOW HE SLEPT IN THE HOMES OF HIS SUPPORTERS TO SHARE A MEAL WITH THEM AT THEIR TABLE AND TO LISTEN TO WHAT WAS ON THEIR MINDS. HOW ON THEIR FIRST TRIP FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, JIMMY AND ROSALYNN RODE THE BUS WITH THE OTHER VOLUNTEERS. AND WHEN THE GROUP STOPPED FOR THE NIGHT TO STAY AT A LOCAL CHURCH, JIMMY AND ROSALYNN GAVE THEIR PRIVATE ROOM TO A YOUNG COUPLE WHO HAD PUT OFF THEIR HONEYMOON TO JOIN THE TRIP.
AND WITH THE OTHER VOLUNTEERS, THEY THEN SLEPT ON THE FLOOR OF THE CHURCH BASEMENT. AND THEN OF COURSE HIS WORK TO ERADICATE THE VICIOUS GUINEA WORM DISEASE THAT ONCE DISABLED MILLIONS OF PEOPLE A YEAR. IT WAS ONE OF THE CARTER CENTER’S GREATEST TRIUMPHS.
AND JIMMY CART, OF COURSE, GIVEN HIS NATURE, ATTRIBUTED HIS SUCCESS NOT TO HIS OWN LEADERSHIP BUT TO THE THOUSANDS OF EVERYDAY AFRICANS WHO ARE ON THE GROUND DOING THE WORK. THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE AND CAREER, JIMMY CARTER RETAINED A FUNDAMENTAL DECENCY AND HUMILITY.
JAMES EARL CARTER JR. LOVED OUR COUNTRY. HE LIVED HIS FAITH. HE SERVED THE PEOPLE. AND HE LEFT THE WORLD BETTER THAN HE FOUND IT.
AND IN THE END, JIMMY CARTER’S WORK AND THOSE WORKS SPEAK FOR HIM. LOUDER THAN ANY TRIBUTE WE CAN OFFER. MAY HIS LIFE BE A LESSON FOR THE AGES AND A BEACON FOR THE FUTURE. MAY GOD BLESS PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER AND MAY GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
>> ♪ MY COUNTRY ‘TIS OF THEE ♪ ♪ SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY ♪ ♪ OF THEE I SING ♪ ♪ LAND WHERE MY FATHERS DIED ♪ ♪ LAND OF THE BILL — PILGRIM’S PRIDE ♪ ♪ FROM EVERY MOUNTAINSIDE ♪ ♪ LET FREEDOM RING ♪ ♪ MY NATIVE COUNTRY THEE ♪ ♪ LAND OF MY NOBLE FREE ♪ ♪ THY NAME I LOVE ♪ ♪ THY NAME I LOVE ♪ ♪ OTHER THE LAND OF HILLS ♪ ♪ MY HEART WITH PLEASURE THRILLS ♪ >> ♪ WHEN MUSIC FILLS THE BREEZE ♪ ♪ AND BREATHE OF HOPE ♪ ♪ SWEET FREEDOM SO ♪ ♪ LET ROCKS THEIR SILENCE BREAK ♪ ♪ FOUR FATHER’S GOD TO THEE ♪ ♪ AUTHOR OF LIBERTY ♪ ♪ TO THEE I SING ♪ ♪ MY COUNTRY ‘TIS OF THEE ♪ ♪ PROTECT US BY THY LIGHT ♪ ♪ MY COUNTRY ‘TIS OF THEE ♪ ♪ SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY ♪ ♪ OF THEE I SING ♪ ♪ LAND WHERE MY FATHERS DIED ♪ LAND OF THE PILGRIM’S PRIDE ♪ ♪ FROM EVERY MOUNTAINSIDE ♪ ♪ LET FREEDOM RING ♪ ♪ FROM EVERY MOUNTAINSIDE ♪ ♪ LET FREEDOM RING ♪♪ >> ♪ MY FATHER SENT TO SAVE ♪ ♪ FROM THE MIGHTY OCEAN DEEP ♪ ♪ LIFE AND LIBERTY ♪ ♪ O HEAR US WHEN WE CRY ♪ ♪ O CHRIST WHOSE VOICE THE WATERS CAN CALM ♪ ♪ WHO WALKEST ON ♪ ♪ >> ♪ O HEAR US WHEN WE CRY ♪ ♪ MOST HOLY SPIRIT ♪ ♪ ♪ O HEAR US WHEN WE CRY TO THEE ♪ ♪ [AMEN ♪ ♪ AMEN ♪ >> WOULD YOU PRAY WITH ME?
>> HOLY AND OF LOVING GOD, RECEIVE UNTO YOUR ETERNAL JOY, YOUR GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT JAMES EARL CARTER JR.
REWARD HIM RICHLY AND GRANT HIM YOUR OWN WELL DONE. FOR HIS HUMBLE AND HONORABLE LIFE WORTH FAR MORE THAN THE MANY ACCOLADES AND ATTRIBUTIONS WE HAVE GLADLY GIVEN. MAY PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER NOW REST FROM HIS LABORS AND BE RECEIVED INTO THE EMBRACE OF YOUR EVERLASTING ARMS. AND WHEN THE CEREMONY AND FANFARE DUE THIS MAN OF CHARACTER AND COMPASSION FADES INTO HISTORY, WHEN THE PROCESSIONS AND PARADES HAVE DISPERSED, LEAVE WITH US O GOD, THE LASTING IMPRESSION AND INSPIRATION OF A LIFE WELL LIVED.
IGNITE IN US THE SAME PASSION FOR PUBLIC SERVICE, THE COURAGE TO CHAMPION THE UNDERSERVED, THE STRENGTH TO BEAR AS FAITHFULLY THE WEIGHT OF THE CALL TO WHICH YOU HAVE CALLED EACH ONE OF US TO DO AS JUSTLY, TO LOVE MERCY AS UNRESERVEDLY, TO WALK AS HUMBLY WITH YOU AS WE HAVE WITNESSED IN THE TESTIMONY OF PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER’S LIFE OF FAITHFULNESS.
WE OFFER OUR PRAYE IN THE NAME OF THE ONE WHOM JIMMY CARTER WOULD HAVE KNOWN TO BE THE FIRST AND THE LAST, THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, HIS ROCK AND OUR REDEEMER. AMEN. ♪ ♪ [“IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL” PLAYS] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪.
Read More: Courageous Compassion: Jimmy Carter’s Bold Decisions on Vietnamese Refugees
