Former President Jimmy Carter spoke to the Class of 2018 Wednesday night during the annual Carter Town Hall. Carter was asked a number of questions from students that were handwritten or taken from Twitter using the hashtag #AskCTH. Hagar Elsayed / Photo Editor.
Former United States President and Emory University Distinguished Professor Jimmy Carter hosted his 33rd annual Carter Town Hall Wednesday night.
Questions ranged from current affairs, which included his views on the Ebola crisis and on the threat of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the Middle East, to more personal questions such as his favorite ice cream flavor.
The event, which took place at the Woodruff Physical Education Center (WoodPEC), gave students the opportunity to ask the former U.S. president, who is now 89, questions via paper submissions and Twitter, which he vowed to answer honestly.
Several students asked about the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. When asked what he would change about his past, Carter responded that he would have sent nine helicopters rather than the original eight he sent to Tehran on the rescue mission of the hostages.
He explained this was because three of the original fleet could not make the journey – one had crashed.
When a student asked what it was like to meet the hostages, Carter responded that upon his meeting the released hostages, it was “like a reunion, a love affair,” and he said he felt relieved that they did not blame him.
Students also asked about the 2012 film Argo, which is about the Iran rescue operation. Carter said it was “about 90 percent wrong” because it was dramatized and gave credit for the rescue to the CIA, whereas in reality he felt the true heroes were the Canadians.
When asked about whether he agrees with current U.S. policy toward ISIL in the Middle East, Carter said: “I think in general, we’re doing the right thing.”
He stated that he supports the decision to send limited U.S. aerial support of ground troops. Carter also suspects that the wealthiest Arab governments are secretly giving aid to support ISIL.
Regarding the role of the U.S. in the Ebola crisis, Carter commended the Carter Center’s efforts to address the situation. To date, he said, 156 psychiatric nurses have been trained to treat Ebola. Of these nurses, three have contracted Ebola and one has passed away. Carter expressed hope that the situation will be remedied soon and stated, “the world is just waking up now to the crisis.”
One student asked Carter how he would have responded to Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson were he U.S. president today. Carter said he felt current President Barack Obama’s actions were appropriate and agreed that he, too, would offer condolences to
Brown’s family and hope for justice.
“There’s no role of the President in a situation like that,” Carter said.
Carter also gave advice to first-year students by quoting his high school teacher: “We must accommodate to changing times, but cling to principles that never change.”
Carter advised students to have compassion for one another, deliver justice, advocate peace and share their talents with the wider community.
Carter stated that his favorite part of Emory was the diversity of the student body. He said that he respects the freedom of speech at Emory and enjoys working with foreign students. He also commended the way in which Emory students strive for excellence in every aspect.
“I am part of Emory’s family, and I am grateful to be here,” Carter said.
Carter, who is well known for his humanitarian work with organizations such as the Carter Center and Habitat for Humanity, spoke of his work as a philanthropist. Carter is now in his 31st year of traveling to build homes for impoverished families with Habitat for Humanity. Carter said that from his work with the organization, he learned that “those people we look down upon … they’re just as intelligent as I am.”
Carter also spoke of his personal experiences of segregation in Georgia. He recalled that he grew up in a neighborhood where his family was the only white family. He recounted that his African American friends had let him walk through a gate first because their mothers had told them to do so, since he was white and they had to defer to him.
Carter also delved into his personal life. He said that his favorite flavor of ice cream is mango and recalled that he met his wife on a blind date one night while on a vacation from military school.
He recounted that when his mother asked about the date, he told her: “she’s the one I’m going to marry.” However, he said former First Lady Rosalynn Carter’s initial answer was no.
The final question was for Carter to describe the U.S. in one word. Carter chose “searching.” He explained that, as one of the world’s superpowers, the U.S. is constantly searching for the essence of what it means to be great. He said his personal vision of greatness is that people across the world will look to Washington in times of need, such as in times of conflict. He said he hopes that people will look to the U.S. as “a champion of peace.”
For College freshman Matthew Shehata, the most enjoyable part of the Town Hall was Carter’s descriptions of segregation in the South.
“What he said about racism made it personal. Normally, we see him politically, but not as a person,” Shehata said.
Other students also said they enjoyed the personal aspect of the Town Hall. “I liked the story about how he met his wife because it was really cute,” College freshman Aneesha Chowdhary said. “It was meant to be.”
College freshman Anna Bing said she felt Carter gave admirably honest answers. “I felt he eloquently addressed topics, especially when it was difficult, without being politically incorrect,” Bing said. “It’s hard to know, but I felt he was being genuine.”
However, other students said they were slightly disappointed.
“I’m disappointed our year lacked controversy in their questions,” College freshman Cameron Frostbaum said. He expressed regret that his questions regarding the Palestinian Islamic organization Hamas in the Middle East were not answered. “[I was] surprised none of these types of questions were asked.”
Carter has been a distinguished professor at Emory since 1982. The Carter Town Hall has been an annual event for first-years for 33 years.
–By Emily Lim, Contributing Writer
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