OPINION: U.S. goes from Carter to Trump in two generations

The death of our former president, Jimmy Carter, prompts an overview of changes in the political culture of our country from 1976 to 2016 and 2024.

Carter graduated from the Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree. He continued his education by focusing upon nuclear physics and reactor technology. He married Rosalynn in 1946 and they were married for 77 years. After his term as president, Carter and his wife returned to their modest home in Plains, Ga., where they lived for the rest of their lives. Jimmy would occasionally teach Sunday School classes there.

As with any president, there are varying opinions about Carter’s effectiveness in office. He had significant accomplishments in foreign affairs. As president, he facilitated talks between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to establish the framework for a historic peace treaty. During his term of office, Carter established the Department of Education and the Department of Energy.

During these many years, the evolution from Carter to Donald Trump has been noteworthy. Carter’s honesty was beyond reproach. He said voters should not vote for him if he ever lied to them. Carter considered abuse of women and girls a “serious and unaddressed worldwide challenge.” Amazingly, in 2016 and again in 2024, the electorate chose Trump, who recently lost an appeal of his conviction for sexually abusing and defaming a woman. They chose Trump, who mocked an individual with a disability.

Other differences between the characters of the two men are obvious. It is instructive to examine certain political actions that represent the change in disposition of our country during the strange transition from Carter to Trump.

Trump constructed a Supreme Court with the specific goal of overturning Roe v. Wade. During his recent campaign, he bragged that giving each state control of women’s health care has been “beautiful.” Actually, this gives a stark example of an instance where state control is a disaster. The laws of some states leave medical professionals afraid to act. They are threatened by loss of license or jail time for treating women in some situations. The result has been that some women have even lost their lives in cases where they had no opportunity to seek care in a state with different laws. The indifference toward, and lack of respect for, rights of women has been staggering.

School board members, college boards and others in political positions have overstepped their authority by banning topics of discussion in the classroom. Consider legislation in Idaho, and other states, banning “critical race theory.” This term is widely used to imply that a study of unfair treatment of minorities may cause white students to feel bad about themselves and even hate their country. In reality, the term “critical race theory” is used as a scare tactic employed by people who are not willing to accept the fact that this country has a racist history that affects us today. Actually, it is important for students to understand the effects of racism. It is essential that they develop the empathy and understanding to address racial disparities in the United States and around the world. Banning related subjects leaves teachers unsure of the way in which the topic may be approached. Some fear talking about it at all.

The Idaho State Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution recently that largely bans diversity, equity and inclusion programming at the state’s four-year colleges. The resolution provides that the schools may not operate centers, nor have policies based on “DEI ideology.” In the past, the State Board has been open about its inclination to withhold funding if its directives are not followed. To respond to this directive, the University of Idaho plans to close the Office of Equity and Diversity, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Diversity Center, the Black/African Cultural Center, the LGBTQA Office and the Women’s Center. These are programs that were established to address a need. The lack of such programs is devastating. The university is weakened as a result of this directive from the State Board.

Legislators and board members take unfair advantage of their positions of authority and unfairly impose their political will. They should communicate with people in public schools and universities to determine their needs and provide appropriate support. They should not meddle in affairs that appropriately belong to school leaders and employees.

A study of the actions of those currently in leadership positions reflects a remarkable and disturbing change in American’s frame of mind. The evolution since Carter’s election in 1976 is indeed striking. It is more than striking. We are falling off a cliff and need a course correction. Candidates of excellent character have been available and indeed elected in recent years. The choice made by voters in 2016 and 2024 merits scrutiny. We need to look for more ways to keep people informed about the consequences of our decisions and hold leaders accountable. And we need to hold ourselves accountable.

Ringo, of Moscow, is a former mathematics teacher and a seven-term Democratic member of the Idaho House.