President Carter is the first President I really remember

[dsc]

I was born in Dec. of 1967 meaning I lived from Johnson through Biden. I was 8 when he was elected and 9 when he assumed office. He looked like he could be my dad when he got into office and liked he could be my grandfather upon leaving. Fortunately I couldn't vote back then, as I would have voted for Anderson in 1980. Carter is an amazing ex president and a criminally underrated President. He appointed 259 judges in his four years. Two of his appointees were elevated to the Supreme Court by Clinton (Breyer and Ginsburg). Of those appointees 40 were women (there had only been 8 in history prior to that) and 57 had been minorities (only 31 in history prior to that). He did this despite the fact that famously segregationist Eastland was chair of the judiciary committee. It took Bill Clinton to eclipse that record.

Two cabinet departments were created under his administration (energy and education). He was the first president to meet with gay rights activists. He opposed the Briggs amendment in CA, the defeat of which prevented the wholesale removal of LGBT teachers from public schools. Had we listened to him on energy we would be so much better off. Oh, and he favored decriminalization of marijuana. Was he perfect, no? No one is. But he left the place better than he found it. We are apparently about to lose him. That profoundly saddens me.

When he left office he single handedly increased the percent of women judges by 5 times and that of minorities by nearly 2 times. He was a good and faithful servant.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

1. I voted for President Carter in the first election when I was eligible to vote

[IbogaProject]

2. Same age within a month

I remember Nixon resigning and I do remember Ford. But I agree I too liked Mr Carter, especially the energy plan which seemed sensible to me reduce oil imports to zero by the year 2000.

[dsc]

3. I had some memories of Ford

his son was fine. But Carter is the one I remember day to day.

[NowISeetheLight]

4. Same here

Born in 65. I remember Gerald Ford a bit. My Dad used to subscribe to US News and World Report. I remember an issue “A Day in the Life of the President” where they followed Ford around all day. The article had a lot of pictures and I remember going to school the next day and reading about the history of The White House. That’s when I really became interested in the office. Then Carter came in and had a daughter so I kind of related. First time there was a kid in the White House in a while. I remember an episode of ABC After School Special “PJ and the Presidents Son”. Was cool. Found the video online (below). Then I remember in tenth grade at gym class in the afternoon the principal announcing that Reagan had been shot. And finally in 84 when I could vote for the first time.

https://archive.org/details/pjandthepresidentssonreel2

[leftyladyfrommo]

5. I remember Eisenhower in his uniform with all

the medals sitting behind a desk. It was on our black and white TV.

[Johonny]

6. I remember voting for him in my grade school mock election

I was one of ~3 kids in school to vote for him. My home town still hasn't had a democratic mayor since the civil war. I don't visit my home town much these days