November 28, 2023

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter died last week and is being laid to rest today. I knew very little about her separate from her husband until I read two spectacular books on the White House by Kate Andersen Brower. The first, entitled First Women, obviously included a number of wonderful anecdotes about Mrs. Carter. The second book, The Residence, concerns the White House butlers, maids, plumbers, painters, chefs, and valets who dedicated their lives to serving to the first families. As the saying goes, you can tell a lot about a person by how they treat those they don't have to treat well. Rosalynn Carter was a standout for her treatment of the staff, particularly her daughter Amy's caretaker.

So that's the personal side of Mrs. Carter. Then there's her public advocacy. For that, I've linked to a column from someone wishing to thank her for her drive to destigmatize mental illness. Amidst Mr. and Mrs. Carters' efforts to house the homeless and eradicate the eradicable diseases of the world, it's often easy to forget that mental health was a -- if not the -- focus of the First Lady's time in office. I'll leave it to the columnist to catalog Mrs. Carter's contributions to the cause, but needless to say, she made an immeasurable difference in the lives of millions. This was a deeply decent and caring person. The world is objectively better for her having been a part of it.