Thursday, August 20, 2015

The incredible continuing legacy of Jimmy Carter

By Jeff Orvis

Former President Jimmy Carter held a remarkable news conference earlier this morning. He had announced that he had cancer that had spread from his liver to other parts of his body. What was remarkable about this appearance was that he didn't rely on a spokesman or a doctor to explain the extent of his illness. He sat and answered questions from the local and national press for more than 30 minutes.

I sat and listened closely to this incredible man. For a guy who served just one term in the White House, he might be remembered as one of the most influential individuals of the 20th and early 21st century.

When we hear about some of the wonderful work his Carter Center has accomplished around the world, it might be easy to regret that we didn't elect him to a second term. After all, look what replaced him. But I think America may have done him a favor by releasing him from the Washington fish bowl. Leaving behind the world of spin doctors, image formers and hundreds, if not thousands of government types who had their own ideas on how things should be done, he returned to rural Georgia, where the next chapter of his life has been anything but quiet.

Of course, of immediate concern is his health status. He calmly explained how the cancer had spread to four areas of his brain and how he was to begin treatment later in the day. He said he was actually at peace with the diagnosis, recognizing what a wonderful life he'd had. Much of that peace has come from the support of family and many friends around the world, but also from his strong Christian faith. Many of us would naturally sit back and wait to die. President Carter is tackling this challenge head-on, despite living nearly 91 years.

Aside from the detailed description of his condition, he reminded us of many other facts and figures of his life that show why this man is a national and international treasure. A graduate of the Naval Academy, he served on a nuclear submarine. After his service, he returned home and farmed for 17 years. Later on, he served as governor of Georgia, then hit the national political spotlight which ultimately lead to the presidency.

Today, I learned that he and his wonderful wife, Rosalyn, have been married 69 years. They have 22 children and grandchildren. He was asked how this illness and his treatment might affect his work with the Carter Center. He said he still hopes he can make that trip back to Nepal to help Habitat for Humanity build homes. It would mark the 33rd time he has been in that country. Much of the work of the center also involves improving the health of the populations of 80 countries. At one time, he said, there were more than 3 million victims of polio. That number has dropped to 11 and Carter was able to list which countries still had victims.

All of this incredible work takes major funds. Carter indicated that the center has an endowment of just over $600 million. While he and his wife have decided to scale back their day to day work at the center, he said he would still be contacting big donors and being a consultant of the work still being done. And there's still that hope of a return to Nepal.

With more than 20 men and women seeking the presidency, it's easy to compare and contrast them, as well as those who went before them. I have lived during the terms of 11 men. Some have done great things, others have been a disappointment. We all have our opinion on who the good ones have been. After watching the Carter news conference, I noticed on my Facebook page that someone had called First Lady Michelle Obama a disappointment. It has also been suggested that President Obama should be in prison. Most of those suggestions come from folks who can't even spell their claims correctly. Somehow, I would trust a former Constitutional professor before most rural Iowans, myself included.

Way back in 1981, on the day that Carter left the presidency, our hostages were set free from more than a year of imprisonment in Iran. I'm still wondering if the timing of their release was not orchestrated by members of the incoming Reagan Administration to try to dampen the legacy of President Carter.

More than 30 years later, that legacy is secure, despite the best efforts of those long-forgotten naysayers. As we continue to listen to that growing list of candidates, we should ask ourselves which ones have the ability to display not only great judgment, but also compassion and the vision to know that this is a great, big wonderful world and there are billions of fellow residents who deserve the right to live happy and healthy lives. That is what Jimmy Carter learned many years ago.

He will be a tough act to follow.

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Iowa sends some quality players to the NFL again

By Jeff Orvis

Okay sports fans. Our long, dreary wait is almost over! The scanning of the TV dial for coverage of the combine, draft, reruns of last year, etc. is about to come to an end. The NFL begins its ultimate trek to the 50th Super Bowl with the first preseason game a week from now in Canton, OH.

Aside from my total allegiance to the Chicago Bears, when I am watching a game with other teams involved, I try to scan the team rosters to find players who played their college ball in the state of Iowa. As the teams began opening their preseason camps, they published their 90-man rosters, showing who would be vying for spots on the regular season roster. The preseason rosters include the player's position, years pro and the college he attended. So for the past several years, I have poured over these rosters, in an attempt to answer the age-old question, “What ever happened to...?”

Each year, Iowa and Iowa State square off on the football field and for the week leading into the big game, there's a civil war waged in our fair state. I want to see all of our state teams do well, but I freely admit that my main loyalties lie with the Hawkeyes. I don't hate Iowa State, I just know which has historically been the dominant college program in our state and I like to go with a winner. How's that for firing the first volley across the bow?

But if you are visiting your favorite watering hole and a debate begins on which program is the better one, consider this: There are 52 players on preseason pro rosters who played college ball in our state. Thirty-nine are former Hawkeyes. Eight are from Iowa State, four are from Norther Iowa and one is from Coe. If you measure a program's success by the way the coaching staff prepares young men for a possible pro career, Iowa wins, hands down. Of course, if you want to see a team with the best potential for national recognition in the postseason, check out the guys at UNI.

The 52 players with Iowa ties attempting to earn a paycheck in the NFL this season are on 25 teams. Baltimore and Atlanta lead the way with four players each. There are 16 rookies listed. The gray beards with Iowa ties are Atlanta's Jonathan Babineaux, in his 11th season and Minnesota's Chad Greenway, entering his tenth year. Both played at Iowa.

This state turns out a quality crop of linemen each year. The list this year includes 15 offensive linemen, seven tight ends and nine defensive linemen. There are also eight linebackers, three running backs, one quarterback, one wide receiver, six defensive backs and one kicker.

This is the time of year when dreams are made and dreams are shattered. If a team has 90 men in camp this week, by the opening of the regular season in September, more than 35 of those players will be looking for another profession. Multiply that by the number of teams in the league and you get some idea just how tough it is to make a pro career.

Historically, this state has provided some quality players who have had lengthy NFL careers. Heck, there are probably enough former pros in the Aplington-Parkersburg area alone to have an alumni group!

Here's hoping most of this year's group will cash those nice pro checks for several years to come!