The night in Washington, D.C., was extremely cold.
But on Tuesday, I stood in the enormous line outside the U.S. Capitol, hoping to pay my last respects to the late President Jimmy Carter.
That evening and the following day, Carter, the 39th president, who died on December 29, 2024, at the age of 100, lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda.
Wednesday, January 8, 2025, in Washington, visitors pay their respects as former President Jimmy Carter’s flag-draped casket sits in state at the U.S. Capitol. At the age of 100, Carter passed away on December 29. Steve Helber/AP Photo
I’m sixty years old. I saw President Richard Nixon’s resignation and the Watergate hearings on television. I was a child.
However, the first presidential campaign I can recall was in 1976, when Carter, who was Georgia’s governor at the time, unexpectedly won the presidency.
His nickname changed from Jimmy Who? to Mr. President.
I developed a lifelong interest in reading and writing about politics as a result of it.
I was already in town for a visit, so at around ten o’clock at night, I joined a line outside the Capitol.
It was windy and twenty-four degrees. A snowfall the previous day had left the land covered with snow and ice.
As the late former President Jimmy Carter lies in state in the Capitol Rotunda, people form a queue outside the U.S. Capitol to show their respect.The Staten Island Advance/Tom Wrobleski
Notably, Carter’s first night in office occurred on January 7, the day following the fourth anniversary of the Capitol riot on January 6.
Notable was also the fact that the ceremony took place in the midst of rumors that Donald Trump, the president-elect, wanted to retake the Panama Canal and undo Carter’s 1977 presidential action.
On a clear night, however, nothing compares to witnessing the Capitol dome illuminated. It helps you forget our differences in politics. For a short while, however.
The entry lines resembled the winding TSA lines at the airport. More individuals would be allowed to approach the Capitol every few minutes. Surprisingly, the line moved quickly.
While they waited, people talked to one another. discussing the cold. discussing anything. I was exposed to multiple foreign languages.
I came upon a woman online who had what appeared to be original Carter campaign buttons, green and white, pinned to her coat.
Before I arrived to the Capitol Visitors Center’s metal detectors, I stood outside for approximately an hour.
Then there was another line, where at least it was warm and you could see some of the monuments, such as those of Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert and Johnny Cash.
After all the waiting, I was finally there after walking up a short flight of steps.
With its historic sculptures and precious artworks, the Rotunda, which spirals beneath the Capitol dome, is a magnificent location day or night. It has been referred to as the physical and symbolic heart of the Capitol.
The room assumed a profound and subdued seriousness as Carter lay in state in the center.
The same catafalque that held Abraham Lincoln’s casket following his assassination in 1865 also held Carter’s flag-draped coffin. Around the coffin, uniformed personnel from every branch of the armed forces kept watch.
It’s a breathtaking, poignant scene to witness up close. It embodies everything we wish to see in America.
Visitors were not permitted to record or take pictures. We weren’t hurried out of the room, though. I spent about five minutes taking in the momentous occasion. To be honest, I felt honored to be present.
I removed my winter cap. I prayed. I walked out of the Rotunda. I had been in the line outside for approximately two hours now.
As the late former President Jimmy Carter lay in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, guests were handed a memorial card and a picture.The Staten Island Advance/Tom Wrobleski
Like the majority of presidents, Carter left behind a complex legacy.
After Watergate, he was a welcome change in Washington, but he was not liked by anyone in the D.C. establishment, including his own party.
With tragic results, he supported the Shah of Iran, a strong ally of the United States.
The main focus of Carter’s 1979 malaise speech regarding America’s lack of confidence was his own leadership issue. The only person who was unaware of it was him.
Carter would lose the presidency in 1980 as a result of the hostage situation in Iran and a weak economy.
However, Carter also mediated the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel at Camp David. He centered U.S. foreign policy on human rights.
Despite occasional criticism for interfering in U.S. international affairs, Carter established a life of continuous service after leaving office that is unmatched by any other top executive.
It’s all a part of Carter’s personality. We learned to respect it on a chilly evening in Washington, D.C.
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