The first of October will mark Jimmy Carter's 84th birthday and it's time to honor him with some Jimmy Carter quotes. Let these quotes not only kick off Jimmy's birthday celebration, but let them also remind us of a time when the people seemed to be a bit wiser and the world hadn't gone so astray. Whether you're a republican or a democrat, these ten quotes will have you admitting that Jimmy has been right about more than a few things.



1. "War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children."

2. "America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense, it is the other way round. Human rights invented America."

3. "The awareness that health is dependent upon habits that we control makes us the first generation in history that to a large extent determines its own destiny."

4. "Because we are now running out of gas and oil, we must prepare quickly for a third change, to strict conservation and to the use of coal and permanent renewable energy sources, like solar power."

5. "I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over."

6. "It is difficult for the common good to prevail against the intense concentration of those who have a special interest, especially if the decisions are made behind locked doors."

7. "The best way to enhance freedom in other lands is to demonstrate here that our democratic system is worthy of emulation."

8. "We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams."

9. "Our American values are not luxuries but necessities, not the salt in our bread, but the bread itself. Our common vision of a free and just society is our greatest source of cohesion at home and strength abroad, greater than the bounty of our material blessings."

10. "I have one life and one chance to make it count for something . . . I'm free to choose what that something is, and the something I've chosen is my faith. Now, my faith goes beyond theology and religion and requires considerable work and effort. My faith demands -- this is not optional -- my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference."

If there's one thing we can agree on, it's that the views of politicians (and their views of what their job entails) have definitely changed over the years. Whether you were a supporter of President Carter or not, you must admit that he had some good ideas and wise insights. These Jimmy Carter quotes are just a small demonstration of that fact.