In a statement, former Pres. Jimmy Carter called for Americans in positions of power and privilege to fight racial injustice, saying 'silence can be as deadly as violence.'
released by The Carter Center Wednesday, the oldest living president said he and his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, are"pained by the tragic racial injustices and consequent backlash across our nation in recent weeks.
"Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, in Plains, Ga. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, in Plains, Ga.While Carter said"our hears are with the victims’ families and all who feel hopeless in the face of pervasive racial discrimination and outright cruelty," he also said that violence is not the answer, as some protests nationwide have turned destructive. "We all must shine a spotlight on the immorality of racial discrimination," his statement read, without mentioning Floyd's name."But violence, whether spontaneous or consciously incited, is not a solution."Carter's statement also turned inward when he invoked his own experiences growing up in the deep South. "As a white male of the South, I know all too well the impact of segregation and injustice to African Americans. As a politician, I felt a responsibility to bring equity to my state and our country," he said. Carter included a call back to his 1971 inaugural address as Georgia's governor when he said,"The time for racial discrimination is over." "With great sorrow and disappointment, I repeat those words today, nearly five decades later," he continued. "People of power, privilege, and moral conscience must stand up and say 'no more' to a racially discriminatory police and justice system, immoral economic disparities between whites and blacks, and government actions that undermine our unified democracy," he added. Former U.S. President George W. Bush speaks during a conference at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce June 23, 2017 in Washington, DC. Former U.S. President George W. Bush speaks during a conference at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce June 23, 2017 in Washington, DC.that he and former first lady Laura Bush are anguished by the killing of Floyd and disturbed by the injustice and fear. "Yet we have resisted the urge to speak out, because this is not the time for us to lecture. It is time for us to listen. It is time for America to examine our tragic failures -- and as we do, we will also see some of our redeeming strengths," the statement said.
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