Jimmy Carter and Me

In 2001, months before that now infamous September day, I attended a lecture by former President Jimmy Carter at Royce Hall at UCLA. I sat in the third row center. Soon after Jimmy Carter stepped on stage, I heard someone at the back of the hall yelling something about "LaRouche." I cringed and shrunk into my seat wanting this disruption to end. But Jimmy Carter leaned in to it with an open compassionate expression on his face. "Don't take him away," Carter said to whoever was dealing with the disturbance. "Oh, they took him away. Will someone please tell that young man to contact me? I want to hear what he has to say." I was in awe of Jimmy's openness to embrace all people as humans who deserve to be heard.