Washington (AP)Jimmy Carter’s life will come to an end at his home in Plains, Georgia, a little town where he was raised on a peanut plantation. Last year, his wife, Rosalynn, was buried there in a plot of land they had selected years prior.
However, as is typical of state funerals, there will be an interstate choreography of grief, ceremony, and logistics before Carter arrives at his modest final destination. America has said goodbye to previous presidents through a complex set of ceremonies that combine enduring customs and individual embellishments ever since the country’s establishment.
Presidents typically have years after leaving the White House to consider how they would like to be remembered, so they frequently plan their own funerals.
According to Matthew Costello, senior historian for the White House Historical Association and co-author of Mourning the Presidents: Loss and Legacy in American Culture, “They are very much involved in the planning process, and the decisions that they make tell us a lot about who they are, how they see the presidency, and how they want to be remembered by the American people.”
Unlike most, Carter had time to plan. Before passing away on Sunday at the age of 100, he lived for 43 years following the conclusion of his presidency, which is the longest post-presidency period in American history.
The family and military organizations in charge of carrying out the arrangements have decided to keep certain aspects of his funeral confidential. The Washington National Cathedral often hosts a service, and the majority of presidents lie in state at the US Capitol.
It was revealed last year by President Joe Biden that Carter had asked him to deliver a eulogy. (Pardon me, Biden acknowledged that I shouldn’t have said that.)
In order to ensure that Carter is remembered properly both domestically and internationally, Biden stated on Sunday that his team is collaborating with his family and others. Although Biden claimed to have spoken with all of the Carter children, his primary point of communication is Carter’s son Chip.
He explained that a procedure is in progress that would take some time but will culminate in Carter’s grand service in Washington, D.C., which Biden planned for January 9.
Former presidents can occasionally assist with even the most minor matters.
Shortly after George H.W. Bush made changes to the seating arrangement for his funeral, Jeffrey Engel, director of Southern Methodist University’s Center for Presidential History in Dallas, recalled meeting with the former president.
“Is that weird?” I asked. Engel recalled, “You know, it’s your own death.” “You know, you do it every three months,” he added. It’s something you become used to.
Before entering politics, President Dwight Eisenhower led Allied forces in World War II and requested to be buried in a casket that cost $80. It was identical to any other soldier’s casket except for a glass seal that was incorporated into the design.
A president’s life may also be reflected in the processions’ specifics. The casket of Ronald Reagan was taken up the west steps of the U.S. Capitol, which face California, where he was born. As a tribute to his years as a politician, Gerald Ford’s casket was carried through the House side of the building when he passed away.
The Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, comprising 4,000 military and civilian personnel, is responsible for conducting presidential funerals. In a statement, the unit said it is honored to offer this assistance on behalf of the country.
Funerals for presidents have the power to change Americans’ perceptions for years. When the nation’s first leader passed away, a eulogy that was extensively republished contained one of the most unforgettable portrayals of George Washington: first in battle, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his fellow citizens.
John Jr., John F. Kennedy’s son, was pictured saluting the coffin following his assassination. A riderless horse was part of the procession as Kennedy’s casket was carried down Pennsylvania Avenue on the same caisson that carried Abraham Lincoln following his assassination a century earlier.
Kennedy’s funeral was the first to be extensively shown on television.
In some ways, technology has made grief more democratic and accessible. According to Costello, more individuals have the chance to pause and consider what this individual meant. Additionally, I believe it makes it possible for more individuals to participate in the grieving process.
The head of state and the head of government are two distinct individuals in many democracies. Both ceremonial and chief executive functions are combined under the presidency in the United States.
“We have essentially taken all the traditional weight and civic emotion that is put on the death or birth or wedding of a sovereign or a king and placed it on the heads of the presidents since we have no national figure other than the president,” Engel remarked. To be honest, there aren’t too many of them. It is therefore unique and significant whenever one of them passes.
He described funerals as a moment to remember that we re all in this together and this man was the president for all of us, whether you re a Republican or a Democrat.
However, state funerals can create uncomfortable, even hostile, situations in today’s divided politics.
In 2018, President Donald Trump attended the funeral of George H.W. Bush. He did not engage with Hillary Clinton, whom he defeated in the 2016 election, or her husband, former President Bill Clinton, but he shook hands with his predecessor, former President Barack Obama.
According to Engel, these funerals are invariably political. To be honest, whether or not those close to the Carter family want it to be, whatever transpires at the burial will be political.
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