National mourning is a time for remembrance and reflection and gives us the freedom to do so through a lens of patriotism, not politics – and from a posture of gratitude, not partisanship. This is where we are today as the nation learns of the passing of our 39th President, Jimmy Carter.

Though many on the right have criticized Jimmy Carter’s policies, we can still recognize and celebrate his willingness to step up and engage in public service to our nation through his military career as a naval officer and his political career as governor and state senator from Georgia, as well as president of the United States. We should also acknowledge the humanity behind this loss. Not only is America saying goodbye to a president, but behind the protocol and pageantry, the Carters are saying goodbye to a father, a grandfather, an uncle, and a friend to many who knew him personally. 

This must be an especially difficult time for the Carter family as they said goodbye to Rosalynn in November of last year. The former first lady had been diagnosed with dementia and entered hospice care just two days prior to her passing. Surprisingly, President Carter entered hospice care in February 2023, but outlived his wife by more than a year. The Carters were married for 77 years – the longest presidential marriage in American history. They will be buried side by side on their property in Plains, Georgia, where they lived for more than 60 years.

JIMMY CARTER, 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DEAD AT 100

Though he was best known as president, Carter was most comfortable at home in Plains, rather than on the world stage. He lived a life which was simple, modest, and humble. He was deeply committed to faith, to family, and to living a life in service to others. He was actively involved in his church, teaching Sunday School, and immersing himself in both the Word of God, as well as the work of God here on earth. 

Some may be conflicted about how they think of Jimmy Carter upon his passing, and that is OK. Life is complicated and people are complex. No one’s life can be placed entirely on one side of a Good or Bad ledger. Thankfully so — for all of us. We can celebrate a selfless life devoted to others, and let history be the judge of Jimmy Carter’s final legacy.

Our legacies are not written after we are gone but are written with every day of our lives. 

He remained invested in global issues surrounding world peace and election integrity, often traveling to foreign countries to represent this passion. Yet Carter was most at ease in blue jeans, swinging a hammer alongside volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, building homes for those in need.

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While he could have retired long ago and rested on his laurels of accomplishment, Carter chose to continue to use his platform and notoriety to bless others, doing so with his words, as well as his actions. In many ways he embodied the American spirit of generosity, selflessness, voluntarism, and reflected the true heart of America, which is abundantly found in small towns like Plains which dot this great nation. 

In October 1986, when Carter’s presidential successor, Ronald Reagan, spoke at the dedication ceremony for the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, Reagan said,” None of us today need feel any urge, in the name of good will, to downplay our differences. On the contrary, in a certain sense, we can be proud of our differences, because they arise from good will itself — from love of country; for concern for the challenges of our time; from respect for, and yes, even outright enjoyment of, the democratic processes of disagreement and debate. Today our very differences attest to the greatness of our nation. For I can think of no other country on Earth where two political leaders could disagree so widely yet come together in mutual respect.”

Amidst their differences, Reagan preferred to focus on areas of commonality with Jimmy Carter, and we would be wise to do the same. Indeed, there were many things on which we did agree – a love of country, love of God, love of service, love of the land, the value of life, the importance of peace and democratic elections, and the desire to eradicate disease worldwide.

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The story of Jimmy Carter’s presidency has already been recorded for posterity – both the highs and the lows. Historians will ultimately determine his place and impact in the annals of history. Some of it will not be flattering. While he was alive, Carter himself knew what was being said about the malaise and decline of America under his leadership. He knew what would be said after he was gone too. Perhaps that’s why he worked so hard to create another aspect of his legacy after leaving the White House. It may actually be his later years which were most meaningful and will be most remembered.

Everyone has chapters of their life they are proud of – and some they are not. It is up to each of us to be active participants in the writing of our own legacies. Our legacies are not written after we are gone but are written with every day of our lives. 

Much of life is handed to us and we are forced to react or respond to it. But for the elements of life we can control, initiate, and prioritize, maybe Jimmy Carter was a great example of a life well lived – in totality – not judged exclusively by its lowest moments, but rather by how it ended.

Ultimately, Jimmy Carter left this earth the way he wanted to – simply, humbly, quietly, surrounded by family and friends, secure in God’s love and salvation, having lived a long, full life in service to others. Perhaps, at its core, that’s what it truly means to have lived a great American life.

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Six Georgia men who work for the same family paving company are accused of instigating a brawl with a competitor paving company on Dec. 19, according to police records.

Mark Buckland Sr., Mark Buckland Jr., Willy Buckland Sr., Willy Buckland Jr. Luke Buckland and James Small have all been charged in connection with the alleged assault against several family members working for a competing paving company called EH Paving, Monroe County records show.

Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman told 13 WMAZ that the incident was “like something out of ‘the Sopranos’ TV series.”

The victims, working for EH Paving, were paving a customer’s driveway in Bolingbroke around 1 p.m. on Dec. 19 when several trucks pulled up to the location, at which point six members of the Buckhead family — who work for a rival paving company in Bolingbroke — exited the trucks with baseball bats, sticks and other weapons, according to an incident report obtained by Fox News Digital.

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Deputies arrived after a 911 caller reported a “large fight” involving “bats and guns.”

The owner of EH Paving said that Mark William Buckland Sr., 50, had tried to hit his son over the head with a bat. He further alleged that Willy Buckland Jr., 22, and Buckland Sr.’s 21-year-old son-in-law, Small, had attacked the owner’s other son, and Luke Buckland, 28, had attacked his nephew, the incident report states.

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The EH Paving owner believes the Buckland family attacked his family because they were doing a paving job near one of their properties, which the Bucklands thought was “disrespectful.” The owner alleged that Mark Buckland Sr. was carrying a “cowboy-style” gun and pointed it in his face.

A screenshot from Buckland family incident report. (Monroe County Sheriff’s Office)

The property owner, who contacted police, said that one member of EH Paving had shot a gun into a wooded area in an attempt to break up the fight, according to the incident report. 

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Meanwhile, Mark Buckland Jr. told an officer that he had been punched in the mouth and chalked the alleged attack up to “just a misunderstanding” when asked why his family was at the property.

Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman told 13 WMAZ the incident was “like something out of the Sopranos TV series.” (Monroe County Sheriff’s Office/ Facebook)

“These are adult men, too,” Freeman told 13 WMAZ. “Adult men with pretty good reputations.”

Mark William Buckhead Sr. is charged with tampering with evidence, pointing a gun or pistol at another person and criminal trespass. Luke James Buckland is charged with simple battery. Mark Judy Buckland is charged with simple battery, inciting to rioting and criminal trespass. Small is charged with criminal trespass and simple battery. Willy Jack Buckland Jr. is charged with criminal trespass and simple battery. Willy Jack Buckland Sr. is charged with criminal trespass and aggravated assault, Monroe County records show.

The six men had been released as of Monday morning.

Former President Jimmy Carter, the first U.S. commander-in-chief to reach the age of 100, was fondly remembered by state leaders across the political spectrum after his passing.

Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement that he, first lady Marty Kemp and their children “join all Georgians and the entire nation in mourning the loss of former President Jimmy Carter.”

“As the only American president thus far to come from Georgia, he showed the world the impact our state and its people have on the country. And as a son of Plains, he always valued Georgians and the virtues of our state, choosing to return to his rural home after his time in public office,” Kemp said.

Georgia GOP Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a top potential contender to replace the term-limited Kemp in 2026, added in his own tribute that Georgia, the nation and world “lost a man who exemplified what it means to be a public servant and to put the needs of others before your own.”

JIMMY CARTER DEAD AT 100

Jones said he once met the Carters and described them as kind and accepting.

Georgia State Senate Leader John F. Kennedy, R-Fort Valley, said Carter’s life was “largely defined by his servant’s heart” and “steadfast commitment to our country and state.”

“The lord has called home his good and faithful servant,” added Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Effingham.

To the White House, he brought “pragmatic wisdom of a peanut farmer, work ethic of a homebuilder and unyielding faith of a Sunday School teacher,” he added.

Former two-time Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams said Carter “lived a life of courage, fortitude, kindness and grace.”

“He was a giant who never saw anyone as smaller than himself. Whether at a Boys & Girls Club banquet or when he sponsored a medical clinic for the uninsured in his corner of rural Georgia, he lived James 2:17 each day,” said Abrams.

Outside the late Democrat’s home state, tributes poured in from all 49 others.

In neighboring North Carolina, Democratic Governor-elect Josh Stein called the late president a “principled man” who “represented the best of America: guided by faith and service and dedicated to our nation’s promise.”

Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey noted that Carter grew up not far from the Yellowhammer State line, and praised the Democrat for his Navy service and work in taking over his family’s peanut farm after his father, James Sr., died.

“Jimmy Carter not only lived the longest of any former U.S. President, but his life also brought greater dignity to the presidency,” Ivey said in a statement.

“President Carter lived a great life marked by service to his country. Volunteering his time to build homes for those in need well into his 90s,” said Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican.

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Former President Jimmy Carter, arrives to attend a tribute service for his wife, former first lady Rosalynn CarteR. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

West Virginia’s Democratic Party chairman, state Del. Mike Pushkin added that Carter’s legacy is one of “humility, integrity and relentless service.”

“He taught us that true leadership is not about power, but about lifting others up and making the world a better place. His work continues to inspire generations of Americans to engage in public service and to strive for a more just and equitable society,” said Pushkin, D-Kanawha.

Rhode Island Democratic Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement that America lost a “great man, compassionate leader and true humanitarian.”

“In everything he did, President Carter put service above self. He believed fiercely in lifting up others and lending a hand to those in need – an example for all of us to follow,” McKee said. “We thank President Carter for his service to our nation and dedicating his life to making the world a better place.”

One rising star in Carter’s party ordered flags across his state at half-staff Monday.

“President Jimmy Carter was a humble, generous, and admirable public servant — both as our president and in his years after as a citizen in service,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a statement.

In the current president’s home state, outgoing Delaware Gov. John Carney called Carter a “champion for peace and human rights.”

Delaware Gov.-elect Matt Meyer wrote on X that Carter’s life “left an indelible mark on the world.”

“[W]hat made him truly extraordinary was his humility and compassion,” Meyer said.

Former Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter. (HUM Images via Getty Images)

Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly called Carter “a truly moral man.”

“His innate humanity, his humility, his devotion to serving his community and his country, and his belief that the world could live in peace is the remarkable legacy he leaves behind.”

In California, potential 2028 presidential candidate Gov. Gavin Newsom also paid his respects.

“Jennifer and I join the country and the world in mourning the passing of President Jimmy Carter, a tireless champion for human rights and democracy whose unparalleled life of service made the world a better place,” he said.

Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement that Carter proved “good people, wanting nothing more than to do good – can excel in politics and life.”

Thousands of miles to the west, Hawaii Democratic Gov. Josh Green said the people of his state “send our Aloha and heartfelt condolences to the Carter ‘ohana during this difficult time.”

“President Jimmy Carter truly exemplified what it meant to live a life full of service,” added Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, another likely 2028 Democratic hopeful.

“His towering legacy of compassion for others set a standard that will always be remembered,” the Hyatt Hotels heir added.