If i dont there they were applicantriate act , i must believe that particular student ought to be at the naval academy. The best thing to do is to prepare yourself for a very difficult and challenging but very exciting career. Carter, can you give us an update on your large family . Rosalynn it has exploded. [laughter] we have 12 grandchildren and 10 greatgrandchildren. The grandchildren have spouses, and we have 36 or 37, i cant keep up. [laughter] it is growing so fast. Georgia,ve 23 of us in counting jimmy and me. We come to the Carter Center, we schedule one week a month to be here. Other timesome at sometimes too, but during that one week, we have the 21 that are here, we have dinner one night at the Carter Center. We get to see them, it is quite wonderful. And lively. [laughter] carter, withent the recent it rain in nuclear deal, Nuclear Nonproliferation is in the news. How should the u. S. And global powers deal with nations who have Nuclear Weapons ambitions . Pres. Carter north korea . Host in light of the Iranian Nuclear deal, how should we deal with other powers with Nuclear Ambitions . Pres. Carter i am delighted with the agreement with iran. I believe it is good for the United States, iran and israel, the whole world, to see this resolved, as has been done courageously by john kerry, with the backing of president obama. President obama has the assurance that the congress cannot block the implementation of the agreement. The next part of it is to make sure iran does comply with all the announced restraints on them, and access to information about their Nuclear Program that the Obama Administration has promised to the American People and the world. As you know, this was done not by the europeans or russia and china and others, so it is backed unanimously either leading countries on earth. I am very glad to see that done. North korea is going in the other direction. Basically unnecessarily. I went to north korea in 1994. To deal with a crisis in north korea. Some of you are familiar with this. The leader of north korea then, revered and was worshiped almost like washington, George Washington and jesus put together. I am not exaggerating. The United States was on the verge of declaring north korea to be an outlaw nation, and kim ilsung to be a criminal. My chinese friends came to me and said, if the United States did that, the North Koreans to save face would invade and attack south korea. The military general in charge was an american from arkansas, and he told me a million South Koreans would be killed in the first 48 hours. I decided to go to north korea, and i negotiated a very comprehensive agreement with kim ilsung that ended their. Roduction of plutonium unfortunately, since then, other things have happened. This week, the North Koreans announced he will expand they will expand their Nuclear Program. Yongyang is the capital that is where the Nuclear Program takes place. Anyway, i think we need to rigidly enforce the nonprivileged nonproliferation treaty. Egotiated under john kennedy this permits iran, by the way, iran is a signatory on the treaty, they are a member of the treaty. They have the perfect right to develop a peaceful Nuclear Program. The problem is, many people dont think they would adhere to a peaceful Nuclear Program. The only countries that dont comply with the nonproliferation treaty are israel, india, pakistan, and north korea. And a new country, south sudan hasnt had a chance to sign it yet. Those four countries are the biggest threats now. Others say that a possible outbreak of war between pakistan and india, with the pakistani government being shaky in the last few years, maybe the biggest threat to nuclear peace. I dont think north korea will attack anybody. That would be suicidal for them. I dont think iran, even if they cheat, would develop Nuclear Weapons and attack anybody. Destroyingspond by the government, the country of iran. This depends primarily on the enforcement of a nonproliferation treaty, and not help the countries that violate, refused to sign a Nuclear Nonproliferation treaty. I was disappointed early on when george w. Bush, and now obama, are helping india with their Nuclear Program. The president before that would do so. Overcome thelitics proper approach to that program. Enforcing the nonproliferation treaty is the best way. We have a question now from steve, who wrote in online from orlando, florida. The question is for both president and mrs. Carter. He writes, dear president and mrs. Carter, can you address the role of forgiveness in the various peace initiatives you have been involved with, as well as whether peace is even possible without some level of forgiveness . Rosalynn pres. Carter i wrote a book ut this years ago, top called talking peace. The analysis i made based on my experiences as a mediator was, the same causes of war between two countries are civil wars inside a country, or those that cause a husband and a wife to get a divorce. Or, that cause friction between a parent and a child. Or, between students on a college campus. It is a matter of honest differences of opinion, and an absence of willingness to forgive the other person enough to communicate with them. And, to discuss the issue facetoface, or if necessary, through a mediator. That is the basic cause of conflict in the world. Within a family or University System or within a country, or between two countries, could meet with each other and talk to each other with Mutual Respect and mutual forgiveness, then most altercations could be resolved peacefully. Willing,re not able or to forgive the other person directly, then call on a mediator. That is what, if you want to go buy my book, you can read that. [laughter] i you some examples that i have experienced in my own life to illustrate this. I teach the same thing in my lessons, my bible lessons in sunday school. Sunday before last, the subject was forgiveness. I used the same example. Host thank you. Maybe steve was there for sunday school. Rosalynn i have been in negotiations, negotiating sessions with jimmy. I used to go years ago. I would take notes about the negotiations. You cannot believe how people hate each other. They just never, theyre never going to forgive. What they need is a good, a really good negotiator like jimmy. He has done some really significant negotiating and gotten people together. Host i certainly agree. [applause] mrs. Carter, another one just for you. What progress and Mental Health issues do you see in the next five years . What are your goals for the United StatesMental Health system . Pres. Carter my rosalynn my goal is to overcome stigma and have everyone with a Mental Health issue get help. I think it ought to be what it have to cover mentalhealth issues the way they do other issues. We are seeing a lot of progress. I have my fingers crossed, i think it is happening fast. The stigma is lifting. We are moving back to the community. Community. Health , mentalon Integration Health and substance abuse. Also, having Mental Health professionals and primary care doctors, in primary care Doctors Offices, does great things. With illnesses have mental issues, too. To bring them together. And Mental Health professionals in a primary care Doctors Office could recognize Mental Illness, and be sure that person got treatment. The medical schools dont give issuesg on Mental Health as they should. It is getting to be better, but when we started working on this issue, many years ago, some schools had six weeks, or three months, and that was unusual, no school had trade training, because we didnt know how to treat people. That kept up for a long time. There is still so Much Research going on, and we are working on prevention now. Recover from, can Mental Illnesses and lead good lives. It is just exciting to be in the Mental Health field. Thank you very much. Much of that is thanks to mrs. Carters efforts over many decades. [applause] president carter, building on , issuccess of guinea worm there another disease we could eradicate in the next 20 years . Pres. Carter as many of you at thee have located Carter Center the only organization that analyzes every human illness regularly to see which diseases might possibly be eliminated from a particular region, or eradicated from the world. The International Task force from Disease Eradication has been here, how long, john . 25 or 26 years. It is the only one. We have with us, the Gates Foundation and World Health Organizations and others like that who have expert knowledge. They come to the Carter Center, and we analyze every human illness on a sequential basis, and identify those that can be eliminated. Sayink that, if i had to this from the Carter Center perspective, it would be blindness. We shifted from consoling it every year to giving multiple doses, and by doing that, we can eliminate it from a certain country. We have targeted four countries and are on the verge of doing it in more. If we do it country by country, and get to the end of the river blindness, it would be eradicated. Gates havelinda talked seriously about malaria being targeted for total elimination from the world, which would be eradication. There are others, as well. They are not so wellknown as those two. I would say those two are good possibilities. Host thank you. Here is a question from sherry, who signs it with a heart. President carter, would you like someday for one of your grandchildren are greatgrandchildren would be to be governor or president or both . Why or why not . And how would you advise that . Pres. Carter i have one grandson, one particular grandson [laughter] [applause] i dont know what plans he has for the future, but i have greatgrandchildren, i think it is a good thing. Because the sweep of republicans over the country this past election, we have learned about our state and ourselves. He is learned about what the people want and need. In education and health care and things of that kind. It is an educational process. It hurts not to be elected at the end, i dont think i have known any Close Friends who have run for office who was sorry they ran. A wonderfuls educational process. I would be glad to see any of my progeny, or descendents, who wanted to get involved in politics directly or indirectly. Host terrific. How do you believe the United States should respond to the current threat posed by isis . Pres. Carter i would like to see the United States be more aggressive in dealing with isis. As you know, isis has taken over the eastern part of syria, and has gone into iraq nearby across the border. They have taken over a good portion of iraq, as well. There was a program on television either last night or the night before about the christians in iraq being decimated. They used to have, before we ago,ed iraq, not too long christians and sunni muslims and shia muslims, the leaders came to my home to say how all three of them are thriving and getting along well with each other. The archbishop of a church there came along with them. They are now in hiding, and they have no guarantee that they will survive. I thinkhristian basis, we need to concentrate on doing away with isis, which is dedicated not only to destroying mosques with which they dont agree, but also eliminating every christian that abides in areas where they live. I would like to see the United States be more forceful in dealing directly with isis. I would at least publicly favor sending ground i would not publicly favor sending Ground Troops in, but i think better analysis of what is going on there, i think we could cooperate with others, even the russians and syrians, excuse me, and the arabians, in dealing with the opposition the ans, ins the irani dealing with isis. I dont think theres much doubt that the outside would not be able to work that out. But with the United States and iran koss corporation, they could concentrate on ice is more. It is not an easy thing to answer. The first opposition to isis should be muslim countries that have good weapons and good money. Theirey dont want to put people in danger, in direct combat. The main forces fighting isis in iraq and syria are the irani anians. Although weall want to attack isis, have a hard time cooperating with the iranians. If we could get together with them, and the russians, and concentrate on isis, that would be the best longterm way to address the problem, perhaps. Host i have one little lighter for you. These areer questions nobody knows how to answer. Host this one comes from sevenyearold elizabeth. She writes, what was your favorite thing to do as president . David. Arter go to camp hink if everything we had my favorite thing was the family life we had in the white house. Amy was seven years old when we got there. Nine years old when we got there. Three years old when i became governor. Their wivesons and and families were there. We had a grandson born the first the first month we were in the white house. So we had a good family life in the white house. Part of my official duties i enjoyed was dealing with foreign affairs. The president of the United States under the constitution has a much Greater Authority and responsibility in dealing with Foreign Countries than we do in handling domestic affairs. Everything has to go by the oreral board for finances the federal bank or congress or the public. When so many says when somebody says a president is responsible for inflation, or Something Like that, i would say the president has one fourth of the responsibility for the economy. About one fourth, perhaps the Federal Reserve bank has one fourth. The private sector has one fourth. I think dealing with foreign ,olicy was the best thing i did the thing i enjoyed. When i went into office, i was able to, nobody ever asked me to bring together the egyptians and israelis to promote peace. Nobody asked me to do that. Nobody asked me to normalized it will medical china. With, ked me to deal the padlock and now issue. Nobody asked me to deal away with apartheid in africa. Those are things that i could initiate on my own. It is easier and more enjoyable to deal with issues that deal with foreign policy. You, president carter. Here is a question from mr. Meeks from richland, georgia. I will address it to both president and mrs. Carter. Growing up, what was your favorite childhood game . How did playing it influence your later life . Rosalynn i think basketball. I think that really was what i enjoyed most. I was a forward when it was two courts. , i even wrote a donkey in a donkey asking ballgame. Basketball game. But i enjoy basketball. We had the Harlem Globetrotters come to play in the planes gymnasium. Inas on the varsity Team High School and the allstar team in college. At that time, there were no slam dunks. There were just fast breaks. I was very fast. I couldnt reach the goal at first. Today, it is hype that makes the difference. But i think basketball was the number one sport. Howhigh school, no matter small, if they couldnt have a football team, and most of us could not, we did have basketball and baseball. Baseball wouldve been my , it is still my favorite sport professionally, but this fall season took place during the planning and the plantingime and cultivating time, so all the farm boys, including me, our first obligation was to help our fathers on the farm. Basketball was played during the winter months. Our county seat was we had aan plains. Great competition. We could beat anybody. Jimmy was a tennis champion in high school. But he never beat his father. [laughter] one more serious question, president carter. What can we as a nation due to overcome racism in the United States and in the world . The questioner asks, or ads, thank you for all that you have done. Thought that i when the civil rights bills in the era of Martin Luther king jr. , lyndon johnson, and harry truman, that we could breathe a sigh of relief. That we had finally overcome the ravages of racism left over from slavery times. 100 years after the civil war, we war between the states, had legal racial supremacy for white people. Thats been shown lately that dream of having overcome it was misplaced. We still have a lot of racism in our country. The consciousness of individual citizens, and i think some of the polarization of is dues in this country to a large extent, i would say particularly in the south, to the remnants of racism. The race issue is still very important. I think having