U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman told an audience of approximately 150 members of the Fairfield community that national security requires all Americans to unite in order to fight against middle-eastern terrorists.
Lieberman, a three-term incumbent running for re-election as a petitioning candidate, used the venue to tout recently passed legislation that would help Americans reach out to the Islamic world through education and cut down terrorism at its roots.
The speech was presented Friday morning in the Dolan School of Business through collaboration of the Mirror, Ham Channel, and WVOF.
Lieberman was introduced by Mary Fetchet, the founder of a non-profit organization composed of family members of 9/11 victims.
The senator touted legislation passed this week in the Senate that will add more than $4 billion to help secure America’s ports and mass transit systems.
Putting our country’s safety first, Lieberman said an effort to work out disagreements for the ultimate purpose of homeland security will strengthen the nation rather than further weaken United States unity.
He cited a bill passed Thursday that he co-sponsored with Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine as an example of the two parties working together. The bill, which Lieberman said will gradually increase port security, passed in the Senate 98-0.
“Most Americans probably don’t know that 95 percent of international trade still flows in through our ports,” he said. “The fact is that only 5 percent of ports are fully inspected.”
Lieberman said that separate legislation passed to enhance security measures in mass transportation will “mean safer fear-free lives for the 100,010 people who take those trains in and out of Connecticut.”
He said he and other senators have worked together to go on the offensive against terrorism through educational programs in the Middle East.
“Building bridges to the Islamic world, means diminishing the demand for hate and violence overseas,” he said. “By expanding scholarship and exchange programs…establishing an international youth opportunity fund, those are only a few steps. We really want to confront the alienation and desperation. We’ve got to think and act bigger.”
Connecticut residents present at the speech were struck by Lieberman’s goal to improve national security on a local state level.
“He is keeping his eye on the ball – other countries and other lands,” said Fairfield resident Sharon Strelzer.
“On top of his challenge, looking forward to seeing his policies in action, particularly the bi-partisan effort,” said Strelzer.
“[It is important] to never forget, everybody’s on to other things and they’re not,” said Lieutenant Chris Tracy, Fairfield Fire Department’s Public Information Officer.
Students said they were reassured by Lieberman’s focus on better port and railroad security.
“The policies that were passed will benefit Connecticut residents. So many students use trains to go into the city,” said FUSA President Hutch Williams ’08.
“Ninety-five percent of ports are not secure…nobody know about it, it’s nice to think that someone is doing something about it,” said Mary Sullivan ’09.
Fairfield politics professor John Orman who briefly challenged Lieberman for the Democratic nomination last spring, asked the senator to comment on why there was no mention of Iraq during the policy briefing.
“I was very surprised that in a major foreign policy address that you didn’t mention the word Iraq once,” he said.
“When Senator Lieberman answered Dr. Orman’s question [during the question and answe session that followed the speech] regarding why he didn’t mention Iraq, he said we’re not just going to pull out because it will make things worse for us in the long run,” said Marc Hansel ’08.
“I liked how he stressed working between party lines,” added Hansel. “We are in Iraq now and we’re trying to strengthen homeland security.”
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