Congressman Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania made a visit to Eastern University. Students from Eastern, Cabrini College, Villanova University and West Chester University attended.
On October 21, students involved with the College Republicans arrived early to decorate Gough Great Room for the event with signs and streamers.
Weldon’s visit was arranged by Shawn Murphy, president of the College Republicans.
“The congressman is a key figure on Capitol Hill and his knowledge with national issues brings us exceptional experience,” Murphy said.
“I asked the congressman to come to Eastern to share with the students how President Bush’s strong leadership with international affairs led to Libya’s Muammar Qaddafi’s decision to give up his weapon system.”
Weldon spoke about his experiences as a congressman during the events of September 11, 2001, visiting Russia after the recent terrorist tragedy and talking with Muammar Qaddafi. He focused on terrorism and the effect it has had on the United States and the rest of the world. He said that the biggest issue in the election is national security.
Weldon speaks fluent Russian and has visited Russia more than thirty times. He visited two weeks after the incident with the Chechen rebels in Beslan and described what happened the day the terrorists took the students and adults hostage as was described to him by Russians who had experienced the tragedy first-hand.
It was the first day of school, and Russian students lined up outside of their schools dressed in their finest as family members proudly look on, Weldon said.
The terrorists pulled up to the school in a vehicle and came out with guns and knives. They forced everyone to go inside the school, and in the mass confusion, some children did not move fast enough for the terrorists. They were picked up and hurled through windows.
This is just one example that Weldon gave of the horrible brutality of the terrorists.
“These terrorists we are fighting don’t care about human life. The people of Beslan had done nothing,” he said.
To fight terrorism successfully Weldon said, “You need a president that is consistent in his views.”
He said that President Bush was the cause for Qaddafi giving up his weapons of mass destruction because Qaddafi knew that Bush would not give up until he had surrendered them.
“I may not agree with Bush on everything,” he said. “But for this election we need someone who has character.”