Hands of MSU students popped up to ask U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow about her experience and plans in dealing with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The senator offered her reassurance and perspectives on the government’s future plans to a near-capacity lecture hall Thursday in Holden Hall.
“Hopefully you are having a chance to talk about not just what happened Sept. 11, but who we are as a country, where we are going and the challenges we face,” Stabenow said to the students. “With everything that is happening now - with the way people are responding - that is why everything will be OK.”
Stabenow, an MSU alumna, said she was happy to interact with students and address their concerns.
“People want information, they have a lot of questions and concerns,” she said. “It is important to keep talking with each other.”
Stabenow talked about seeing smoke rising over Washington and her staff being evacuated three times from their offices. She also addressed safety precautions such as placing U.S. marshals on commercial airlines and longer waits at the country’s borders.
However, most of the students’ questions focused on the U.S. government’s military response.
“You are not going to see arbitrary bombings of Afghanistan,” Stabenow said. “That is good we didn’t because if we did, how are we better than them?”
The senator said possible economic and military repercussions and intelligence services have been increased through cooperation from nations around the world - something she said the United States hasn’t always achieved.
Stabenow expressed her support for Secretary of State Colin Powell and other members of the administration. She also asserted the difference between the Taliban and the Afghani people.
“The Taliban are a very extremist government that hurts their own people,” she said. “The average Afghan doesn’t support this government.”
Stabenow, who spoke to the Senate about her concerns that Arab Americans will be subject to attacks or discrimination, said she hopes America takes this opportunity to learn more about the Islamic faith.
“Islam means peace,” she said. “(The terrorists) are not Muslim as the Muslim community would identify it, they have twisted it.”
Nicole Beil said she thanked the senator in person and applauded her for informing MSU students.
“People need to be educated about what is going on and learn about Islam,” the marketing freshman said. “If everyone is educated, we are not going to be so afraid
