Sen. John Warner discussed his ideals of democracy, made pointed comments about the current situation in Iraq and answered students' questions during Politics Professor Larry J. Sabato's "Introduction to American Politics" class in the Wilson Hall auditorium yesterday afternoon.
In his speech, Warner emphasized the importance of student contributions to the preservation of the U.S. government.
"This democracy, this republic, is not a spectator sport," Warner said. "Generation after generation has to fuel it. I request that you get out there. That's the challenge I give to you."
Warner said that participating in the democracy could be as extensive as serving in the Senate or volunteering for a few days a week.
"Get off the couch," he said. "Forgo family pleasures or other activities or else the republic can't live. It doesn't have to be a full-time civil service like mine is. It could be as simple as volunteering at the library."
After his brief speech, Warner took several questions from students, which ranged from the military budget to the legalization of illegal immigrants.
"The vast majority [of immigrants] are hardworking, law abiding and a central part of our economy today," Warner said. "We need to form a comprehensive border. We cannot seal these borders, but we need to secure them."
When asked about the war in Iraq, Warner had strong words about the U.S.'s current presence in the country.
"The war has changed dramatically. The whole intelligence system miscalculated, not only for us but for other countries involved. We did not anticipate the level of insurgency," Warner said.
When introducing Warner, Sabato said that Warner often travels to Iraq and military hospitals to visit wounded soldiers. Warner praised the soldiers for their bravery and commitment to the military.
"These soldiers are courageous as anything can be. Even the ones who are injured say that they want to return to their unit," Warner said.
Warner has visited one of Sabato's classes seven times since the early 1980s. Sabato said that many students stayed after class to discuss Warner's speech.
"They were universally impressed with the breadth and depth of this senior senator's knowledge," Sabato said. "Most view him as a relative moderate, which he is. [Today,] he was more interested in education than in proselytizing," Sabato said.
First-year College student Grayson Lambert explained why he found Warner's visit to the class valuable.
"He showed why he is one of the strongest and most effective U.S. Senators," Lambert said. "He cares a lot, not only about his state but his country as well, and he showed why he has served for so many years. He was engaging and straightforward and made a great impression on everyone there."
Other students, such as first-year College student Ashley Boney, said they thought Warner was too vague on the points that he stressed, and that Warner should have presented more solutions to the issues he addressed.
Sabato said that he was impressed with his students' knowledge of current events.
"They really did a good job this semester," he said. "I've never had so many hands raised so often for speakers. This is a yeasty time in politics, so young people are following the news and have strong opinions about what's happening."
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