Bill Clinton Honored at EIIC Event

By Suzanne Connolly

At an event hosted by the Emerald Isle Immigration Center and the Brehon Law Society, President Bill Clinton was honored with an award and ceremony to express thanks on behalf of Irish-America for his role in bedding down the Peace Process.

At the event, President Clinton said he was delighted to be among so many old friends and that in celebrating the tenth anniversary of the GFA, he said he thoroughly enjoyed his role in it all.

"I got a lot more out of this than I gave.  It was a total joy," he said. "Even the first meeting with Ian Paisley. The worst fears for any politician are that I'll forget one of my talking points or worse still, I'll nod off. When I met Dr Paisley, for the first 20 minutes I got it with both barrels, so there was not a chance that I would forget the talking points and there was no chance that I would nod off," he laughed.

"But I liked him, much in the same way that I like other people with whom I disagreed with profoundly.  But he ended on a high note in doing business with Martin McGuinness.  And the lesson I drew from that is to not give up on anybody. It's important to remember, and good for people of other faiths to remember, that St Patrick was the only figure in history to Christianize a whole people without spilling blood.  Think of the blood spilled," he said.  "If everyone on earth followed their faith, there would be peace everywhere."

"St Patrick's lesson is peace is better than the sword and the only thing that works for children is peace.  The language might be different, the faith different, the political history different, but the human psychology is exactly the same in every place," he said.

Addressing the people of the north particularly, who have come through the difficult struggle for peace, he said; "All around the world people are cheering for you for they know in their heart of hearts people are fortunate enough to be thinking about their tomorrows. You should celebrate this every year."

The Emerald Isle Immigration Center then presented President Clinton with a Waterford crystal vase, to commemorate his role in the Peace Process. The award was presented by Immigration Counselor Ciaran McDonnell, who is from Belfast and has worked with EIIC since April 2006, who works from the EIIC Woodlawn office.

At a separate event on the same day, Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spoke of the need to assist the "estimated 50,000" undocumented Irish in the US.   In the first Irish American Presidential Forum address of the 2008 election, Senator Clinton renewed her commitment to Irish affairs, promised to be back in Ireland within her first term of office and vowed that she would "continue to work with the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform to put the undocumented on a path to legalization as part of a reform of the entire immigration system."

Those who deny "that the immigration system is totally broken down are our of touch with reality," she said, adding that she would "continue to push forward on that".

"I've been to Ireland six times," she said, "as First Lady and as Senator and I'm always looking for an excuse to go back."  When asked if she would make a commitment to going to Ireland, north and south, within her first term of office if elected President, she said she would.  "It's not just a pledge or a promise, it's a passion and I believe profoundly in that mission," she said.

Reminiscing about the St Patrick's Day parties her family and selected guests had while her husband was in office, she said "They were the best parties in the Whitehouse over the entire eight years and we will bring them back, no question."

Special Guest William Jefferson Clinton,
42nd President of the United States

Master of Ceremonies: Brian O’Dwyer, O’Dwyer and Bernstien, Chair,
Emerald Isle Immigration Center

Special Presentation by Sean Crowley,
President, Brehon Law Society.