Conscientious Objector Agustin Aguayo To Speak at CSU Dominguez Hills

When California State University, Dominguez Hills Associate Professor of sociology Clare Weber heard a radio interview with war resister Agustin Aguayo, she thought the army medic who was absent without leave in 2006 in protest to the Iraq War was well spoken and presented a reasoned and heartfelt argument for why he risked prosecution for what he believed in. Weber was so impressed by what Aguayo had to say that she invited him to speak at the university.

“A lot of our students have family in the military and a number of students have served as well, and some of them are not in favor of this war,” Weber said. “We haven’t really had a critical voice on campus about the war, the military and military recruiting. I felt inviting Agustin Aguayo to campus would facilitate a really good exchange.”

On Monday, Feb. 25, Aguayo will speak about his decision to seek conscientious objector status, the army’s denial of that status, his decision to go AWOL, and his time in prison after being convicted for desertion. Aguayo’s wife, Helga Aguayo, will also speak about her experiences, and excerpts from a documentary about Arlington West, the temporary war memorial erected every Sunday on the Santa Monica beach, will be shown. The event is from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Ballroom of the Loker Student Union on campus.

Aguayo’s visit is being sponsored by the departments of anthropology, Chicano/a studies, history, interdisciplinary studies, labor studies, political science, sociology, and women’s studies, as well as the California Faculty Association, the Association of Political Science Students and the Multicultural Center on campus.

For more information, contact Weber at cweber@csudh.edu.

- Amy Bentley-Smith