Editor's note: This story has been corrected.
Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan will speak against the Iraq war when she visits Chico next week.
She will share her thoughts on the war, peace and the government at a protest in Children's Park and at three other events. The Chico State Student Democratic Club, the Chico Peace and Justice Center and other groups are sponsoring her visit.
Known as the "Peace Mom," Sheehan has spoken out against the war since her son Casey Sheehan died while serving in Iraq in 2004. She received national attention in 2005 when she set up "Camp Casey" outside President Bush's Texas ranch to request that Bush meet with her to discuss her son's death.
Dave Bennett, a Butte College student, invited Sheehan to Chico as part of a sociology class project. Other speakers were out of his price range. Kim Phuc, the woman featured in a Vietnam war photo as the girl running out of a village bombed with napalm, charges $10,000.
Sheehan agreed to Bennett's request to speak at Chico State and did not bring up cost. He asked if $500 plus expenses would be OK, and she said yes. Her stipend and personal and hotel expenses will total about $900, Bennett said.
The event started as a project to make students more educated and active about government.
Bennett wants students to realize they can make a difference in their government. He doesn't care if students support or protest Sheehan's visit, as long as they attend.
"I don't mind if people come out and disagree," he said. "At least they're participating."
Ryan McElhinney, president of the Student Democratic Club, is hoping for a big turnout. He said he thinks students are generally opposed to the war but don't care or know enough to take action.
Sue Hilderbrand, director of the Chico Peace and Justice Center, is excited to have someone of Sheehan's caliber speak in Chico. Sheehan has actively demanded that the president be accountable for the United States' involvement in the Iraq war, Hilderbrand said.
"She is behaving as a citizen of a democracy," Hilderbrand said. "She behaves as a true patriot, a true democrat, a true American."
Ashley Gebb can be reached at agebb@theorion.com
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