Story by Lindsey Coleman, News Editor
Local students have been active in the planning of the Marshall County/Western Kentucky March for Our Lives scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 24 in Calvert City’s Memorial Park.
The march, organized mainly by Marshall County, Calloway County and Murray High School students with the help of advisors and organizations, was scheduled to coincide with the National March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C.
Students are receiving organizational support from Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, a grassroots organization of Kentuckians, and Pennyroyal Indivisible, this region’s chapter of the national Indivisible organization that mobilizes progressive grassroots groups to affect local change.
Lexi Fortner, senior at Murray High school, is one of the students involved in the planning of the event. Fortner said she plans to be involved with this issue even after the march is over.
First and foremost, Fortner said students shouldn’t be worrying about potential shooter situations. Instead, she said they simply should be worried about what lunch to bring or what shoes to wear.
“I hope that by having the numbers and showing that even though my generation is barely old enough to vote, we are paying attention,” Fortner said. “We as a whole want change. At this point, I honestly just want the government to acknowledge that this is going on. I want our lawmakers to realize that yes, by standing up we are taking action. Yes, we are your futures and yes, we do want to fix the problems arising in our country, but if you don’t take care of us, we can’t take care of you.”
The idea for the march originated from Heather Adams and her 14-year-old son, Seth, who is a freshman at Marshall County High School and was in the building when the shooting happened. In a press release for the march, he said they want to increase safety and change the culture. He believes this unification of the community will help them process the emotional trauma.
Seth was in the high school cafeteria and about 20 yards from the shooter on Jan. 23 when 16 students were shot. He said he didn’t see anything, but he heard shots, and he is still dealing with the aftermath. One way he has coped with the trauma is by talking to others about their experiences and thoughts.
“Just gathering together, and writing down ideas — it’s like a group therapy almost, it’s like a therapeutic process,” Seth said. “That said, this is more than a political organization. This march is for unity, and a sense of moving forward, a sense of bringing change to the community and change to our culture and change to our laws even, and creating a better environment for everybody — for the students at Marshall County, for everybody in Marshall County and surrounding communities, and in Kentucky and in our country.”
At the event, scheduled speakers include gunshot wound expert and Vanderbilt Medical Center physician Dr. Sterling Haring and Alonzo Pennington, a hunting guide and folk entertainer.
The march route will be announced the day of the event. Fortner said 500 people are expected to attend, and anyone is welcome.
“We need as many people as possible to help emphasize the frustration we as students, parents, friends and family go through so on a day to day basis worrying about students’ safety and well-being, when we just need to worry about grades and homework,” Fortner said.
For more information visit the March for Our Lives Marshall County/West Kentucky Facebook page.