‘They don’t want to take guns away’

Story by Lindsey Coleman, News Editor

Photo contributed by Keaton Conner

 

Two weeks after the local and national versions of the March for Our Lives rally for stricter gun control, the local organizers continue the fight as they seek to make schools safe from gun violence.

Bobbie Foust, who handled the public relations side of the local march and worked with the planning committee, said there is more to come.

“They’re not finished,” Foust said. “The march was just the beginning. There will be a next step, and it will be coming soon.”

She said despite the rain, about 400 people came to the march in Calvert City on March 24. A hunting guide, Rep. Will Coursey, a physician who treated victims of the Marshall County High School shooting, a newspaper publisher who reported about the shooting and 11 students from MCHS spoke and showed their support for ending gun violence.

Keaton Conner, a 16 year old junior at Marshall County High School, said she was in the school parking lot when tragedy struck. Since the incident, she has taken the opportunity to use her experience to influence the conversation about gun violence in schools.

She organized the charter bus that carried about 40 Marshall students to rallys in Frankfort, Kentucky. She spoke out in Frankfort on March 14 and 20 and in Calvert City, Kentucky on March 24.

“It was a very inspiring experience to be surrounded by like-minded individuals who want to see changes as I do,” Conner said. “However, the more I speak out, the more hatred I face.”

Most students have reacted well to her face, and she said she’s tried to look past negative comments on social media.

“There are many people who are misled about our mission, and instead of educating themselves, they choose to make horrific comments and attack our character,” Conner said. “I just try to remind myself that it could be a lot worse. This could happen again to me or someone I love. If it does, I will be able to tell myself that I was working hard to prevent it, and they will know that instead, they were sitting behind a screen belittling a 16-year-old girl who just wanted safety.”

Foust said the backlash is to be expected.

“I heard it said on national television a few days ago, that the pushback that some of the children are getting nationwide is a sign of it being a success,” Foust said.

As the months pass by following the Marshall County shooting and many speak out, Conner said their voices have been heard by some, but there are still a lot more to reach. She met with Gov. Matt Bevin after the first Frankfort rally.

“He did hear us; however, I’m not sure if he really listened,” she said. “We will see what happens. I heard no clear plan of action from him, and I hope that changes.”

She said this is a conversation that must keep moving.

“As of now, my goal is to ensure the politicians elected in November are going to support our teachers, school safety and the public education system in general,” Conner said. “So I’m spending my time campaigning [against gun violence], and beginning to organize a rally which will allow candidates to speak about their stance on school safety and the pension crisis.”

Heather Adams was involved with administrative support for the march. Her son Seth is a freshman at MCHS. Heather said the students did 99 percent of the planning for the march.

Although they don’t see another rally in the near future, Heather said the students are currently looking to organizations for support.

“So many people in our region believe that these students aim to disarm the public, when what they are really asking for is a dialogue on how we can make our schools safe from gun violence,” Heather said. “Their ideas include safe storage education, mental health services at school and closing background check loopholes so we can prevent weapons from falling into the hands of dangerous criminals.”

Heather said an announcement will be made in the next few weeks about how students and community members can be involved. Anyone interested can join the Facebook group called March For Our Lives Marshall County/West Kentucky.

“They don’t want to take the guns away, they just want to feel safe at school so they can become productive members of society,” Heather said. “We can work together on this by talking with our friends, family and other community members about safe storage and universal background checks as an attribute of responsible gun ownership.”

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