Story and photos by Paige Effinger, Staff Writer

Hundreds of people all over the Western Kentucky area gathered in Memorial Park to celebrate the March For Our Lives movement.

The march in Calvert City was specific to Jan. 23 where a student opened fire at Marshall County High School, injuring many and killing two students.

This march is in accordance with the national march held in Washington D.C. on the same day. There were more than 800 marches held in various communities across the country.  The national march is in response to all school shootings, especially Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

 The rally began with chanting from the crowd. Women, men and children all chanted phrases like “Stop the silence, end gun violence” to get the crowd excited for the march. During the chants, the crowd rose their signs in the air that read things like “Moms against gun violence” and Emma Gonzalez’ now famous phrase “I call B.S.”.  

Several students and locals got up to share their stories on the matter.  Lloyd Ford, editor and publisher of The Lake News in Calvert City, began the rally by welcoming the crowd.

“I understand that we are here today to move a mountain,” Ford said.  “I’ve named that mountain. The mountain’s name is Fear.”

Students of Marshall County High School then got up to share their own personal accounts of that day and why they believe in this cause. The topics ranged from mental health awareness, gun policies, unity and NRA influence.

Makalya Wadkins, a high school student who suffers from depression and anxiety herself, spoke about how mental illnesses are not to be blamed for gun violence.

“Starting the conversation about gun violence in the context of mental illness does a disservice both to the victims of violence and unfairly stigmatizes the many others with mental illness,” Wadkins said.

Despite the rainy weather that was described as “tears from heaven” by Ford, the event was well attended.

The event was complete with a booth that sold t-shirts to support the cause and a booth where people could register to vote.

One Marshall County High School student, Korbin Brandon, shared his own personal account of the Marshall County shooting. Brandon started his speech by asking for a moment of silence, reciting the pledge of allegiance and said that protesting is one of the most American things we can do.

He spoke about how he got into an argument with someone of differing opinions than him, and if he hadn’t gone back to talk to this girl, he may have been the one shot that day.

Brandon said it is sad that it took something like a school shooting for the community to start meeting like this, but he is glad we are finally talking about it.

“And if the mountain that we are talking about is Fear, then we are all excavators taking one rock, then we can take down the entire mountain,” Brandon said.