SEMO students going to March for Our Lives

Following the recent National School Walkout that took place in high schools across the country, another national movement is gearing up to take place Saturday: March for Our Lives.

The March 14 walkouts were in response to the recent school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that took the lives of 17 students and teachers. Students walked out of school for 17 minutes to send a message about the need for stricter gun reforms, more mental health resources for their peers and school safety.

The March for Our Lives will follow suit Saturday in Washington, D.C., and in cities all over America. One of the nearly 800 sister marches will take place in St. Louis, and the Cape Girardeau County Democrats plan to attend.

The Democrats will take a bus to the march and encourage community members and students to come along. Seats on the bus are $10 per person, but up to 20 students will be reimbursed.

The actions taken by the Parkland students inspired the Cape Girardeau County Democrats to get involved with the March for Our Lives, Leighton said.

He added the students in Parkland have managed to get more restrictive gun bills passed by the Florida Legislature and signed by the governor, but opponents are challenging the law in court.

"The basic problem with this kind of victory, as much as it is necessary, is that it only adds to the national patchwork," Leighton said. "We need laws that apply to everyone in the U.S., no matter where they happen to live."