As one of two Democrats on the Coles County Board, Gail Mason said she is shocked by recent gun violence and felt she needed to be involved with these issues. 

Mason has traveled to more than 40 countries and said she feels safer while traveling because gun restrictions are tighter.

“I don’t feel safe because these people aren’t carrying guns unless they are military,” Mason said. “And the military is not going to randomly shoot an American citizen walking down the street.”

Mason said when people aren’t willing to engage productively and use self-control when talking about important issues, it hinders these kinds of conversations.

More than 60 protesters and counterprotesters converged at the Coles County Courthouse to listen to and discuss gun reform, recent shootings and voting in pro-gun reform candidates.

Hundreds of March For Our Lives rallies were held simultaneously across the United States, in at least 45 states on Saturday, both in big cities and smaller communities like Charleston.

Founded after the Parkland Fla. shooting on Feb. 14, 2018, March For Our Lives aims to create a society where gun violence is obsolete. 

Chairperson of the Coles County Democrats, Mac White said the nonviolent nature of the rally made him happy.

“I think we raised a very good point and I think that we mostly showed that we are calm and rational folks who want common sense,” White said. 

During the 7 speeches, White tried to mitigate arguments from both sides and general interjections. 

“Words, I mean, are fine, but I didn’t want anything violent to happen, and thank goodness it did not,” White said.

After delivering her speech, Erika Weaver, who ran for Illinois’ 15 Congressional District in 2020 and lost, exchanged a civil conversation with a counter-protester.

Weaver said these kinds of conversations need to happen more.

“I think that’s where we need to happen more, people need to sit down and just engage in dialogue without yelling and name-calling and making accusations and just focusing on what the end goal is,” Weaver said.

Like Weaver, Charleston resident Bill Harrison talked with Jessica Mertz addressing solutions to keep schools safe.

Although they had two different viewpoints, they didn’t yell or antagonize the other; rather, they found similarities between them.

As a gun owner, Harrison said he came to the rally because there were only democratic speakers, so he wanted to have an opportunity for others to hear his opinions.

Harrison said he never wants to hurt anyone unless it is in self-defense.

“I don’t ever want to have to point it at someone,” Harrison said. “I don’t ever want to have to pull the trigger. I don’t ever want to have to shoot or kill someone, but if I’m backed in a situation where I have to perform self-defense for my own protection, at least I have an opportunity.” 

Sharifa Etoe-Hurtault, a senior TV and production major, didn’t have a solidified opinion on the second amendment. Now, after hearing both sides’ points, she now has a better idea of what she believes.

Etoe-Hurtault said gun reform shows the polarizing difference between political views because the topic isn’t just black and white; it contains a lot of gray areas.

Rob Le Cates is a sophomore journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].