A Marshall County High School teacher is speaking out against a Republican political rally in the region this summer featuring NRA President Oliver North. The Marshall County and Calloway County Republican Parties are jointly hosting the event on Aug. 3 at Murray State University.
Chris Kerrick has taught at Marshall County High School for 19 years. He was at the school on January 23 when a shooter killed two students and injured 14 others. Kerrick says he sent a letter via social media to the Marshall County Republican Party asking them to cancel the Oliver North event. He said in the letter inviting North is “cold and callous” and fuels divisions in the community. Kerrick says he is pro-second amendment, but feels inviting North seems “flippant” in the wake of the recent shooting.
“It’s just poor timing. It’s just something that digs up hard feelings for me and possibly others, I can’t speak for anyone else. It just really hurt, because the community has been wonderful,” he said.
Marshall County GOP Chair Danny Holt says his group booked North before learning of his appointment to NRA President. He says insensitivity was never their intent and considered that some might not like North’s appearance. But he says his group is moving forward with the event as planned.