Title
To Proclaim the First Friday in June 6, 2019 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day
Body
WHEREAS, every day, 96 Americans are killed by gun violence and on average there are nearly 13,000 gun homicides every year; and Americans are 25 times more likely to be killed with guns than people in other developed countries; and
WHEREAS, support for the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens goes hand-in-hand with keeping guns away from dangerous people; and
WHEREAS, Councilmembers and law enforcement officers know their communities best, are the most familiar with local criminal activity and how to address it, and are best positioned to understand how to keep their citizens safe; and
WHEREAS, in January 2013, Hadiya Pendleton, a teenager who marched in President Obama’s second inaugural parade and was tragically shot and killed just weeks later, should be now celebrating her 22nd
birthday; and
WHEREAS, to help honor Hadiya - and the 96 Americans whose lives are cut short and the countless survivors who are injured by shootings every day - a national coalition of organizations has designated
June 1st, 2019, the first Friday in June, as the 5th National Gun Violence Awareness Day; and
WHEREAS, the idea was inspired by a group of Hadiya’s friends, who asked their classmates to commemorate her life by wearing orange; they chose this color because hunters wear orange to announce
themselves to other hunters when out in the woods and orange is a color that symbolizes the value of human life; and
WHEREAS, anyone can join this campaign by pledging to Wear Orange on June 1st, the first Friday in June in 2019, to help raise awareness about gun violence to raise awareness about gun violence and honor the lives of gun violence victims and survivors; and
WHEREAS, we renew our commitment to reduce gun violence and pledge to do all we can to keep firearms out of the wrong hands, and encourage responsible gun ownership to help keep our children safe.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS, that the first Friday of June 2019 be declared National Gun Violence Awareness Day. This Council also encourages each citizen to support their local communities’ efforts to prevent the tragic effects of gun violence - honoring and valuing human life.