Title
Proclamation for National Gun Violence Awareness Day
Memorandum
PROCLAMATION
National Gun Violence Awareness Day
June 2, 2016
WHEREAS, Wear Orange Day began when friends of Hadiya Pendleton, 15, an honor
student who was shot in 2013 in Chicago, decided to wear orange to commemorate her death. They chose orange because it is the color hunters wear to protect themselves from being shot. This day, also known as National Gun Violence Awareness Day, is being embraced by over 80 organizations nationwide; and
WHEREAS, Gun violence is a major public health problem in the United States. In 2013, there were 33,599 firearm deaths in the US. There are approximately twice as many serious injuries as deaths caused by firearms; and
WHEREAS, The United States has one of the highest reported rates of unintentional child gun deaths in the world; and
WHEREAS, In 2015, a toddler with access to an improperly secured weapon shot someone about once per week; and
WHEREAS, In 2016, Michigan ranks number four in the nation for number of incidents of children under 4 who have shot someone with an unsecured gun so far in 2016; and
WHEREAS, Washtenaw County had 114 gun deaths between 2008 and 2013. Seventy nine of those were suicides; and
WHEREAS, Our young people and families deserve to feel safe and protected in this community.
NOW THEREFORE, I, Christopher Taylor, Mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, do hereby declare June 2, 2016 as Gun Violence Awareness Day, and encourage all residents to wear orange as a way to proclaim our stand against gun violence and to affirm that all individuals, children and families have a right to feel safe and to take peaceful action to encourage the prevention of gun violence.
I hereby set my hand and seal
This 16th day of May, 2016
________________________
Christopher Taylor
Mayor of the City of Ann Arbor