Title
Declaring June 2nd to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Body
WHEREAS, every day, 91 Americans are killed by gun violence and the lives of countless others are injured; and
WHEREAS, Americans are 25 times more likely to be murdered with guns than people in other developed countries; and
WHEREAS, the Minnesota Coalition of Battered Women reports that, for over 50% of those who die at the hands of current or former partners, firearms are used; and
WHEREAS, protecting public safety in the communities we serve is our highest responsibility; and
WHEREAS, support for the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens goes hand-in-hand with responsible gun ownership and with keeping guns away from dangerous people; and
WHEREAS we believe in talking about gun violence prevention and looking at common-sense measures like closing the loopholes and requiring criminal background checks on all gun purchases to take strides to reduce the number of lives lost; and
WHEREAS, mayors, 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, June 2nd, 2016 would have been the 19th birthday of Hadiya Pendleton, a teenager who marched in President Obama’s second inaugural parade and was tragically shot and killed just weeks later; and
WHEREAS, to help honor Hadiya - and the 91 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 2nd, 2016, as the second annual 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; a color hunters wear to announce themselves to other hunters out in the woods and a color that symbolizes the value of human life; and
WHEREAS, anyone can join this campaign by pledging to Wear Orange on June 2nd to help raise awareness about gun violence; and
WHEREAS, by wearing orange on June 2nd, Americans will raise awareness about gun violence and honor the lives and lost human potential of Americans stolen by gun violence; 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; and now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council stands with Mayor Coleman in declaring June 2 to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day and encourages all citizens to support efforts to prevent the tragic effects of gun violence and to honor and value all human lives.