National Gun Violence Awareness Day

PROCLAMATION from Fred Camillo, First Selectman

WHEREAS, Every day, more than 100 Americans are killed by gun violence and on average there are more than 13,000 gun homicides every year. Americans are 25 times more likely to die by gun homicide than people in other high-income countries; and

WHEREAS, Connecticut has 172 gun deaths every year, with a rate of 4.4 deaths per 100,000 people. Connecticut has the 45th highest rate of gun deaths in the United States. Cities across the nation, including in Greenwich, are working to end the senseless violence with evidence-based solutions; and

WHEREAS, Protecting public safety in the communities they serve is a mayors’ highest responsibility. Mayors 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. Support for the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens goes hand-in-hand with keeping guns away from people with dangerous histories; and

WHEREAS, In January 2013, Hadiya Pendleton, a teenager who marched in the presidential inaugural parade, was tragically shot and killed just weeks later. To help honor Hadiya – and the more than 100 Americans whose lives are cut short every day and the countless survivors who are injured by shootings every day – a national coalition of organizations has designated June 5, 2020, the first Friday in June, as the 6^th 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 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 5^th, the first Friday in June 2020. By wearing orange, Americans will raise awareness about
gun violence and honor the lives of gun violence victims and survivors. We renew our commitment to do all we can to keep firearms out of the wrong hands, and encourage responsible gun ownership to keep our children safe.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Fred Camillo, FIRST SELECTMAN OF THE TOWN OF GREENWICH, do hereby proclaim Friday, June 5, 2020 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the Town of Greenwich to honor and remember all victims and survivors of gun violence. We encourage all citizens to support their local communities’ efforts to prevent the tragic effects of gun violence and to honor and value human lives.