Title
RESOLUTION DECLARING THE FIRST FRIDAY IN JUNE TO BE NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY IN THE CITY OF DULUTH TO HONOR AND REMEMBER ALL VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF GUN VIOLENCE.
Body
BY PRESIDENT VAN NETT AND COUNCILOR ANDERSON:
WHEREAS, every day, more than 100 Americans are killed by gun violence, alongside more than 230 who are shot and wounded, and on average there are more than 13,000 gun homicides every year; and
WHEREAS, Americans are 25 times more likely to die by gun homicide than people in other high-income countries; and
WHEREAS, in Minnesota there are 442 gun deaths in an average year, with a rate of 7.8 deaths per 100,000 people. Minnesota has the 44th highest rate of gun deaths in the US; and
WHEREAS, gun homicides and assaults are concentrated in cities, with more than half of all firearm related gun deaths in the nation occurring in 127 cities; and
WHEREAS, cities across the nation, including in Duluth, are working to end the senseless violence with evidence-based solutions; and
WHEREAS, support for the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens goes hand-in-hand with limiting access to guns for persons with a history of self-harm or the endangerment of others; and
WHEREAS, gun violence prevention is more important than ever as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exacerbate gun violence after more than a year of increased gun sales, increased calls to suicide and domestic violence hotlines, and an increase in city gun violence; and
WHEREAS, in January 2013 Hadiya Pendleton (born June 2, 1997) was tragically shot and killed at the age of 15; in recognition of Hadiya Pendleton’s 24th birthday, people across the United States will recognize National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 4, 2021, and wear orange in tribute to:
(1) Hadiya Pendleton and other victims of gun violence; and
(2) The family and loved ones of those victims; and
WHEREAS, Hadiya’s friends and classmates chose the tribute color orange 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 4th, the first Friday in June in 2021, to help 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, that the city of Duluth declares the first Friday in June to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day. All citizens are encouraged to support efforts to stop gun violence and to honor and value human lives.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This purpose of this resolution is to declare the first Friday in June to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the city of Duluth.