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2020 PROCLAMATION
DECLARING THE FIRST FRIDAY IN JUNE TO BE
NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY
This proclamation declares the first Friday in June to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the City of Blue Island to honor and remember all victims and survivors of gun violence and to declare that we as a country must do more to reduce gun violence.
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; and
WHEREAS, Americans are 25 times more likely to die by gun homicide than people in other high-income countries; and
WHEREAS, Illinois has 1,363-gun deaths every year, with a rate of 10.6 deaths per 100,000 people. Illinois has the 37th highest rate of gun deaths in the US; and
WHEREAS, gun homicides predominantly occur 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 Blue Island, are working to end the senseless violence with evidence-based solutions; and
WHEREAS, protecting public safety in the communities they serve is mayors’ highest responsibility; and
WHEREAS, 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, 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; and
WHEREAS, the pandemic facing America has drastically impacted communities and individuals sheltering in place which may result in situations where access to firearms results in increased risk in intimate partner violence gun deaths, suicide by gun and unintentional shootings;
WHEREAS, in January 2013, Hadiya Pendleton, a teenager who marched in the presidential inaugural parade and was tragically shot and killed just weeks later; and
WHEREAS, to help honor 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 6th 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 5th, the first Friday in June in 2020, to help raise awareness about gun violence; and
WHEREAS, by wearing orange on June 5, 2020 Americans will 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 Mayor Domingo Vargas of the city of Blue Island declares the first Friday in June, June 5, 2020, to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day. I encourage all citizens to support their local communities’ efforts to prevent the tragic effects of gun violence and to honor and value human lives.
May 29, 2020
