2022 National Gun Violence Awareness Day Proclamation

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li� d I I ��,Mon,,,a ,�! .c�; .Y� ��9 q;' :! `{�� 2�CD�tttt Df �.e1�f l�gtOri, �at�ga�e�jugett� � �54E�� .�� .. AMIGIq� .. ��'ktK��{�'�' SELECT BOARD OFFICE i I � PRQCLAMATION � ry ; , � Whereas: every day, more than 110 Americans are killed by gun violence,alongside more than 200 wha are shot and waunded, and on average there are nearly 16,000 gun hornicides every year; and Whereas: Americans are 26 times more likely to di�e by gun homicide than people in other high-income countries;and Whereas: Massachusetts had an average of 255 gun deaths per year from 2416 to 2020,with a rate of 3.5 deaths per 100,000 people, Massachusetts has the 51 st highest rate of gun deaths in the US;and Whereas: cities and towns across the nation, including Lexington,MA are working to end the senseless vialence;and Whereas: protecting public safety in the communities they serve is ane of the Select Board and Town Manager's highest responsibilities;and N'hereas: gun violence prevention is more irnportant than ever as the C4VID-19 pandemic continues to exacerbate gun violence after more than two years 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 was tragically shot and killed at age 15; and on June 3, 2022 td recognize the 25th birthday of Hadiya Pendleton(barn: June 2, 1997},people across the �United States will recognize National Gun Violence Awaxeness Day and wear arange in tribute to—(1}Hadiya Pendleton and other victims of,gun violence; and{2) the loved ones of those victims; and Whereas: the idea was inspired by a group of Hadiya's friends, wha asked their classmates to commemorate her life by wearing orange;they chose this color because hunters wear orange to announce themselves to other hu.nters when out in the woods and orange is a color that symbolizes the value of human life;and Whereas: anyone can jain this campaign by pledging to wear orange on June 3rd,the first Friday in June in 2Q22, to help raise awareness about gun violence; and Whereas: by wearing orange on June 3, 2022 Americans will raise awareness abaut gun vialence and honor the lives of gun vialence victims and survivars; and