HomeMy WebLinkAbout[05.1] Nation Gun Violence Proclamation
Council Agenda Item 5.1
MEETING DATE: May 21, 2018
AGENDA ITEM: National Gun Violence Awareness Day
SUBMITTED BY: Administration
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION:
PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Cindy Abercrombie, Lead for the St. Cloud area Chapter of Moms
Demand Action for Gun Sense in America has requested the Council proclaim June 1 as Gun Violence Awareness
Day. Moms Demand Actions is a nonpartisan, grassroots movement fighting for public safety measures that respect
the Second Amendment and protect people from gun violence. Formed after Sandy Hook in 2012, it joined Mayor
against Illegal Guns as part of Every town for Gun Safety to make up the largest gun violence prevention
organization in the country.
June 1st is Gun Violence Awareness Day. It is coupled with Wear Orange Day on June 2 as a nationwide day of
remembrance and action. It began after 15 year old Hadiya Pendleton’s friends wore orange in her honor after she
was shot and killed just one week after she performed at the President’s inaugural parade in 2013. Hundreds of
communities nationwide have commemorated this day by lighting skylines orange, issuing city and state
proclamations and holding events. Celebrities and professional sports teams have also joined on this day to call for
an end to gun violence.
She has requested consideration of proclaiming Friday, June 1 to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day in St.
Joseph. The link for the Wear Orange website is: https://wearorange.org/
She stated that her husband Jeff Vee’s recording studi (Rockhouse Productions) is located in St. Joseph. As you
may know Rockhouse produces JoeTown Rocks. My office is also in St. Joseph and our daughter attends school in
St. Joseph. We love this community and would like to see it participate in an event that we know many members of
your town would support.
BUDGET/FISCAL IMPACT:
ATTACHMENTS: Resolution 2018-024
REQUESTED COUNCIL ACTION: Authorize the Mayor and Administrator to execute Resolution 2018-024
Declaring the First Friday in June to be Nation Gun Violence Awareness Day.
RESOLUTION 2018-024
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 St. Joseph 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, 96 Americans are killed by gun violence and on average there are nearly
13,000 gun homicides every year; and
WHEREAS, Americans are 25 times more likely to be killed with guns than people in other
developed countries; 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 dangerous people; 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, in January 2013, Hadiya Pendleton, a teenager who marched in President Obama’s
second inaugural parade and was tragically shot and killed just weeks later, should have be now
celebrating her 21st birthday; and
WHEREAS, to help honor Hadiya – and the 96 Americans whose lives are cut short and the
countless survivors who are injured by shootings every day – a national coalition of organizations
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has designated June 1, 2018, the first Friday in June, as the 4th 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
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WHEREAS, anyone can join this campaign by pledging to Wear Orange on June 1, the first
Friday in June in 2018, to help raise awareness about gun violence; and
WHEREAS, by wearing orange on June 1, 2018 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 Rick Schultz of the city of St. Joseph
declares the first Friday in June, June 1, 2018, 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.
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Adopted this 21 day of May , 2018
Rick Schultz, Mayor
ATTEST
Judy Weyrens, Administrator