house resolution no.121

Reps. Wittenberg, Elder, Manoogian, Brixie, Pagan, Kuppa, Gay-Dagnogo, Hoadley, Hammoud, Lasinski, Chirkun, Bolden, Warren, Rabhi, Hertel, Sowerby, Liberati, Ellison, Hope, Clemente, Koleszar, Kennedy, Stone, Tate, Hood, Guerra, Cynthia Johnson, Pohutsky, Anthony, Yancey, Greig and Garrett offered the following resolution:

A resolution to declare June 7, 2019, as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the state of Michigan.

Whereas, Every day, 100 Americans are killed by gun violence and countless others are wounded; and

Whereas, Americans are 25 times more likely to be killed with guns than people in other high-income countries; and

Whereas, Protecting public safety in the communities they serve is among a governor’s highest responsibilities; and

Whereas, Support for the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens goes hand-in-hand with keeping guns away from people that shouldn’t have them; and

Whereas, June 2019 would have marked the 22nd birthday of Hadiya Pendleton, a teenager who marched in President Obama’s second inaugural parade and was tragically shot and killed just weeks later; and

Whereas, To help honor Hadiya, and the 100 Americans whose lives are cut short and the countless others who are wounded by gun violence every day, June 7, 2019, has been designated as the 5th 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 protect themselves and others and orange is a color that has been embraced by the gun safety movement because it symbolizes the value of human life; and

Whereas, By wearing orange and commemorating National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 7, Americans will raise awareness about gun violence and honor the lives and lost human potential of Americans stolen by gun violence; 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 by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare June 7, 2019, as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the state of Michigan.