Swedesboro Supports National Gun Violence Awareness Day
GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY – FRIDAY, JUNE 1st
The Borough of Swedesboro determines that the first Friday in June will be National Gun Violence Awareness Day. We’re doing this to honor and remember all victims and survivors of gun violence and to declare that we as a country should do more to reduce gun violence.
Everyday, 96 Americans are killed by gun violence and on average there are nearly 13,000 gun homicides every year. Americans are 25 times more likely to be killed with guns than people in other developed countries and protecting public safety in the communities they serve is the mayors highest responsibility.
In January 2013, Hadiya Pendleton, a teenager who marched in President Obama’s second inaugural parade was tragically shot and killed just weeks later, should have been now celebrating her 21st birthday. To 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 has designated June 1st, 2018 the first Friday in June, as the 4th National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Anyone can join the campaign by pledging to Wear Orange on June 1st, to help raise awareness about gun violence. The color orange was picked because it is the color that hunters wear in order to announce themselves. Join us in creating awareness, together as a community we can get guns out of the hands of the wrong people.