Mayor Brodeur Declares First Weekend in June Gun Violence Awareness Weekend in Melrose

Mayor Paul Brodeur is declaring the first weekend in June to be Gun Violence Awareness Weekend and calls upon the Melrose community to come together to honor the survivors and victims of gun violence and raise awareness of gun-related tragedies by wearing orange from June 2 to June 4, also known as Wear Orange Weekend, as orange is the defining color of the gun violence prevention movement.

“Declarations and movements such as these help to remind us that while thankfully rates of gun violence are low in Melrose, firearms remain the leading cause of death of American children,” said Melrose resident Anne Whiting, a local advocate for raising awareness of gun violence and gun-related tragedies.

The U.S. is the only country among its peers in which guns are the leading cause of death among children and teens aged 1-19 years, according to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, and every day 120 Americans are killed by guns.

Across Massachusetts, communities will gather to honor victims of gun violence on Wear Orange weekend. Proclamations are planned in Melrose, Medford, Woburn, Arlington, Lexington, Newburyport, and other towns and cities. The Zakim and Longfellow bridges, as well as the Melrose City Hall clock tower, will be lit orange on June 2.

PROCLAMATION DECLARING
THE FIRST WEEKEND IN JUNE  2023
TO BE NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS WEEKEND
IN MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS

This proclamation declares the first weekend in June to be National Gun Violence Awareness Weekend in the City of Melrose and is intended to honor and remember all victims and survivors of gun violence and to declare that we as a country must do more to end this public health crisis.

WHEREAS, firearms recently became the number one cause of death for children and teens in the United States, surpassing motor vehicle deaths and those caused by other injuries.

WHEREAS, every day, more than 120 Americans are killed by gun violence, and more than 200 are shot and wounded, with an average of more than 17,000 gun homicides every year; and

WHEREAS, Americans are 26 times more likely to die by gun homicide than people in other high-income countries; and

WHEREAS, Massachusetts has 255 gun deaths every year, with a rate of 3.5 deaths per 100,000 people, a crisis that costs the state $3.5 billion, of which $85.4 million is paid by taxpayers. Massachusetts has the lowest rate of gun deaths in the US; and

WHEREAS, gun homicides and assaults are concentrated 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 Melrose, 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 —in partnership with local violence intervention activists and resources —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, gun violence prevention is more important than ever as we see an increase in firearm homicides, and nonfatal shootings across the country, increased calls to domestic violence hotlines, and an increase in city gun violence;

WHEREAS, in January 2013, Hadiya Pendleton was tragically shot and killed at age 15; and on June 2, 2023, to recognize the 26th birthday of Hadiya Pendleton (born: June 2, 1997), people across the United States will recognize National Gun Violence Awareness Day and wear orange 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, 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 2^nd, 3^rd, and, the first Friday in June 2023, to help raise awareness about gun violence; and

WHEREAS, by wearing orange on June 2, 2023, 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 hands of people who should not have access to them, and encourage responsible gun ownership to help keep our families and communities safe.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Mayor Paul Brodeur, of the City of Melrose declare the first weekend in June 2023 to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day. I encourage all residents to support efforts to prevent the tragic effects of gun violence and to honor and value human lives.

Paul Brodeur
Mayor of Melrose