NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- The mayor of North Myrtle Beach, Marilyn Hatley, proclaimed June 3, 2022, National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY
This proclamation declares the first Friday in June to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the City of North Myrtle Beach 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, more than 110 Americans are killed by gun violence, alongside more than 200 who are shot and wounded, and on average there are nearly 16,000 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, South Carolina has an average of 964 gun deaths every year, with a rate of 18.9 deaths per 100,000 people. South Carolina has the 10th highest 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 North Myrtle Beach, are working to end the senseless violence with evidence-based solutions; and
WHEREAS, protecting public safety in the communities they serve is a 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 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 the COVID-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 to recognize the 25th 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 3rd, the first Friday in June in 2022, to help raise awareness about gun violence; and
WHEREAS, by wearing orange on June 3, 2022, 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 I, Marilyn Hatley, Mayor of the City of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, along with the North Myrtle Beach City Council declare June 3, 2022 to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Dated this 16th day of May 2022
Mayor Hatley urges citizens and visitors to join in the special observance of National Gun Violence Awareness Day.