Wear orange on June 2: National Gun Violence Awareness Day
On most days, we associate the color orange with joy, sunshine and fun, but on Thursday, June 2nd, to me and many across the US, orange will signify the public health crisis due to gun violence. On that day, National Gun Violence Awareness Day, I will wear orange to show my solidarity with families of my patients who have lost a family member to gun violence, solidarity with communities across America that are torn apart by bloodshed and fear. On that day, I will stop and reflect on the fact that every year, an average of nearly 17,500 children and teens are shot each year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
I will also wear orange to signify hope that there can be a brighter tomorrow. It is not inevitable that we live in violence. Look at other developed countries. A study published earlier this year in The American Journal of Medicine found that when compared to the US, gun homicide rates in other developed countries were 25 times lower and that the vast majority of child deaths from firearms in developed countries are in the US: 91 percent of firearm deaths for children 14 and younger; 92 percent from youth aged 15 to 24 years. What is different? Our per capita firearm ownership rate is higher than that of any of these other countries. We can do better for our communities and our children by finding solutions (perhaps by learning from our other developed countries) on ways to reduce the number of guns and our excessive exposure to gun violence.
So, what can you do today? Statistics indicate that up to one in three US homes report having a firearm. So even if you do not own a gun, there is a good chance that your child’s friend or classmate may have a gun in their home. Parents should be aware of the homes in which their children are playing and how children comprehend (or fail to comprehend) the dangers of firearms as they mature developmentally. If you own a gun, make smart decisions around safe storage – or removing guns from the home entirely.
There is a role for all of us in protecting children and adolescents against gun violence. Events will be held around the country on Thursday for National Gun Violence Awareness Day, including here in Philadelphia. Supporters are also encouraged to “Wear Orange” in solidarity, and use the #WearOrange hashtag on social media
Meet the Queens of Eta Sigma Delta SL Sorority Blog Team: Three ladies that I call ( Our Elements ) EARTH - WIND - AND FIRE ~~~~~
Destiny Ashland - EARTH!
Wear Orange was inspired by friends of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old Chicago high school student killed by gunfire, who decided to honor her life by wearing orange – the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others. On June 2, 2015, what would have been Hadiya’s 18th birthday, more than 200 organizations and influencers asked people nationwide to join them by wearing orange to honor her life, the lives of the more than 90 Americans killed by gun violence and the hundreds more who are injured every day. President Obama, Julianne Moore, Russell Simmons, Sarah Silverman, the New York Mets, MTV, Cosmopolitan, Motown Records, Michael J. Fox, Questlove and Katie Couric are just a few of those who answered the call last year, helping the #WearOrange message reach more than 220 million people in a single day.
Risa Marquez - WIND!
n the months since the launch of Wear Orange and the first-ever National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 2, 2015, the effort has reached millions of Americans. On December 14, 2015, as part of the commemoration of the three-year mark since the Sandy Hook shooting and in response to the San Bernardino shooting, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety, hosted “Orange Walks” to help amplify the gun safety movement. The Orange Walks, which took place in over 100 cities nationwide, were the biggest offline event in the organization to date. Additionally, orange carpets replaced the traditional red carpet at Spike Lee’s New York City premiere of Chi-Raq and at the Sundance Film Festival’s debut of Katie Couric’s documentary Under the Gun. Egypt A. Xaris - FIRE!
Voices of Orange Competition: Wear Orange is partnering with Street-Level Youth Media to sponsor the first-ever “Voices of Orange” talent competition. Wear Orange was created by Chicago teens who were determined to make themselves heard. Now, the Wear Orange coalition is offering Chicago youth ages 15 to 22 another opportunity to lift their voices and take the stage with rap, song or spoken-word poetry. Entries will be accepted through April 4, 2016. Special consideration will be given to submissions about peace, nonviolence or reducing gun violence. The winner will receive $3,000 and have his or her work heard by “Voices of Orange” celebrity judges Andra Day, Malik Yusef and Andrew Bird. The winner will get the opportunity to perform for the crowd, which will include record label executives, at Chicago’s Party for Peace on National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 2, 2016. More information about the competition and entry requirements is available at VoicesOfOrange.org. “What started as a ripple of hope at a high school on the South Side of Chicago has quickly grown into a national movement,” said Jason Rzepka, director of cultural engagement at Everytown for Gun Safety, a Wear Orange partner organization. “The early success of Wear Orange is a testament to the brilliance of the young people who started it, but also a very public demonstration of the millions of Americans who believe there’s more we all can do to save lives from gun violence. As the campaign multiplies in its second year, many more people will have the opportunity to get involved with the scores of Wear Orange partners who do the hard work of saving lives every day.”
WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO:
1) Wear Orange on Thursday, June 2nd!!
2) Share with your networks on social media: take a picture while wearing orange and post using the hashtag #WearingOrange
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