HomeMy WebLinkAbout02 - Proclamation - Gun Violence Awareness Day - 6/1/2021CITY OF COSTA ME A AI.IFJRNI
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WHEREAS, this proclamation declares the first Friday in June to be National Gun Violence Awareness
Day in the City of Costa Mesa to honor and remember all victims and survivors of gun violence; and
WHEREAS, in the United States gun violence is a national concern and is a major health crisis, firearm -
related injuries is the second leading cause of death for American children and teens, every day an
average of seven children under the age of 19 are killed by gun violence; and
WHEREAS, every day, more than 100 Americans are killed by gun violence and on average there are
almost 13,000 gun homicides annually; the lives of countless others are injured and Americans are 25
times more likely to be murdered with guns than people in other developed countries; and
WHEREAS, support of the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens goes hand -in -hand with
keeping guns away from dangerous people; and
WHEREAS, the consequences of gun violence are more pervasive and affect entire communities,
families and children; and
WHEREAS, communities across Orange County continue to mourn the four victims of the Orange mass
shooting, nine -year -old Matthew Farias, Jenevieve Raygoza, 28; Luis Tovar, 50, and Leticia Solis
Guzman, 58; and
WHEREAS, on Friday, May 21, 2021 the Costa Mesa community was devastated by the tragic loss of
six -year- old, Aiden Leos who was a victim of a dreadful fatal road -rage shooting; and
WHEREAS, in January 2013, Hadiya Pendleton, a teenager who performed during President Obama's
second inaugural parade, was tragically shot and killed just one week later, on June 2nd she would be
celebrating her 24'h birthday, and in Hadiya's honor and in honor of the 100 Americans whose lives are
cut short as well as the countless survivors who are injured by shootings every day — a national coalition
of organizations has designated the first Friday in June as 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 the color orange; choosing this color because hunters wear orange to
announce themselves to other hunters when out in the woods; orange is a color that symbolizes the value
of human life, by wearing orange on June 4, 2021 Americans will raise awareness about gun violence
and honor the lives of gun violence victims and survivors; and
WHEREAS, protecting public safety is the City's highest responsibility, local law enforcement officers
know their communities best and 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
)STA MESA, CALIFORNIA
WHEREAS, the City of Costa Mesa supports continued statewide efforts to strengthen gun safety laws
and pledge to keep firearms out of the wrong hands, and encourage responsible gun ownership to help
keep our children safe; and
NOW, THEREFORE, I, John B. Stephens, Mayor of the City of Costa Mesa, do hereby proclaim June 4,
2021, to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day in Costa Mesa and I encourage all residents to
support their community's efforts to prevent the tragic effects of gun violence and to honor and value
human lives.
DATED this first of June 2021.
John B. ephens, Mayor of the City of Costa Mesa