In anticipation of National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 2, Mayor Pro Tempore Ed Somers at the Vienna Town Council’s May 15 meeting read a proclamation detailing the day’s history and intent.
“I’ve worked on this issue for 30 years,” Somers said. “I’ve gotten incredibly frustrated at various times in my life, having this be my singular issue for some time . . . It’s a marathon. It’s not a sprint. I truly believe that with people who are dedicated to this issue that change is possible.”
There are nearly 17,000 firearm homicides in the United States each year and Americans are 26 times more likely to be killed with guns than people in other developed countries, the proclamation read. Gun Violence Awareness Day is intended to encourage responsible firearm ownership and keep such weapons out of the wrong hands, it read.
Supporters on that day will wear orange clothing – the same color hunters don to protect themselves – in honor of Hadiya Pendelton, who was shot and killed on a Chicago playground in January 2013, just a week after marching in President Obama’s second inaugural parade.
