HOUSE RESOLUTION NO.272
Reps. Brabec, Morse, Weiss, Conlin, Glanville, Arbit, MacDonell,
Xiong, Grant, Rheingans, Koleszar, Churches, Martus, Skaggs, Hoskins,
Wegela, Wilson, Fitzgerald, Brixie, Mentzer, Liberati, Paiz, McFall,
Andrews, Coffia, Breen, Hope, Byrnes, Snyder, Price, Steckloff,
Scott, Tsernoglou, Tyrone Carter, Brenda Carter, Young, O'Neal,
Dievendorf, Edwards, Neeley, McKinney, Aiyash, Morgan, Puri, Rogers,
Hood, Pohutsky, Haadsma and Whitsett offered the following
resolution:
1 A resolution to declare June 7, 2024, as Gun Violence
2 Awareness Day in the state of Michigan.
3 Whereas, We honor and remember all victims and survivors of
4 gun violence, especially those affected by the tragedies at
5 Michigan State University and Oxford High School; and
Gun Violence Awareness D 24H
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1 Whereas, The effects of gun violence in the United States are
2 pervasive and all-encompassing on every community; and
3 Whereas, Michigan has 1,406 gun deaths every year, with a rate
4 of 14 deaths per 100,000 people, a crisis that costs the state
5 $16.8 billion each year, of which $380.5 million is paid by
6 taxpayers. Michigan has the 28th highest rate of gun deaths in the
7 US; and
8 Whereas, Every day, more than 120 Americans are killed by gun
9 violence and more than two hundred are shot and wounded, with an
10 average of more than 18,000 gun homicides every year; and
11 Whereas, Americans are twenty-six times more likely to die by
12 gun homicide than people in other high-income countries; and
13 Whereas, Since 1968, more individuals have died from guns in
14 the United States than have died in the battlefields of all the
15 wars in United States’ history; and
16 Whereas, Protecting public safety in the communities they
17 serve is among a legislator’s highest responsibilities; and
18 Whereas, Support for the Second Amendment rights of law-
19 abiding citizens goes hand-in-hand with keeping guns away from
20 people that shouldn’t have them; and
21 Whereas, Gun violence prevention is more important than ever
22 as we see an increase in firearm homicides, and nonfatal shootings
23 across the country, increased calls to domestic violence hotlines,
24 and an increase in city gun violence; and
25 Whereas, In January 2013, Hadiya Pendleton was tragically shot
26 and killed at age 15. On June 7, 2024, to recognize the 27th
27 birthday of Hadiya Pendleton (born June 2, 1997), people across the
28 United States will recognize National Gun Violence Awareness Day
29 and wear orange in tribute to her and other victims of gun
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1 violence, and the loved ones of those victims; and
2 Whereas, The idea was inspired by a group of Hadiya’s friends,
3 who asked their classmates to commemorate her life by wearing
4 orange; they chose this color because hunters wear orange to
5 announce themselves to other hunters when out in the woods, and
6 orange is a color that symbolizes the value of human life; and
7 Whereas, Anyone can join this campaign by pledging to wear
8 orange on June 7th, the first Friday in June in 2024, to help raise
9 awareness about gun violence; and
10 Whereas, By wearing orange on June 7, 2024, Americans will
11 raise awareness about gun violence and honor the lives of gun
12 violence victims and survivors; and
13 Whereas, We renew our commitment to reduce gun violence and
14 pledge to do all we can to keep firearms out of the hands of people
15 who should not have access to them, and encourage responsible gun
16 ownership to help keep our families and communities safe; now,
17 therefore, be it
18 Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of
19 this legislative body declare June 7, 2024, as Gun Violence
20 Awareness Day in the state of Michigan; and be it further
21 Resolved, That we encourage all citizens to support their
22 communities’ efforts to prevent the tragic effects of gun violence
23 and to honor and value human life all in an effort to end this
24 public health crisis.