HR0649 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0649 LRB102 26005 ECR 35418 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Every day, more than 100 Americans are killed by gun violence, and 230 are shot and wounded; on average, there are more than 13,000 gun homicides every year; and

WHEREAS, Americans are 25 times more likely to die by gun homicide than people in other high-income countries; and

WHEREAS, Illinois has 1,400 gun deaths every year, with a rate of 11 deaths per 100,000 people; Illinois has the 36th highest rate of gun deaths in the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, Protecting public safety in the communities they serve is among a legislator's highest responsibilities; and

WHEREAS, Support for the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens goes hand-in-hand with keeping guns away from people who shouldn't have them; 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, of increased calls to suicide and domestic violence hotlines, and an increase in city gun violence; and

WHEREAS, In January of 2013, Hadiya Pendleton, born June 2, 1997, was tragically shot and killed at age 15; on June 4, 2021, to recognize the 25th birthday of Hadiya Pendleton, people across the United States recognized National Gun Violence Awareness Day and wore orange in tribute to Hadiya Pendleton, other victims of gun violence, and 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 of 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; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare June 3, 2022 to be Gun Violence Awareness Day in the State of Illinois and encourage all citizens to support efforts in their communities to prevent the tragic effects of gun violence and to honor and value human lives; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we renew our commitment to reduce gun violence, 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.