Gun Violence Awareness Day

Floor Speech

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Mrs. LEE of Nevada. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor and commemoration of the many victims and survivors of gun violence and to commemorate National Gun Violence Awareness Day in Nevada's Third Congressional District.

On average, 100 Americans are killed by gun violence every day and nearly 13,000 gun homicides occur each year. Americans are 25 times more likely to be killed with guns than people in other high-income countries.

Support for the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens goes hand-in-hand with keeping guns away from people with dangerous histories, and protecting the public's safety in the communities they serve.

Representatives and law enforcement officers know their communities best, 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.

In January 2013, Hadiya Pendleton, a teenager who marched in President Obama's second inaugural parade and was tragically shot and killed just weeks later, should be now celebrating her 22nd birthday. To honor Hadiya--and the 100 Americans whose lives are cut short and the countless survivors who are injured by shootings every day--a national coalition of organizations has designated June 7, 2019, the first Friday in June, as the 5th National Gun Violence Awareness Day.

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 orange for two reasons: hunters wear orange to announce themselves to other hunters when out in the woods and orange symbolizes the value of human life.

Anyone can join this campaign by pledging to Wear Orange on June 7th, the first Friday in June in 2019, to help raise awareness about gun violence and honor the lives of gun violence victims and survivors.

We renew our commitment to reduce gun violence and 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.

I encourage all citizens to support their local communities' efforts to prevent the tragic effects of gun violence and to honor and value human lives.

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