[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 80 (Tuesday, May 14, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E585]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SUSIE LEE

                               of nevada

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 14, 2019

  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.

                          ____________________