Wear Orange
June is National Gun Violence Awareness Month, and traditionally, the first days of June encourage all who wish to see gun violence reduced to wear orange.
This year, June 2 is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, and everyone is encouraged to wear orange June 3-4.
WHY WEAR ORANGE?
From wearorange.com: On January 21, 2013, Hadiya Pendleton marched in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. One week later, Hadiya was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago. Soon after this tragedy, Hadiya’s friends commemorated her life by wearing orange, the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others. Wear Orange is now observed every June. Thousands of people wear the color orange to honor Hadiya and the more than 40,000 people who are killed with guns and approximately 85,000 who are shot and wounded every year.
LITURGICAL RESOURCES:
Bishops United Against Gun Violence
The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri
OTHER IDEAS TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT THROUGHOUT JUNE:
- Wearing the color orange
- Collaborating with local law enforcement to participate in gun violence prevention initiatives
- Collaborating with organizations that promote gun violence prevention awareness
- Printing a message on orange t-shirts
- Purchasing/dispensing orange light bulbs as a show of solidarity
- Asking townships, cities, municipalities to showcase orange lighting in their cities for gun violence prevention awareness
- Lay readers participating in reading a Litany regarding gun violence prevention awareness for the month of June
- Ribbons tied around trees
- Ribbons place on vehicle antennae
- Special prayers
- Designing Anglican prayer beads or rosary with orange beads
- Require safe and secure gun storage
- Hold a webinar, zoom or in-person discussion regarding gun violence prevention awareness
- Hold a gun violence prevention awareness rally
- Hold a gun violence prevention awareness vigil
- Offer a pledge signing campaign for children to...not touch a gun if they see one and to report it to an adult
- Offer a community pledge to report information - "if you see something, say something".... to prevent something from happening
- Partner with the medical professionals to promote awareness from a public health standpoint.
Photo: Bishops gathered at the 79th General Convention in Austin, Texas, to lend their voice to reducing gun violence. Photo credit: Nicole Krug
