Framingham Proclamation Recognizes Gun Violence

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham is taking steps to raise awareness around gun violence and officially declared June 7, National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the city. Mayor Yvonne Spicer read a proclamation on the steps of the Memorial building on Wednesday to kick off "Wear Orange Weekend," in honor of gun violence awareness.

The Massachusetts chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, hosted the proclamation ceremony, spearheaded by organizer Samantha McGarry. The proclamation not only creates a gun violence awareness day but honors the victims of gun violence.

Mayor Spicer was joined by Framingham Superintendent Robert Tremblay, Chief of Police Steven Trask and other officials in the ceremony.

The proclamation renews the city's commitment to reducing gun violence. It reads in part, "Support for the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens goes hand-in-hand with keeping guns away from people with dangerous histories."

McGarry was joined by supporters from Framingham and the MetroWest, some of whom have felt the direct affects of gun violence. Seth Kaplan, a Hudson resident, stood beside the mayor wearing his orange, survivor t-shirt. Kaplan's brother was killed in a shooting in a New York City restaurant 26 years ago — the pain of his brother's loss never really goes away, Kaplan said. "There's no such thing as closure," he said, "When I first started doing this, I was stunned at how difficult it was to talk about him." Kaplan is part of the Everytown Survivor Network and spends his time as a fellow, telling the story of his brother's tragic loss and advocating for gun violence awareness and gun laws.

For other supporters, like John Hutchins, the call to activism came from national incidents. Hutchins and his partner have a home in Florida and were visiting at the time of the Parkland shooting. When they returned to their Framingham home, they decided to take action. "We felt we needed to do something," Hutchins said. He noted that in the past, he was never very politically active, "I think someone once said 'If not now, when?' and it's true," he said.

McGarry said the proclamation was an important tool in keeping the issue of gun violence in the public eye. The group plans to continue its lobbying efforts for commonsense gun laws and supporting local organizations in educating residents about guns and gun violence.