Wear Orange: Gun Violence Awareness Event In New Castle Friday

From Town Superintendent Ron Greenstein

Please join Moms Demand Action and The Town of New Castle for a Wear Orange Rally at the gazebo on Friday, June 7th, 6:30pm to show support for the effort to prevent the tragic effects of gun violence and to honor and value human lives and encourage responsible gun ownership.

National Gun Violence Awareness Day asks everyone who believes we can do more to save American lives from gun violence to do one simple thing: Wear Orange!

On May 21, 2019, the New Castle Town Board passed a resolution declaring the first Friday in June to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day – a day to honor and remember all victims and survivors of gun violence and to declare that we as a country must do more to reduce gun violence.

The resolution, being passed by communities across the country, notes that 100 Americans are killed by gun violence every day and on average there are nearly 13,000 gun homicides every year. Americans are 25 times more likely to be killed with guns than people in other high-income countries.

In January 2013, Hadiya Pendleton, a teenager who marched in President Obama’s second inaugural parade, was tragically shot and killed just weeks later. To honor young Hadiya, National Gun Violence Awareness Day asks everyone who believes we can do more to save American lives from gun violence to wear orange to send the message to our leaders in Washington.

Moms Demand Action volunteers Naomi Marrow and Lea Barth stated, "New Castle stands with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America to end gun violence. Losing 100+ Americans daily to senseless shootings is contrary to our values and undermines our pride and sense of safety in our country. We cannot allow lax or absent laws to breed fear about going to school, attending a house of worship, relaxing in a park or going to a movie. Gun violence has to stop and we have the power by acting together to end it!"

New Castle Supervisor Rob Greenstein stated "We face a national crisis. We must take a stand against hatred, prejudice, rage and gun violence. Those are our national emergencies. Our voices must be heard, and we cannot stop until they are, and until our nation becomes safe and secure".

New Castle Deputy Supervisor Lisa Katz stated "On this fifth National Gun Violence Awareness Day, I am keenly aware of our responsibility to help keep our schools, children and communities safe from gun violence. I stand in support of all those who have been impacted by gun violence, and I mourn those who have been lost. Within the confines of the Second Amendment, we can and must pass gun violence prevention legislation. To me, this isn't even a choice. It's time to effectuate change to protect the future of our children and our country."

New Castle Councilmember Ivy Pool stated "As a mom, there is nothing more important to me than protecting the safety of my kids at home, at school, and in our community. I am proud of the steps NYS has taken to end senseless gun violence. Taking action and speaking out are moral imperatives, and the time do so is now."

New Castle Councilmember Jeremy Saland stated "The chamber of gun violence is fed by the silence and complicity of the many who permit the few to distort the Second Amendment. With our collective voices, votes and vigilance, we can disarm the NRA of its rhetoric, use the ammunition of education and advocacy to protect our children, and serve as the safety lock to prevent despair’s continued carnage from decimating another community. Failing to stand up and take action is not an option, but an invitation for anguish and heartache to visit us at our own doorstep."