Wear Orange Weekend: Gun Safety Resources
by Village for Gun Sense, a ministry of the Village Church Social Justice Committee
The number one cause of death among children and teens in the U.S. is gun violence. No community, no organization, no home is untouched by its devastating effects. This weekend, wear orange for gun safety awareness and learn more about community gun safety resources and action steps below.
Upcoming Gun Safety Events
- June 7-8 – Wear Orange Weekend. This annual recognition kicks off National Gun Violence Awareness Weekend. Everyone in the community is encouraged to wear orange to show your support for reducing gun violence. Our entire Village congregation will be invited to wear orange to church on Sunday, June 8.
- June 7 – Wear Orange Rally. Join us at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 7 at Harmon Park to advocate for gun safety. Be sure to wear orange!
- Oct. 25 – Guns to Gardens. Central Presbyterian Church hosts this event that provides a safe place to surrender unwanted, unloaded firearms from those in the community and transforms them into garden decorations. More than 80 guns were surrendered last year, and our goal is to have 200 guns turned in this year!
Tips to Protect Your Family and Community from Gun Violence
For every time a gun is used in self-defense, there are seven assaults or murders, 11 suicide attempts and four unintentional shootings using firearms. A person carrying a gun is 4 ½ times more likely to be shot in an assault than someone who is not carrying.
Just talking to your child about gun safety is not enough. Children are naturally curious and open to peer pressure. With a gun in 40% of all homes with children, here are tips to help keep your children safer:
- Always ask if there is a gun in another family’s home and, if so, how it is secured before sending your child there to play or your teen to a party. If you have doubts, invite the children to play at your house instead.
- If you own a gun, secure it. Unload it, lock it up, lock ammunition in a separate lock box, and keep the keys with you at all times. It will take less than a minute to unlock and load if needed.
- Always check to be sure there’s no bullet in the chamber before cleaning a firearm. When handling or cleaning, never leave a gun unattended, even for a moment.
- More than 50% of all firearm-related deaths in the U.S. are suicides. Nearly 90% of suicide attempts with firearms result in death; less than 5% of suicide attempts using other methods are successful. If you suspect a friend or family member may be suicidal, store firearms off-site.
- Don’t buy firearms for another person—ever.
Write Your Legislators About Gun Safety Laws
You can write to your state and federal House and Senate members to express your views supporting legislation for gun safety. Find their names and contact information.
Other Local Organizations Working for Gun Safety
Read the Presbyterian Church (USA) Statement on Gun Violence
About Village for Gun Sense
The Presbyterian Church (USA) has named 2022-2032 as “The Decade to End Gun Violence,” and that’s why Village members were led to form the Village for Gun Sense Committee. We inform and educate our congregation about issues related to gun violence, advocate for gun responsibility laws, and partner with local organizations and churches to host events and discussions on this important topic. We meet at 2 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at our Mission Campus – all are welcome to join us!