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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
ACKNOWLEDGING JUNE AS GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION MONTH
WHEREAS, a national coalition of organizations has designated the first Friday in June as National Gun Violence Awareness Day, in honor of Hadiya Pendleton, a teenager from Chicago who was shot and killed in 2013, as well as the many other gun violence victims and survivors, commemorating this day by wearing orange; and
WHEREAS, the American Medical Association (AMA) declared firearm-related violence a public health crisis in 2016 due to its status as a leading causes of intentional and unintentional injury and death in the United States, and continues to advocate for common sense polices, laws and resources that reduce gun violence; and
WHEREAS, the United States has significantly higher gun homicide and suicide rates than all other high-income countries; and
WHEREAS, according with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), new analysis shows firearm homicide rates grew nearly 35% from 2019 to 2020, with disparities by race/ethnicity and poverty level widening, and firearm suicide rates remaining high. Firearm homicide rates are consistently highest among males, adolescents, young adults, and non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. In 2020, firearm homicide rates increased across all age groups, with the highest rates and increases observed among those 10-44 years old. Considering age, sex, and race/ethnicity simultaneously, the largest increases in firearm homicide rates were among non-Hispanic Black males 10-44 years old; and
WHEREAS, gun violence has devastating consequences for young people and is now the leading cause of death among children, teens, and young adults under the age of 25; and
WHEREAS, gun violence is a complex problem fueled by systemic issues including historic disinvestment and structural racism, segregation, lack of access to healthcare, economic opportunity; and
WHEREAS, according to the Cook County Medical Exami...
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