Just a week after marching in the president’s 2013 inaugural parade, 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed on the South Side of Chicago. Friends gathering to remember her life wore orange, the color hunters use to protect themselves from being shot. Since then, wearing orange has become a symbolic national observance.
AAP staff showed their support of gun violence prevention by wearing orange last year.
On June 2, Wear Orange Day/National Gun Violence Awareness Day, campaign participants are encouraged to wear orange, host events and share messages about saving lives from gun violence. Many national landmarks will be lit orange. The Wear Orange Day website has information on how to recommend landmarks to participate. Find details about the AAP-supported day at www.wearorange.org. To participate on social media use #WearOrange.
On ASK Day, June 21, the Academy reminds pediatricians to ask parents to seek the answer to a simple, life-saving question, “Is there an unlocked gun where my child plays?” One in three homes with children has unlocked guns in the home. About 19 million households already have asked the question as a result of the campaign, which is a collaboration between the Academy and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Find resources to promote the day at www.askingsaveskids.org. On social media, use @AskingSavesKids.
The Parent Plus article “Parents advised to ask about guns in homes where children play” can be freely copied and shared with attribution, http://bit.ly/1rUSOaU. Visit http://bit.ly/1X91kPo for links to the AAP policy statement and gun violence prevention resources. Materials for parents are available on the Healthy Children website at http://bit.ly/1Ze2YO8 and http://bit.ly/26XlyQ9.
