Gun Violence Awareness needs more than just one day.
So many Tennesseans and people across the country came out in support of Gun Violence Awareness Day by #WearingOrange.
Every major Gun Violence Prevention organization got involved, but so did some unexpected allies like MTV and the New York Mets. From celebrities like Jason Bateman , Russel Simmons , and Padma Lakshmi to medical organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and even President Obama.
Parents who lost their children to gun violence shared their orange tinted photos on Facebook and Twitter. Parents whose children were gunned down at Sandy Hook. Young men like Christopher Underwood, mourning the loss of his big brother who was stolen from his family at just 14 years old. Like Hadiya Pendleton, Akeal Underwood was robbed of his chance at a bright future… those who loved him left behind to deal with his loss.
These aren’t isolated incidents.
Gun violence shatters American families at an alarming rate.
Some days
Are you sure that Tennesseans are #NotATarget? According to the latest survey by WalletHub, Tennessee is 48th in safety.
How is this possible?
24th – Bullying incidents rate
34th – Share of the population with no health insurance
35th – Number of murders and non negligent manslaughters per 100,000 residents
39th – Unemployment rate
41st – Number of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel
43rd – Number of sex offenders per 100,000 residents
49th – Number of assaults per 100,000 residents.
In 2010, Tennessee rejected about 4.3 percent of gun buyers’ purchases based on state criminal background checks, according to a report by the United States Department of Justice — more than twice the national average of about 1.5 percent.