With National Gun Violence Awareness Day just around the corner on June 2, celebrities, TV networks, record labels, magazines and 60 U.S. mayors are preparing to wear orange to show their support for the first annual event sponsored Everytown for Gun Safety.
Among those who will be participating include, Julianne Moore, Russell Simmons, Sarah Silverman, Michael Stipe, Patti Smith, Aasif Mandvi, Alyssa Milano, Padma Lakshmi, John Hodgman, Amanda Peet, Perez Hilton, Melissa Joan Hart, Tiffani Thiessen, Tunde Adebimpe of TV On The Radio, Rise Against, Mario Batali, Anti-Flag, Nigel Barker, Grace Weber, Jon Foreman, Judith Hill, Amber Coffman of Dirty Projectors, Tyler Glenn of Neon Trees and Thomas Roberts of MSNBC.
Notable efforts will be made by the following:
● MTV – The network will change its on-air logo — as well as several of its social media avatars — to orange in recognition of National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
● Motown Records – The most widely recognized record label in history, Motown will turn its iconic logo orange on its social media platforms (@Motown on Twitter, @MotownRecords on Instagram) with staff and artists #WearingOrange.
● HBO – The network will debut the trailer for its hard-hitting new documentary, Requiem for the Dead: American Spring 2014, from Emmy-Award winning filmmakers Shari Cookson and Nick Doob, which premieres on HBO June 22nd at 9:00pm EST/PST. Told entirely through social media postings, news accounts and other found media, the new documentary offers an unvarnished portrait of the human toll from gun violence in America — giving viewers a window into the lives of dozens who died from gunfire last spring through the present-tense moments leading up to the shootings and the reverberations that followed.
● Essence Magazine – Essence staff will be #WearingOrange, sharing their orange selfies on Instagram and Twitter and encouraging their readers to join in the Wear Orange campaign.
“We’re often presented with a false choice in the guns debate: that you have to ‘pick a side’,” said Michael Stipe, frontman of REM. “But every American opposes gun violence and all of us can do more to help save lives. I’ll wear my orange with pride on June 2nd and hope people nationwide will join me in showing their true colors.”
“Motown Records has a legacy of being the voice of a generation through our artists and fostering an environment of creativity and innovation. In these times, more than ever, it is crucial for all of our voices to collectively come together on June 2nd for the first-ever National Gun Violence Awareness Day to raise awareness and promote anti-violence so that the voices of today, and tomorrow, have a chance to be heard,” said Ethiopia Habtemariam, President, Motown Records. “We encourage fans and artists alike to join us on June 2nd by #WearingOrange and honoring the life of Hadiya Pendleton, and all those lives senselessly lost to gun violence.”
What are your thoughts on National Gun Violence/wear orange day?
I think what bothers me about it is the way people refer to gun violence as a menacing phenomenon that appears to happen on its own. Despite what many claim, gun violence is not like the ebola virus, it’s not a contagion.
In reality, gun violence is what happens when prohibited persons get their hands on guns. I feel that by stressing gun violence they’re targeting the wrong part of the equation. Instead of focusing on the gun it would make more sense if they focused on the person who was responsible for the violence, i.e. the criminal, the domestic abuser, the mental defective, the drug addict, etc.
I think Everytown would be much better off if they focused on the cause of the problem, not the implement used to perpetrate the act.
I opened the gun safe and even put a few weapons on the coffee table. I kept close watch and believe it or not, there was no evidence of a single violent act by any of them; not even an attempt. Go figure. I did however, go to the bathroom, once or twice…? Maybe the “violence” gene was manufactured out of them.
I’ll be wearing camo & hunter orange, and my Sig .40. Molon Labe, gun grabbers.
I am a Registered Nurse, specializing in ER and Trauma, and you know, I cannot remember the part of my RN training that focused on the color orange.
Did I miss something? Or should I dump out my trauma kit and refill it with orange t-shirts?
“Gun Violence” what dumocrat libitard made up this phrase that holds no merit! I own many firearms and over the course of 50+ years, non, I repeat, Non have ever shown themselves to be Violent, assuming they ever could be! I just love the way people on all sides repeat such ignorance, when instead we should all be making a real effort to correct these misnomers and stupidity! It’s much the same as all the anti gunners talking about clips instead of magazines and repeatedly saying the same thing for years, never learning or educating themselves as it only makes thier words hold no merit, proving they have no knowledge of what they speak of or speak against! If common sense were only a commodity!
You don’t think a group hug and cumbayah will reduce gun violence for at least a day? Such negativity! I believe in the power of positive thought. In particular, I’m thinking….should I carry the HK-P2000SK 9mm or S&W Shield single stack .40? Maybe go with pocket carry with the Kahr P380.
I agree with your statement, education is the key to our problems with these “So Called Expert’s”. Most, if not all would not know the basic rules of gun safety, know how to handle or safely fire any kind of firearms. I really hate to repeat an old fact, but if you take the guns away from true , trained sportsmen & sportwomen who respect the laws and rules of firearm ownership, only the “crooks
and criminals will have “guns”. I believe that we need to gather all pro 2nd Amendment groups and wear an appropriate shirt of whatever color that shows we are Proud to be Americans and the love of our rights granted by our constitution. Its time we take the skewed facts and set not only the Hollywood loud mouth clowns and the very misinformed money grabbing politicians in D. C, and send them all packing for another country that will really teach them what it is like to live in a Country or state that is ran by controlled Dictatorships and brutal thugs. It’s time we take America back from those who just don’t give a good damn about what this Country was founded on. Freedom!!!
Exactly who do they think is not aware of gun violence? Has this been a carefully guarded secret now coming out of the closet?
are these the same people that have personal armed security guards?
are these the same people that have personal armed security guards?
I heartily agree! Sure, we’re all anti-violence—that’s a no-brainer. But the emphasis on “gun,” seemingly without pointing fingers, serves to make the whole notion of guns seem to be the culprit. And as we all know, that’s just plain silly. And speaking of silly, even if I were in agreement (though it’s not even clear what the hell I’d be agreeing with!) with this idea, I’d still think it silly, and the waste of a good colour. What about the true causes of violence? Anybody think to take a good look at that? Anyway, I suspect this nonsense will accomplish nothing but puff up the chests of their own choir.
It’s probably some kind of ploy to lean more people toward the misguided (and poorly named) “gun control,” but even if it is that, well, it’s kind of retarded. I’ll be sure to be wear black that day. 😉
I’ll be using some orange “Shoot-N-See” targets at the range tomorrow.
Will that count?
Why they float a lit candle against “gun violence” down a river? It would be just as stupid and pointless.
I will be wearing orange AND A GUN on the second. I will open carry a pistol, well holstered, as I do every day. Join me.
People who believe and follow these kind of events are those with minds that are easily swayed without thought. The same thing applies to bumper stickers that say vote for whatever, or signs that say vote for a certain person and so on. Why would I vote by the direction of a sign which is by someone elses suggestion? If one cannot think or study and learn for themselves they just shouldn’t vote.
It isn’t really about gun violence, it’s about gun control, which is , in the end, population control. Are you really safe in NY City where gun control is virtually absolute among regular common citizens? We have to look at the real agenda of these folks.