Morristown Takes Stand Against Gun Violence With Mayoral Proclamation 

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Morristown will recognize National Gun Violence Awareness Day on Friday, June 2.

Mayor Tim Dougherty read a proclamation declaring that the town would observe the day of recognition locally.

The clauses read in the council chambers stated that Americans are 26 times more likely to be killed by gun homicide than those living in other high-income countries. The proclamation also stated that every day, more than 120 people are killed by gun violence and more than 200 are injured as a result of gun violence across the country.

"Wear Orange Day" is June 2. It is to bring recognition to people who have been affected by gun violence. All gun violence is obviously preventable, I feel, if we did not have a proliferation of assault weapons in the hands of people who shouldn't have them," Morristown Council President Sandi Mayer said.

People are encouraged to wear orange during the first weekend of June to help raise awareness. The color represents the value of each person's life and is the color that hunters wear, according to the group.

Members of the Moms Demand Action team wore orange to the council meeting on Tuesday.

Recently, the group held a gun control rally in Morristown as part of a nationwide movement called "Mother's Day of Action."

Several Morristown and County officials attended the rally, including Mayer, Morristown Councilwoman Tawanna Cotton, Mendham Township Committeewoman Amalia Duarte, Chatham Township Committeewoman Stacey Ewald, and Rep. Mikie Sherrill.

The rally was held on Saturday, May 13, at 11 a.m. in front of Morristown Town Hall, and speakers ranged from gun violence survivors to local political leaders.

The most moving part of the rally, according to Duarte, was listening to a gun violence survivor, Tiffany Starr, speak about the night her father was murdered by her sister's ex-boyfriend.

Starr's father was shot and killed while protecting her sister, mother, and herself.

Moms Demand Action is a nonpartisan grassroots movement of Americans working to prevent gun violence. It was founded by Shannon Watts, a mother, in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

Since its inception, Moms Demand Action has grown in popularity and now has chapters in almost every state.

"You seem to be doing this year after year. It doesn't seem to be getting much better, does it?" Dougherty said.