Orange County Joins National Gun Violence Awareness Day

An orange flag was hoisted up the flagpole to accompany the United States flag in front of Peace and Justice Plaza in Chapel Hill on Thursday.

The flag – and the crowd dressed in orange attire – were representing the local portion of national Gun Violence Awareness Day.

Emily Brewer, with the group Moms Demand Action, told the crowd of elected leaders, law enforcement and community members that the rally was a message to the entire country.

“That Chapel Hill is not going to just sit around,” Brewer said. “We are going to stand up for common sense gun legislation, universal background checks.

“We are going to start this conversation. And we are not going to be bullied by the NRA.”

Gun violence in Chapel Hill has drawn national attention over the past 16 months with the shooting of three Muslim college students in February 2015 and then the fatal shooting of one-year-old Maleah Williams on Christmas Day.

“I went to that funeral; I spoke to the family. What do you say to someone? A one year old, killed.” Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemmer said. “We also had our three Muslim students here killed…in senseless violence.”

Brewer said the prevalence of guns in our society is a danger to the public and law enforcement throughout our community.

“They are the front line and it is terrifying what they have to face when the law is guns everywhere, all the time, for everyone.”

Chapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue said he worries for his officers when responding to a situation where a firearm is involved.

“Every additional gun at an intense incident adds a layer of complexity to an already complex challenge.”

Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said that the rate of injuries and deaths caused by firearms has changed the perception of guns in our society.

“As a society, we’ve become numb to gun violence,” Blackwood said. “I can remember as a kid when I heard about a fight at school, that was a big deal and the fight never happened.

“Now we hear about shootings in school every day, and they’re happening.”

Blackwood added he feels that safe and proper gun ownership begins at home.

“As parents we have a duty to make certain that we teach our children about guns,” Blackwood said, “that we teach them about safe handling of guns and the fact that there are people out there that don’t obey those rules.”

Hemminger called on lawmakers at the state and national level to bring in new gun regulations.

“It’s time for our legislators to pass common sense gun laws that respect the 2^nd amendment while reducing alarming levels of gun violence that plague our country.”

Blue said that he believes it is possible to find a middle ground for gun guidelines.

“Sensible gun laws don’t have to be in conflict with the 2^nd amendment,” Blue said. “And communities do have a responsibility to consider the unique characteristics of their communities when we think about gun-related legislation and what’s best for the communities in which these laws are applied.”

Blackwood said that getting to the root of the problem is the key issue.

“We cannot say that the gun is the problem,” Blackwood said. “We have got to recognize that it’s an instrument and it has to be used by an individual. And so if we can figure out what makes that individual pick that gun up – it’s not the fact that there are a lot of them out there, there were a lot of them out there years ago.

“So we’ve got to address this appropriately. And maybe days like this will make people back up, scratch their head and figure out a way to save it.”