SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – October 22, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – Community leaders gathered today for the annual daffodil planting ceremony in support of YWCA’s Week Without Violence.
Mayor Ralph Becker, Police Chief Mike Brown, Deputy Fire Chief Karl Lieb and community members convened at the Salt Lake City Public Safety Building, 475 South 300 East, for the annual ceremony. The daffodils honor gun violence victims and serve as symbols of hope for the community.
Representatives of YWCA Utah, Gun Violence Prevention Center and Salt Lake City Police and Fire Departments were also at the event.
This year’s planting focused on the impacts of gun violence on individuals and the community. Rt. Rev. Scott B. Hayashi, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah and board member of the Gun Violence Prevention Center shared his story as a survivor of gun violence. “It can happen at any time, to any person, at any moment,” he said. “We as a community tolerate a level of violence that is simply unknown in other countries. We are a violent nation, and we have seemingly been at war with ourselves for far too long.”
Keri Jones-Fonnesbeck, chief program officer of the YWCA said: “This event is to acknowledge the loss we all suffer when we lose loved ones, friends and neighbors to violence. The YWCA has been in this community for over 100 years, addressing the needs of women and children in their quest to find education, community, safety and equality. We believe that being safe and free is fundamental to women’s empowerment.
“The YWCA is the oldest, largest and most comprehensive service provider of domestic violence services including shelter, transitional housing, supportive services and education for men, women and children in Utah.
“Silence breeds violence, which is why we’re here, to bring awareness to this issue. These daffodils are about love, beauty, loss, hope and new beginnings.”
Police Chief Brown said: “There is one thing we can do right now, we can be more responsible as gun owners. Let’s make sure that little children worry about their toys, their friends and the little things kids should worry about.”
“The impact of gun violence is far reaching, devastating families and impairing communities,” said Mayor Becker. “Through prevention and education strategies, we can work together to prevent the senseless injury caused by gun violence. No community is immune from this problem.”
Mayor Becker shared the statistics that on average 31 Americans are murdered with guns every single day. Utah is ranked as one of 14 states in which violence fatalities outnumbered motor vehicle deaths from 2009-2011. One in three people in the U.S. knows someone that has been shot, and the U.S. firearm homicide rate is 20 times higher than the combined rates of 22 countries that are the U.S.’ peers in wealth and population.
The YWCA Week Without Violence, held the third week of October each year, raises awareness of violence in homes and communities. The annual commemoration has become a global campaign involving residents and leaders in hundreds of communities across the nation and in countries around the world.
For more information about this year’s Daffodil Planting event or to learn more about Week Without Violence activities, visit www.ywca.com.
