Silent March Campaign to Illustrate Deadly Gun Death TollAmerican Humane Association Silent March To Use Shoes As Representation of Victims Of Gun Violence The Silent March, a national citizens' campaign to illustrate the deadly toll inflicted by gun violence begins to collect shoes in Colorado on Friday, March 3. By collecting shoes to represent persons lost to firearm violence, the grassroots Colorado Silent March aims to send a symbolic message to elected officials: thousands of pairs of empty shoes. The Silent March's goal is to promote violence prevention through responsible regulation of the manufacture, sale, and distribution of guns.  The American Humane Association (AHA), a national organization dedicated to protecting children and animals, is the Colorado coordinator for the Silent March. AHA invites parents, students, and all concerned citizens to participate in collecting 4223 shoes, representing the number of children killed by firearms nationally in 1997 (the last year for which such data is available from the National Center for Health Statistics). The shoes will be displayed at the Colorado Silent March, taking place on the west steps of the State Capitol on April 11. The shoes will then join collections from across the country to be displayed at this year's Republican Convention in Philadelphia and Democratic Convention in Los Angeles. The April 11 Silent March at the Colorado Statehouse is also the national kick-off event for this year's national Silent March, which will culminate at the party conventions this summer. "This past Tuesday, we received yet another horrifying reminder of the toll gun violence has taken in America when a six-year old child was shot and killed by a seven-year old child in Michigan," said Paul DiLorenzo, Director of AHA's Children's Services. "This tragedy cannot continue. The goal of the Silent March is to help bring about a marked reduction in the number of gun deaths in America." Amy Winterfeld, AHA's Manager of Advocacy and Public Policy Initiatives added: "The Silent March uses pairs of empty shoes to represent lives lost due to the tragedy of gun violence. On March 3, we will begin to collect shoes here in Colorado that will be displayed on April 11 at the State Capitol. We hope to collect thousands of shoes to represent the number of children killed nationwide by firearms who cannot speak for themselves. The national attention Colorado has received on this issue will give us an opportunity to spread the positive message that we can and must reduce gun violence in this country." Here's How Concerned Citizens Can Help Protect Kids, not Guns: Bring a pair of shoes (in any condition), tie them together, you can include a note, poem or brief message saying how gun violence has affected you, and take them to the shoe collection box at any of the following locations: - American Humane Association, 63 Inverness Drive East, Englewood (9am-5pm, M-F) (Additional locations will be announced as the Silent March continues.) Set up a collection site in your community. To get information on how to set up a collection site, and where to deliver shoes collected, please call Kristen Mahlin or Amy Winterfeld at the American Humane Association at (303) 792-9900. - Candidates for office in November, 2000, to support measures that lead to comprehensive federal regulation of the firearms industry, including closing the gun show loophole for firearms purchases and including safety locks on firearms. - A reduction of gun deaths to levels comparable to other industrialized nations, which would require about an 80% reduction. - The mobilization and empowerment of citizens to make the streets, schools, malls and workplaces of America safer by reducing the availability of firearms. - The government to regulate the design, sales, distribution, marketing and ownership of firearms so as to measurably reduce gun-related death and injury. Nationally, the Silent March is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Association of Suicidology, American Public Health Association, Children's Defense Fund, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Handgun Control, Inc., Mennonite Central Committee, Million Mom March, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Unitarian Universalist Association, YWCA of USA, and many others. "This spring and summer, our state and national politicians will be getting a grim reminder of the toll gun violence has taken in America. An important part of sending this message is the collection of shoes, which begins here in Colorado on Friday. We are asking that those people who wish to help us please donate a pair of shoes that can be used both here in Colorado in April, and then also be sent to the national party conventions this summer. We are also urging concerned citizens to set up a collection box in their community to help us gather shoes," said AHA's project coordinator for the Silent March, Kristen Mahlin. Once the shoes have been displayed at the summer conventions, they will be donated to charity.
For more information, or to contact American Humane Association, see their website at: www.americanhumane.org |
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