|
Youth Can Help Stop
Gun Violence
Did you know?
- In 2005, 130 children and youth aged 0-19 in Illinois were killed by
guns, 13% more deaths than 2004. From 1999 to 2005, 1,039 children and
youth have been killed by guns in Illinois.1
- From 2002 to 2006, 687 Chicago youth were killed by guns.2
- In 2007, 26
Chicago public school youth were killed by guns.3
- Handguns were used in 92% of the shootings where Chicago youth were
killed in 2005.4
- In 2007, 34% of youth ages 12-19 knew someone who has been shot and
36% feared being shot some day.5
For more facts on
gun violence and youth, click
here.
To
download a Power Point presentation on youth and gun violence in
Illinois, click here
and here for the pdf.
Take Action!
There are three simple ways that you can let elected officials know that
you care about gun violence and want them to pass laws that can help
make your community safer.
- Write a letter to the editor.
Writing a letter to the editor is a good way to express your views on
current events, such as gun violence in your neighborhood. Politicians
regularly read letters to the editor to check out public opinion.
Go
to Get Involved to
learn how.
- Write a letter to your elected official.
Elected officials pay close attention to the mail from their
constituents regarding important issues. To let your state
representative and senator know that you’re concerned about the effect
of gun violence against youth, write them a letter. They will certainly
read it – and remember it.
Go to Get Involved to
learn how.
- Circulate this
Student
Petition
Signing a petition is an important way to make your voice heard. When
elected officials are presented with a petition signed by the people who
live in their district, they pay attention.
- By passing around this petition at your school or youth group, you can
send a message to elected officials that young people care about gun
violence and want elected officials to pass laws that can help stop the
violence.
- When you have completed the petition, send it in the mail, with your
contact info to:
ICPGV P.O. Box 7077 Evanston, IL 60204
- The spring 2008 legislative session is underway, and elected officials
are making decisions about important gun laws right now. So, the sooner
we receive the petition, the better! ICPGV will follow up with you to
let you know our plans for presenting the petitions to elected
officials.
- If you have any questions, call 773-209-1002.
-
Click here to
print these petition instructions.
1 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Web-based Injury
Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) Injury Mortality
Reports, 1999-2005.
2 Illinois Violent Death Reporting System, “Issue Brief: Chicago Youth
and Violence.” January 2008.
3 Chicago Public Schools Office of Communications.
4 Illinois Violent Death Reporting System, “Issue Brief: Chicago Youth
and Violence.” January 2008.
5 UCAN 8th Annual Teen Gun Survey, Fall 2007. |