Governor Meyer pardons community leaders, recognizes “Gun Violence Awareness Month”

Dover, Del. – On Thursday, joined by law enforcement, state officials and public safety advocates, Governor Matt Meyer officially recognized June as Gun Violence Awareness Month and as well as pardoning two gun safety advocates, Kaligah Parker and Cammerin Norwood.

“A single life of any age lost to gun violence in our state, anywhere in our state, in any police jurisdiction, is one life too many,” Meyer said.

Both Parker and Norwood currently run youth outreach nonprofits to help steer young people away from paths they themselves have gone through and both say the governor’s recognition marks a shift in how state officials approach community violence.

“I think is a major shift, because now we’re the pioneers to help the people that don’t understand the root causes of violence in the proper resources that they need it,” Parker said. Parker is the founder of The Carry Our Light Foundation. ” We need funding to do what we do, but we have to give to individuals in those communities that lack those resources hope by showing them there’s a way out, showing them that you can bump your head and continue to move on with life.”

Norwood said Delaware is going through a change and trying to address the cause of gun violence, not its symptoms.

“Things are happening like never before, from top to bottom. People are being recognized. The unsung heroes are being honored. And it just — it feels great to be here today,” he said. Norwood is the founder and executive director of Our ROOTS Foundation.

For advocates, they hope others can recognize gun safety laws are meant to help maintain gun rights, not take them away.

“I want them to see that they proposed gun safety laws are not to take away people’s guns, but to actually help them learn more safety measures that they can pass on to others,” gun safety advocate and Wilmington resident Thomas Wellman said.