Thank you to everyone who has sent cranes, and to everybody still folding.
With the support of the Galen Gibson fund we purchased a lot of orange origami paper. If you would like to host a fold-in, or would like some for yourself to fold, please email me at orangeamanda@yahoo.com.
We have until May 1 to get all the cranes folded in order to string them to display by National Gun Violence Awareness Day 2019.
Many thanks again!
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Mail Your Cranes
If you are making cranes and would like to send them in, here is the address:
Orange Origami Cranes
P. O. Box 246
Gloucester, MA 01931
Thank you.
Orange Origami Cranes
P. O. Box 246
Gloucester, MA 01931
Thank you.
Saturday, May 26, 2018
Memorial Day
20 veterans commit suicide every day. 66% of veteran suicides are the
result of a firearm. This Memorial Day weekend I am making cranes for
these veterans.
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Why cranes?
Somebody asked me, "Why cranes?"
I had been thinking about the number of gun violence deaths in the United States each year, about how hard it was to understand. I thought that if we had 37,000 of something, anything really, we would be able to see how big that number really is. I wanted to make it something you could touch, something you could feel. I wanted to make it something you had to do.
The crane is a symbol of peace and hope. There is a Japanese tradition of making 1000 origami cranes which are then strung together. Some claim that anyone who folds 1000 cranes will be granted a wish. Some claim that anyone who folds 1000 cranes will get eternal good luck, happiness and freedom from illness and injury.
We wish for an end to gun violence.
With every crane I fold I am thinking about gun violence. I am setting an intention. Sometimes I think of my friend Galen. Sometimes I think of his family. I think of things I can do, people I can write to and call. Sometimes when I am folding cranes I am gathering courage to ask the parents of my children's friends if there are guns in the house and how they are stored. Sometimes I am thinking of the people I don't know, that I will never know.
I feel less hopeless when I am folding cranes. I am taking that time, that moment, to pay attention to gun violence.
When I make cranes in public I am starting the conversation about gun violence. It helps turn thoughts and prayers into action. Make a crane. Make a phone call. Write a letter. Call your representative. None of these actions take too long, or too much. Each small action is part of something bigger.
I had been thinking about the number of gun violence deaths in the United States each year, about how hard it was to understand. I thought that if we had 37,000 of something, anything really, we would be able to see how big that number really is. I wanted to make it something you could touch, something you could feel. I wanted to make it something you had to do.
The crane is a symbol of peace and hope. There is a Japanese tradition of making 1000 origami cranes which are then strung together. Some claim that anyone who folds 1000 cranes will be granted a wish. Some claim that anyone who folds 1000 cranes will get eternal good luck, happiness and freedom from illness and injury.
We wish for an end to gun violence.
With every crane I fold I am thinking about gun violence. I am setting an intention. Sometimes I think of my friend Galen. Sometimes I think of his family. I think of things I can do, people I can write to and call. Sometimes when I am folding cranes I am gathering courage to ask the parents of my children's friends if there are guns in the house and how they are stored. Sometimes I am thinking of the people I don't know, that I will never know.
I feel less hopeless when I am folding cranes. I am taking that time, that moment, to pay attention to gun violence.
When I make cranes in public I am starting the conversation about gun violence. It helps turn thoughts and prayers into action. Make a crane. Make a phone call. Write a letter. Call your representative. None of these actions take too long, or too much. Each small action is part of something bigger.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
100 Cranes
A friend handed me a bag of orange cranes last night. 100 cranes.
"I thought it was a lot," she said, "then I realized it wasn't even 1%."
100 cranes is just a little more than would represent the 96 deaths each day.
We sat together and folded more cranes.
"I thought it was a lot," she said, "then I realized it wasn't even 1%."
100 cranes is just a little more than would represent the 96 deaths each day.
We sat together and folded more cranes.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Where We Got Our Numbers
We chose the year 2016 because it is the most recent year with data available from the CDC.
Our number, 37,000, includes both homicides and suicides.
Here is a link to CDC data on the Everytown For Gun Safety website:
https://everytownresearch.org/gun-violence-by-the-numbers/
We rounded down to 37,000 because it is much easier to say than 37,863. We chose the lower number rather than rounding up to 38,000 in order to not appear as if we are exaggerating the data. We will be working toward making a full 37,863 cranes.
Our number, 37,000, includes both homicides and suicides.
Here is a link to CDC data on the Everytown For Gun Safety website:
https://everytownresearch.org/gun-violence-by-the-numbers/
We rounded down to 37,000 because it is much easier to say than 37,863. We chose the lower number rather than rounding up to 38,000 in order to not appear as if we are exaggerating the data. We will be working toward making a full 37,863 cranes.
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
In 2016 over 37,000 people lost their lives to gun violence in the United States.
37,000.
We are making orange origami cranes to remember each of these people.
Origami cranes are a symbol of hope and healing. Each crane is a prayer, a thought, a remembrance.
Every crane folded is an action.
Every crane folded is an action.
Orange is the color of National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Read about it at wearorange.org.
We are making orange cranes to remember victims of gun violence.
We are making orange cranes to remember victims of gun violence.
You can help. Make orange cranes. Make cranes in public to start the conversation about gun violence.
Make cranes marked with the names of the people we lost.
Make cranes to remember the people you never knew.
Make cranes marked with the names of the people we lost.
Make cranes to remember the people you never knew.
We will add your cranes to a public display. 37,000 orange cranes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)