Burlington’s leaders received a heartening sign about the state of the next generation this week when a young Girl Scout approached them to share the results of an anti-violence initiative.
Sariya Jones appeared before Burlington’s city council on Tuesday to present a collection of cautionary yard signs that she had designed as a project for her Girl Scout troop. These florescent green placards bore a short message warning passersby to “put the guns away” because there are “children at play” in the area.
This evocative gesture seemed to strike a chord with the council, whose members still had fresh recollections about the murder of a 7-year-old boy, who was slain at a local apartment complex last month when gunfire erupted during an argument among some adults.
Sariya’s mother, Karynn, told the council that these signs also left an impression on her troop’s leaders, who have gone on honor her with the Girl Scouts’ coveted bronze award. Meanwhile, several members of the council paid Sariya an equally signal compliment as they took home some of her signs to plant in their front yards.
