Guns to Garden Tools
Learning about forging, and societal cycles
I saw the event posted online, and thought it would be cool to watch them transform tools - maybe swing the hammer myself once if lucky - but also love the complete thought of “Guns to Garden tools”.
I like that this particular promotion doesn’t just address the harm, but also addresses a solution while pushing the adjusted ideology. It’s not just getting guns off streets, or reducing guns in circulation, or even promoting safety - it’s turning a tool that is only good for harm into one that perpetuates life.
This year's event is sponsored by the UMass Memorial Health Injury Prevention Center, we heard from a 4th year Umass Med student on it
This particular event appeared to be organized by Grace Sliwoski, Director of Programs at the Regional Environmental Council and co-chair of the Central MA Youth Jobs Coalition.
I do love guns, from a mechanical and societal aspect - they were an autistic fixation for a few years, and I do believe they’re necessary in today’s society for self defense from bad people. Initially, the concern was against fascism but it seems that may not make a large difference at this point. I recognize they do cause a lot of harm, and that the world would be a safer place without them.
Someone commented to me that this was “pro-cop propaganda” asking “Is this the literal meaning of the ruling class creating their own gravediggers?” and it’s a valid point, this is about unarming the populace, and the buyback locations are all police stations.
I think there does need to be a safe way for people who have guns that don’t want them to get rid of them, while ensuring they don’t go into unlicensed hands. People who are not familiar with operating firearms or storage laws should not own them. I think buybacks are sorta a nobrainer, and anyone who likes guns should be for things that reduce gun violence.
It would be great if they could be redistributed cheaply or free instead, but there’d be so much liability and paperwork in that. Doing it for profit is a requirement of getting a federal firearms license(what’s required to resell/transfer ownership), so I don’t think it could be done as a nonprofit but some lawyer with a 501c3 could make that a great partnership with an existing shop.
From what I understand buybacks like these are the most efficient way to get guns that are used in crimes off the streets. These are for people who have guns they can’t register, can’t gift, but don’t want to have. These are for the ones sitting in drawers after spouses or parents die, that all the grandchildren knew was there. These buybacks are for people who have never done a gun related transaction, but have possession of one from other circumstances - or people who simply don’t want to sell it to a gun shop. These are often less secured, and can become firearms used in suicides, domestic disputes, crimes, or found and used by a child.
I did once sell a gun to a police buyback, it was a Jennings J22 with a broken firing pin, they gave me $75 in price chopper and wegmans, about $35 more than the guns actual cash value in that condition. This particular gun was requested in the list when they revoked my license, so they seem not to have a queryable database of the guns turned in - just the paper tickets made at the time of transaction, which I thankfully retained a photo of.The demonstration was cool, and educational. It was shown how in this craft people can make their own tools, which reminded me a lot of 3D printing, how people can make more machines with their machines. He showed us a pair of “snowman” tongs that were perfect for holding a shotgun tube.
The forge that was going to be used for the demonstration was a rudimentary design to show how basic the equipment needed could be. However it was harder to get started on a cold windy day, and he cited his own inexperience. It seems that someone who used this type of forge probably could have started it, but he is more familiar with nice ones. We offered to be his windscreen, but instead moved back inside to where there was cider and cookies.
There we learned about the different parts of an anvil (tail, horn, and there’s a square peg hole for adding attachments to bend or cut specific things) and some philosophy lessons that were pretty great for activism and life, in explaining how forging is choreographed like dance.
Strike while the iron is hot
Think in the fire
Contact information and more about the event itself on the Umass Team's page
You can exchange firearms for grocery gift cards this upcoming Saturday morning at the below locations.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Southbridge Police Department (9 am to noon)
Fitchburg Police Department (10 am to noon)
Northborough Police Department (9 am to noon)
Milford Police Department (9 am to noon)
Worcester Police Department (9 am to 1 pm)
Worcester City Welding & Fabrication (9 am to1 pm)