Churches lead effort to turn guns into garden tools

Fort Worth—In a year marked by hundreds of mass shootings across the country, a new faith-based coalition in Tarrant County is offering residents a way to safely dispose of unwanted firearms and see them transformed into symbols of peace.

On Saturday, Sept. 6, from 9 a.m. to noon, the first-ever “Guns to Gardens” event in Fort Worth will be held at New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, 2864 Mississippi Ave., near East Berry Street and Interstate 35.

Participants may anonymously bring unloaded firearms in the trunk or rear of their vehicles. Skilled volunteers will dismantle the guns under guidelines from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The remaining parts will then be repurposed by blacksmiths and artists into garden tools, jewelry and art.

Gift cards will be provided for working firearms while supplies last: $250 for semiautomatic AR-style rifles, $150 for semiautomatic handguns, $50 for rifles, pistols and revolvers, and $25 for BB guns. Ammunition will not be accepted.

Rev. Kyev Tatum, pastor of New Mount Rose, said the event is both symbolic and practical.

“Anyone may bring unwanted and unloaded guns to be dismantled and made into garden tools,” Tatum said. “For Christians, to follow Jesus is to work hard for healing. We are seeing far too many tragic suicides with guns, too many stolen guns and far, far too many young lives being destroyed by the over-saturation of guns. This is true in the 76104-zip code and throughout Tarrant County.” 

The event’s location, 76104, is the ZIP code with the lowest life expectancy in Texas.

Another “Guns to Gardens” event will take place Sept. 7 at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration in Dallas. Both are part of a national effort active in about 25 states to reduce the number of firearms that could be found by children, stolen, or used in a crisis.

Supporters note that there are an estimated half a billion guns in American homes and vehicles. For some, safe disposal may mean reducing risks for children or grandchildren. For others, it could involve letting go of inherited guns or recognizing a time when handling a firearm is no longer safe.

According to federal data, about 43,000 Americans die from gun-related injuries each year. Roughly 60 percent of those deaths are suicides, followed by homicides, family violence and unintentional shootings. The U.S. Surgeon General recently declared gun violence the leading cause of death for American children and youth, and the top killer of children of color since 2006.

Rev. Allison Sandlin Liles, vicar of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Hurst, said the event represents both prevention and healing.

“If you feel that it is no longer safe or desirable for you to have a firearm in your home, Guns to Gardens is a responsible way to dispose of unwanted guns,” Liles said. “The transformation of a gun into a garden tool is a moment of healing for those in our community who have survived shootings or had loved ones die from gun violence. Over 43,000 deaths a year is not the way we want to live. We can do better, and we must do better.”

The coalition behind the Fort Worth and Dallas events said the gatherings are open to all and will be held rain or shine.

SOURCE Fort Worth Report