TULSA, Okla. — Unwanted firearms are finding a new purpose.
Saturday's "Guns to Garden Tools" exchange encourages residents to anonymously drop off firearms. In return, local blacksmiths rework these weapons into garden tools.
“This is deeply personal for me,” shared Rebecca Fincher, a volunteer at the event. The weight of her involvement stems from a personal tragedy.
“In 2021, my 20-year-old son was killed, actually just a few blocks from here, said Fincher. "He was in his apartment on a Saturday afternoon, and a bullet came through the wall, and he was shot in the head and killed. He spent 4 days in ICU, he never regained consciousness. He left behind his pregnant wife."
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Fincher and other volunteers don't just want to remove guns from the streets; they aim to repurpose them into a symbol for healing.
“This project is all about transformation. It’s about transforming something that is created to kill, and into something that’s created to give life,” Fincher emphasized.
Fincher wants more awareness that gun violence is not only limited to crime. “We're talking about suicide. We’re talking about domestic violence. We’re even talking about unintentional shootings. It’s a much broader picture than most people realize."
Last year was the first "Guns to Garden Tools" event. Fincher said she discarded a gun she had inherited, another example of her commitment to the cause.
Tulsa City Councilor Crista Patrick is one of the annual event's organizers. She said the program doesn't stand against guns, but champions safety.
“It's a way to heal when someone has suffered trauma due to the hands of a gun. It’s a way to give back to them, to give them an active way to process the trauma,” Patrick stated.
"Hopefully, some lives will be saved because of this. If only one person doesn’t have to go through that, that’s worth it for me," said Fincher.
Patrick said organizers are planning a special ceremony in February. Here, surviors and families affected by gun violence will receive the garden tools as a gesture of healing, growth, and transformation.
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