RAWtools - Katy, TX

5,672 Views | 63 Replies | Last: 7 yr ago by PacifistAg
PacifistAg
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AG
All,
On March 10th, RAWtools will be coming to Katy, TX to turn some guns into garden tools. More information will be available in the coming weeks, but I wanted to go ahead and put this out there in case anyone is interested in joining us.

A little more about RAWtools:
Quote:

RAWtools, Inc. gets its scriptural motivation from Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3. We want to be comprehensive in our efforts to move our communities away from gun violence and violence as a whole. Its not enough to just make a lot of tools from guns. We need to help teach each other new ways to solve our problems through relationship, dialogue, and alternative means of justice, i.e. Restorative Justice practices and victim-offender dialogue.

Our nation has been through a variety of horrific events surrounding gun violence and it has brought the conversation to the forefront of our current events and "water cooler" conversations. It has largely become a binary conversation of either more guns or more laws. RAWtools wants to open a new option, a third way. What if we made a commitment to solve our problems without guns and violence? You can find statistics to support more laws to keep guns off the streets. You can find statistics to support adding more guns to deter bad things from happening. In either case, people are afraid of guns.

By using weapons to make garden tools and other hand tools, we are creating a symbol for change and we're asking you to participate. We are asking our communities to dare to use our imaginations to change our impulse. Beating swords into plowshares, spears into pruning hooks, and guns into garden tools creates a dynamic shift in our investment in time and resources. If we are no longer training for war, what else would we be doing? It doesn't mean we are all to become gardeners, but it does mean we can invest in providing life sustaining resources for our communities.
Now, I understand that this is Texas so I fully understand that this will not be fully embraced here, but these are men doing great Kingdom work and at the very least I ask that you keep the event and this organization in your prayers.

Also, if you are interested in helping out financially in any way, because getting RAWtools from Colorado to Houston isn't cheap, here's a page that you can help. If not financially, please do keep us in your prayers as we work to organize and carry out this event. Once more information is available, specifically a promotional flyer, I will update this thread.



**one note: I am not looking to have a debate here about Christians and guns. I'm not going to respond to any attempts at trolling. I'm simply looking to inform everyone here of an event that some may be interested in. If you have questions about the event, fantastic.
AggieRain
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AG
What did you end up turning your AK into last year?
PacifistAg
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AggieRain said:

What did you end up turning your AK into last year?
I ended up not sending it in once I had decided to try to work with them to host the actual event. So we will be using it, along with a .45 pistol, for the event.
AggieRain
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A shame, but I respect your commitment. Best of luck for your event!
Rusty Aha
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Quote:

http://wach.com/news/local/sc-man-killed-in-stabbing-with-pronged-garden-tool

SC man killed in stabbing with pronged garden tool

Sumter police say a 31-year-old South Carolina man has been killed after an acquaintance stabbed him with a garden tool during a fight.

Multiple media outlets report that Carlos Lincoln died Saturday afternoon, shortly after he was struck in the chest with a potato rake, a tool which has four sharp prongs on the end to help pull weeds.




PacifistAg
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AggieRain said:

A shame, but I respect your commitment. Best of luck for your event!
Thank you. I've already had multiple inquiries from relatives asking me to trade them the AK for something. lol
SoulSlaveAG2005
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I have a lot of garden tools. I'll gladly trade you for the Ak.
ramblin_ag02
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AG
Well played!
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Frok
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That picture is great
PacifistAg
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SoulSlaveAG2005 said:

I have a lot of garden tools. I'll gladly trade you for the Ak.

Nah, I'd prefer to repurpose these into something actually useful.
Woody2006
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Now I want to start a movement for people to trade in their garden equipment to be turned into guns.

Kind of like letting a vegans know I'm eating extra meat on their behalf.
swimmerbabe11
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I have a friend who was nearly killed with a garden hoe...but I wasn't mad at the gardening tool...cause he drunkenly wandered into the wrong person's yard.
Hickory High
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I may purchase my first and only gun just to give to this. I've known about them for a while, but had no idea they were coming to Houston.
PacifistAg
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Hickory High said:

I may purchase my first and only gun just to give to this. I've known about them for a while, but had no idea they were coming to Houston.

Obviously the more we can repurpose the better, although I'd hate to line the pockets of gun makers by buying more.

Really hope you can come to the event. I'll post a flyer once we get that prepared. The event is on a Friday due to them wanting to be able to get back to their home churches on Sunday. Marty Troyer, the pastor at Houston Mennonite, will be the speaker. If you aren't familiar with him, he has a blog with the Chronicle in case you want to check it out: http://blog.chron.com/thepeacepastor/
OnlyForNow
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I'm not looking to get into a debate, but your last statement of "the more we can re-purpose the better" what does that mean?

You actually think that guns are just evil and it's not the people who wield them that are? You understand that evil people will be evil if they have a gun or a shovel right?

Why don't some people accept that it's HUMANS that are the problem?
powerbelly
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Wouldn't it be a greater impact to sell the guns to responsible owners and purchase garden tools?

swimmerbabe11
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Do the garden tools go to like..farmers in Africa or central america or something to help them be self sustaining?
powerbelly
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swimmerbabe11 said:

Do the garden tools go to like..farmers in Africa or central america or something to help them be self sustaining?
According to their website, you send in you gun and they send you back a tool made from that gun.
swimmerbabe11
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Sounds like a really really really expensive shovel that I would never use.
(unless I murdered someone with the gun first)



..I don't do a lot of gardening
powerbelly
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swimmerbabe11 said:

Sounds like a really really really expensive shovel that I would never use.
(unless I murdered someone with the gun first)



..I don't do a lot of gardening

It seems like another avenue for hipsters to brag to their friends.
PacifistAg
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OnlyForNow said:

I'm not looking to get into a debate, but your last statement of "the more we can re-purpose the better" what does that mean?

You actually think that guns are just evil and it's not the people who wield them that are? You understand that evil people will be evil if they have a gun or a shovel right?

Why don't some people accept that it's HUMANS that are the problem?
What does "the more we can re-purpose the better' mean? I think it's pretty self-explanatory. The more guns we can re-purpose into garden tools, the better. This is an organization that seeks to be missionaries of a Kingdom where swords are beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks.

But, the questions that follow were full of false implications which I would prefer to not get into, as this thread was simply to notify people of an upcoming Kingdom-centered event. All I will say is that no, I don't discount the role of human beings in the issue of gun violence. I also do not discount the role of guns in the issue of gun violence. This isn't an organization that calls for laws though. I certainly don't call for gun control. This is an organization that focuses on living out Isaiah 2:4 here and now as missionaries of His Kingdom.
powerbelly
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AG
So no, they really don't do any good for anyone but themselves.
PacifistAg
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powerbelly51 said:

swimmerbabe11 said:

Sounds like a really really really expensive shovel that I would never use.
(unless I murdered someone with the gun first)



..I don't do a lot of gardening

It seems like another avenue for hipsters to brag to their friends.
I'm not a hipster. This is an organization that practices nonviolence. The guns that are being used for this were not bought for this event. I've had them for years. But, I will know that, at the very least, these guns will never be used to take a human life.
powerbelly
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AG
Right, so it is a "feel good" movement that really does nothing to help those that need it.

Your guns were never going to be used to murder anyone. Your guns aren't the problem with gun violence.
PacifistAg
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powerbelly51 said:

So no, they really don't do any good for anyone but themselves.
False, but there's clearly nothing that can be said to convince you otherwise. Feel free to come to the event and talk to us and learn more about what we believe. You don't have to agree, but dismissing this as just something for hipsters to feel good about themselves will only result in ignorance about who we are and what we're actually doing.
PacifistAg
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powerbelly51 said:

Right, so it is a "feel good" movement that really does nothing to help those that need it.

Your guns were never going to be used to murder anyone. Your guns aren't the problem with gun violence.
Okay. If that's how you feel, so be it. There's nothing that could be said to convince you otherwise. I prefer living out Isaiah 2:4 here and now, and being a missionary of His Kingdom. You may disagree with our interpretation of Scripture, but I'd caution against summarily dismissing as nothing more than "feel good" actions. We are serving our Lord.
powerbelly
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RetiredAg said:

powerbelly51 said:

So no, they really don't do any good for anyone but themselves.
False, but there's clearly nothing that can be said to convince you otherwise. Feel free to come to the event and talk to us and learn more about what we believe. You don't have to agree, but dismissing this as just something for hipsters to feel good about themselves will only result in ignorance about who we are and what we're actually doing.
You are an old white dude. Your guns are not being used in gun violence.

From the organizations website, there is nothing done to get guns out of the hands of those committing violence, or providing tools to those who could benefit from them. Sorry, this is just so you can feel good about getting rid of your guns.
PacifistAg
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swimmerbabe11 said:

Do the garden tools go to like..farmers in Africa or central america or something to help them be self sustaining?
The tools go back to the person who donated them. I've talked to many who've donated their garden tools to inner city garden initiatives and things like that.
PacifistAg
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powerbelly51 said:

RetiredAg said:

powerbelly51 said:

So no, they really don't do any good for anyone but themselves.
False, but there's clearly nothing that can be said to convince you otherwise. Feel free to come to the event and talk to us and learn more about what we believe. You don't have to agree, but dismissing this as just something for hipsters to feel good about themselves will only result in ignorance about who we are and what we're actually doing.
You are an old white dude. Your guns are not being used in gun violence.

From the organizations website, there is nothing done to get guns out of the hands of those committing violence, or providing tools to those who could benefit from them. Sorry, this is just so you can feel good about getting rid of your guns.
No, I'm not an old white dude. You have no interest in actual discussion though, as evidenced by your false statement about my motives. This will be my last comment to you, since you seem to not want dialogue that goes against your false assumptions about me or RAWtools.
powerbelly
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Then explain to me how exactly RAWtools helps prevent gun violence.

The website was without any facts to show any impact they were making.

They make claims and what if statements without demonstrating how they expect this "movement" to catch on.
powerbelly
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Quote:

You don't have to agree, but dismissing this as just something for hipsters to feel good about themselves will only result in ignorance about who we are and what we're actually doing.
Then explain it. The website fails at providing any concrete example of the "good" they have accomplished.
PacifistAg
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powerbelly51 said:


Quote:

You don't have to agree, but dismissing this as just something for hipsters to feel good about themselves will only result in ignorance about who we are and what we're actually doing.
Then explain it. The website fails at providing any concrete example of the "good" they have accomplished.
Feel free to come to the event on March 10th and check it out for yourself. Feel free to come with an open heart and mind and ask questions. You aren't seeking dialogue here though, as evidenced by your multiple dismissive posts and false assumptions about the motives of people you've never met. If you wish to have a constructive dialogue, may I recommend not coming to the table w/ antagonism and dismissiveness. But as I mentioned in the OP, this thread was simply to inform people of an upcoming event:



Quote:

**one note: I am not looking to have a debate here about Christians and guns. I'm not going to respond to any attempts at trolling. I'm simply looking to inform everyone here of an event that some may be interested in. If you have questions about the event, fantastic.

Martin Q. Blank
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Quote:

This will be my last comment to you
We all know you can't leave without the last word.
powerbelly
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AG
Im not driving to Houston when you can't even provide basic answers.


I have read about a dozen blog posts and still haven't seen an impact any different than what could have been done by buying a bunch of shovels at home depot.

Sorry, I see nothing of substance being done and you clearly can't explain it or you would already have.
PacifistAg
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Martin Q. Blank said:


Quote:

This will be my last comment to you
We all know you can't leave without the last word.

We all know I can't post without you obsessively trolling.
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