“When they come into the shop, we don’t just hand them something pre-made. They pick up the hammer, they feel the heat of the forge, they watch something destructive turn into something life-giving in real-time. And it’s emotional,” Martin said. Martin also hauls a forge, anvil, tools, and gun parts to workshops around the country so participants can experience the transformation firsthand. To support their work, Raw Tools’ website sells the garden tools that Martin and other blacksmiths forge. Still, Martin knows this isn’t a practical solution to confronting America’s estimated 400 million guns. “We don’t expect to solve the entire issue of gun violence with this program, but what we do expect is to plant seeds — seeds of change, seeds of hope, seeds of a different way forward. And just like in a garden, those seeds take time to grow,” Martin said. Martin knows his work has political undertones. But he tries to avoid getting into political discussions because he doesn’t think further division will solve the problem. He is proud that the Guns to Gardens volunteer base is composed of individuals who work for major gun manufacturers and police departments, as well as activists fighting for strict gun regulations at both the state and federal levels. “We live in such a polarized time, and people assume that conversations about guns are always going to be heated debates. But in my experience, most people — whether they own guns or not — just want their families to be safe. If we start from that common ground, maybe we can have real conversations,” Martin said. MCDAVID SAID THE GUNS TO GARDENS SAFE SURRENDER EVENTS ARE IMPORTANT ACTIONS COMMUNITIES CAN TAKE WHEN THE PROBLEM FEELS IMPOSSIBLE TO TACKLE. “WHEN THEY COME INTO THE SHOP ... THEY PCK UP THE HAMMER, THEY FEEL THE HEAT OF THE FORGE, THEY WATCH SOMETHING DESTRUCTIVE TURN INTO SOMETHING LIFE-GIVING IN REAL-TIME,” SAID MIKE MARTIN. April 2025 DENVER VOICE 11
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