Beating Guns: Making Violence Extinct w/Mike Martin

The issue of gun violence continues to be a persistent problem in the United States. There are simply no words for the tragic loss of life that we witness on a regular basis made worse by the divisive and polarized politics around what governments ought to do. The various appeals to cliched platitudes like, “we don’t have a gun problem, we have a heart problem,” are profoundly unhelpful, and the convenient and often times spurious interpretations of the second amendment distract us from getting a real understanding that could promote real transformation.

Mike Martin is the founder and executive director of RAWtools, an organization that provides a safe process by which people can donate their guns to be transformed into gardening tools. In Isaiah chapter 2, the phrase, “they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks” is a description of a time when there will be no more war or violence upon the land. RAWtools is making that vision a reality through their blacksmithing work, but also through resourcing communities with nonviolence training, storytelling, and theological education. Mike is also the co-author of Beating Guns: Hope for People Who Are Weary of Violence a comprehensive telling of the history of the gun industry, the beliefs and philosophies of gun culture, an explanation of the development of second amendment interpretations, and a both/and political vision that requires legislation and spiritual transformation. It is an incredibly thorough analysis and helpful guide to explicate how we got here, and what we can do about it. In this conversation, we cover all of this and more, all in an effort to chart a way forward towards making violence extinct.