Why I Bought A Gun

"Hey buddy, how was school today?" I ask my son as he gets into the car. At the time, my son was in Kindergarten, and I have expected him to tell me about a station he enjoyed playing at or something funny, one of his friends said.

"Good, Dad, we had a lockdown drill today."

Now I knew cognitively that lockdown drills are a fact of life for children in this day and age, but as any parent will tell you, hearing it for the first time can catch you off guard. Coming to terms with the fact that teachers and school staff need to prepare for the day that a gunman decides to come to school.

"So...can you tell me what happens in a lockdown drill?" I asked with curiosity. It's been some time since I've been in school, but we did not have to do lockdown drills when I was a kid. My boy then tells me what he and his classmates should do in an exercise. In my mind, I can picture the scene of little boys and girls hiding and a teacher doing her best to stay calm and collected.

I'm glad they prepare, but I'm shaken and horrified that they have to.

I'm worried, knowing I'll be powerless to help my kids should that terrible day come. I’ll have no control over the situation.

So what do we do with this? What can I do to make sure my family is protected? I thought about it for some time and then I made my decision.

I did what any other parent would do. I bought a gun...

Here’s my piece! It used to be a firearm. Now it’s a garden spade. Please check out Rawtools

Well, a redeemed one anyway! I bought a disassembled firearm from an organization in the United States that does the work of "hammering swords into plowshares." I love what they stand for and I wholeheartedly believe in the value of cultivating peace. The plowshare is a beautiful symbol of humble service. Whenever I see the garden spade, I'm inspired by this object that was designed with the purpose to kill now used to plant and grow something beautiful. I’m challenged to think about what I can do to contribute to a world that doesn't resort to violence. This kind of world only comes about with hard work. Hospitality is just that- hard work. Physically and emotionally.

When you have little control, It's much easier to take the power move approach that says, "Conform, or get out!" or "Surrender now or else!". This isn’t our only option.

I firmly believe that hospitality has the power to change the world. Every single major issue in the world would be solvable if we were more hospitable to one another.

Of course, it's easier said than done; given a choice, most of us would reach for a weapon that would grant us immediate power over a farm tool to solve a conflict. Tilling the land and growing food is a counter-intuitive approach to de-escalating conflict.

An approach that genuinely makes space to create understanding is a leap of faith. I believe that a world where people feel less isolated will be less violent.

In Edmonton, we have issues with safety around our LRT stations. Honestly, I've felt a lot less safe waiting for a train after normal business hours in the last year. No one should have to worry about the drug-addicted people wandering around the stations yelling and threatening them. Isolated and desperate, they can act out violently. I don't feel safe. And I'm a guy!

My gut instinct is to support an approach where the police bring down the hammer on those people. Arrest them and lock them up! As a society, we’ve tried that, and it hasn’t worked. However, the "plowshare" approach would suggest that I put my energy and some money into supporting organizations like Bent Arrow that have partnered with the city to help de-escalate crime with an indigenous approach to healing. So I support that organization financially monthly. If you have an organization in your neighborhood that does similar work, I'd encourage you to support them. I’m not fully there yet, but I’m beginning to understand that if I want my family and I to live in peace, we need to invest in the peace of others. I’m not saying that people committing crimes shouldn’t be held accountable; I’m saying that true justice requires acts of generosity and service.

The plowshare approach is a leap of faith. The results are never immediate; however, given time, I have to believe change is possible if we’re willing to change our approach to the things that scare us the most.

Friend, thanks for reading, now go plant something beautiful!