Crowd gathers to witness the dismantling of AR-15

[OxQQme]

>"A small group of parishioners gathered under canopies pitched in the Christ Church Episcopal Parish parking lot in Lake Oswego on Friday to watch "the destruction of a weapon" and to pray "for an end to violence, for peace on Earth."

With scripture, songs and prayers, the group witnessed the dismantling of the AR-15 rifle that the Rev. Jeremy Lucas had won earlier this year in a raffle sponsored by a Gresham softball team. On hand to help destroy the weapon was Mike Martin from RAWtools, a Colorado Springs-based Christian organization that repurposes weapons into hand tools.

Using a circular saw with a special blade, Martin and Lucas cut the weapon into several pieces and then forged the pieces into garden implements."<

more:
http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/335871-215806-crowd-gathers-in-lake-oswego-to-witness-the-dismantling-of-ar-15

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

1. At first glance I thought yours was an article on field stripping one

Had to know how to do the on its military equivalent the M-16 as part of my Army basic training 40 years ago.

[dhol82]

2. They are going to get a dump truck full of hate mail.

The NRA crazies will not be happy.

[yallerdawg]

3. Swords into plowshares.

"It's a small, symbolic act," he said in July. "There are millions of guns, I know that. But this gun will never be used to kill kids in schools, kill people in a movie theater, kill people at an office party or at any other place of mass shootings. This gun will never be found by a child who accidently shoots a friend. ... It will never be stolen and used to commit a crime or used to threaten a family in a domestic violence situation.

[Kang Colby]

4. See this...

In July, Lucas spent $3,000 from a church discretionary fund and member donations to buy 150 raffle tickets

http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/335871-215806-crowd-gathers-in-lake-oswego-to-witness-the-dismantling-of-ar-15

What an idiot. This guy could have fed 100s of families a nice holiday meal or provided blankets or any number of other things. Instead he spends $3000 for what is probably a $600 rifle, and cuts it into pieces.

On edit: if he really cared about his symbolic crusade more than media attention he could've purchased 60 AR lowers and chopped them into pieces, effectively destroying 60 for the price of what he paid.

[Hoyt]

5. Thousands of families could be fed if callous gun fanciers would quit spending their money

on more friggin gunz, dues to white wing organizations like the NRA, ammo, targets resembling humans, training on what to police if they pull a Zimmerman, militia literature, etc.

The Rev deserves applause.

[Kang Colby]

6. Sure thing, Hoyt.

From my pov, I'd much rather he use his church donations by paying 5x too much on a common rifle than by donating to gun control groups.

Food and shelter for those in need would have been best, but who am I to judge this man for how he spends money raised in the name of the Lord.

[Hoyt]

7. A common rifle, especially among those who supported Trump. The Rev made a point

that gunners will never understand.

[Paladin]

9. Your concern for the poor is noted. (nt)

[Kang Colby]

12. Thanks.

I've spent many years advocating for the homeless by working in the shelters, serving hot meals, and just taking the time to have a conversation with those in need.

I could care less about this guy who over-paid for a rifle and chopped it up. It's just really pathetic that he used church funds to do it.

[flamin lib]

11. And from my point of view the opinion of a gunner who openly supports

and promotes a wing of the Republican party (the NRA) on a liberal website is suspect at best.

[Kang Colby]

13. Why is it suspect?

I'd rather support men and women like Heidi Heitkamp, Jon Tester, Joe Donnelly, Mark Warner, Martin Heinrich, Joe Manchin, and Tom Udall in the Senate than lose to Republicans in tight races. I assume you don't agree which is unfortunate.

I'm a life long pro-rights Democrat. Not sure why you continually call me out for my NRA life membership status.

[MissB]

8. It's lake Oswego. The local demographics

are such that the guy didn't take food from the mouth of babes.

The cops are so bored in Lake Oswego that one doesn't dare go even 5 miles over the speed limit. It's a smallish town full of many wealthy folks. The lake part of Lake Oswego is fully privatized - you can look at it from "Main Street" (hwy 43) but you can't go for a swim. If you have a bunch of millions, there is a beautiful home for sale on one of its islands- the house has a lovely blue porcelain roof.

Anyway, all this to say that the publicity stunt is relatively harmless in terms of costs to his community. Lake O tends to run a bit more conservative but it's practically Portland so I'm betting his congregation wasn't too pissed.

[Kang Colby]

10. Thanks.

I don't know much about Oregon in general.

In any case, I'm sure shelters in Portland could have put the money to better use. But why would anyone want to do that when they could just do a nice publicity stunt.