Man making sculpture out of discarded guns
Posted at: 02/06/2013 6:27 PM
By: Eddie Garcia, KOB Eyewitness News 4
An Albuquerque man is asking the community to help him start a nationwide movement to give discarded guns a second life.
This is an approach you haven't seen before. Richard Salazar wants to take discarded guns and make a giant sculpture - imagine a ten-foot-by-ten foot peace sign, with a cross.
He wants to assemble it from guns parts from across the country - and then take it across the country, dedicating it to murdered kids.
"It's just a good way for parents and family members who have lost members to violence to help heal," said Salazar.
Salazar says he was thinking about this project way before the Sandy Hook tragedy.
He says he's putting down his own guns after a lifetime of being an enthusiast.
"To me it's more empowering because I'm looking at it as change. I'm no longer living by the sword, I've asked the good lord to make be an instrument of peace now," said Salazar.
As far as he's concerned, the project starts now.
"So this is the first one, what I'm going to do is cut this into some pieces and start it off," said Salazar.
Salazar revealed that this project, this mission isn't only just for the children killed in recent shootings - it's for his own child.
He recalled June 5, 2011 - one phone call that changed his life.
"Somebody pulled out a gun and my son ended up on the wrong side of it," said Salazar.
His son Patrick was 19.
Salazar says the grief, at times, has been unbearable but that changes with this first piece of the sculpture.
"This is him, this is why I'm doing this...right here. I do believe he's smiling on me saying ‘hey’ a big smile, like me...yeah," said Salazar.
A new mission.
"New beginning. I no longer live by the sword," said Salazar.
For more information about the Love and Peace Sculpture, contact Rick Salazar at 505-203-3037 or email him at loveandpeacesculpture@gmail.com
 |
Tweet |
|
