While the gun control debate in the United States ambles along with no sign of any real change imminent, we decided to look back at a Mexican artist who decidedly took an anti-gun stance. Pedro Reyes melted 1,527 guns into shovel heads for his project Palas por Pistolas. His end goal was to turn the destructive weapon into something beneficial for the environment: trees.
Every person that turned in their gun was given a coupon for electronics, according to Pocho. After the guns were melted down, Reyes gave the shovels to public schools and art institutions so that people could plant at least one tree for each gun. The shovels may have gotten their start in Culiacán, but they made their way all over the world.
Check out some images for Palas por Pistolas below:
