Turning Guns into Trumpets
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I bet that you didn’t know that you could turn guns into trumpets. Here is how it is done:
New Orleans trumpeter Shamarr Allen wanted to find a way to get guns out of kids' hands, so he turned to what he knows best: music. He recently created a gun-for-trumpet exchange program — called Trumpet Is My Weapon — and has so far collected four guns that he turned over to police.
"I had some trumpets lying around, and I know for me, the trumpet saved me," he says.
Allen, who's from the city's Lower Ninth Ward, started the program after learning about Devante Bryant, 9, was fatally shot in front of his 7th Ward home earlier this month.
"I have a nine-year-old son, so for me it just hit me different," Allen says.
So he posted on social media: "To all the youth in New Orleans, Bring me a gun and I'll give you a trumpet no questions asked."
Allen says it is important to him that the kids who come to his exchange feel safe.
"I wanted to build a relationship and trust with the kids so that they wouldn't have to worry about getting in any trouble," he says....
If you are interested the full story and a recorded intervirw can be found at the following site.
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What happens when a kid turns up with a gun, just takes all the trumpets and keeps the gun?
Nearly as good as I need to be. Not nearly as good as I want to be).
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@Rapier232 said in Turning Guns into Trumpets:
What happens when a kid turns up with a gun, just takes all the trumpets and keeps the gun?
Or worse....I understand your concern. I also can see that Shamarr Allen is deeply invested in trying to improve his community. After all, he has young children, and the stabbing and shooting children and adults in New Orleans on a daily basis has been commonplace for many decades. I lived in New Orleans from 1974-1979. During those years I was responsible, along with many others, for providing Surgical care to the victims who were funneled into New Orlean’s Major Trauma Center, Charity Hospital of New Orleans, whether they were New Orleans Police Officers, the equivalent of gangbangers, innocent victims of crime, or innocent bystanders who were collateral damage. During my five years, I, alone probably saw anywhere from 2-10 stab and gunshot wound victims per day who made it to the hospital alive. I worked seven days a week and was allowed seven vacation days per year. My exposure to this problem was enormous.
My understanding is that gun violence has not improved in New Orleans even up to the current time. There is very little value put on human life by perpetrators and criminals within the high crime districts of New Orleans. Just consider The fate of 9 year old Devonte Bryant who was purposely shot at close range in the back of his head. Most of the gun violence was, and still is, aimed at the members of the community. Tourists were considered fair game as well. If you live in one of these areas, as Shamarr Allen does, your options include, live with the situation the best you can, move elsewhere if you are able to, or do what you can to fix it from within. In his own way, Shamarr Allen, within his sphere of influence is trying to fix what he can from within. What he is doing is very admirable. By getting even a few illegal guns out of the hands of minors, redirecting their interests, and expanding their talents , he could very well be preventing the juveniles he is interacting with from living a life of crime, preventing serious injuries, and saving lives. I hope that his endeavors are successful and he does not get hurt trying to help others. Who would have ever thought that a trumpet could save lives!
By the way, to give you an idea of the severity of the circumstance that I am referring to, read the following account of the shooting death of 9 year Devante Bryant, that led to Shamarr Allen’s epiphany. Keep in mind that two other children were shot in the same non random incident and other children were shot at. Also in the story, the circumstances surrounding Devante Bryant’s family are very informative relative to my points above.https://www.nola.com/news/crime_police/article_5f48b042-cce8-11ea-97c6-97ed082eda8c.html
Steve Smith
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@SSmith1226
I appreciate all of that, but my point still stands. Having been a Cop for 30 years I’ve seen a lot of good ideas go wrong, because they haven’t been thought through properly. I hope his scheme works out, but bad people do bad things to good people every day.Nearly as good as I need to be. Not nearly as good as I want to be).
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@Rapier232 said in Turning Guns into Trumpets:
@SSmith1226
I appreciate all of that, but my point still stands. Having been a Cop for 30 years I’ve seen a lot of good ideas go wrong, because they haven’t been thought through properly. I hope his scheme works out, but bad people do bad things to good people every day.I do not disagree with your point. I also respect your experience as well as the fact that you have put your life on the line for 30 years to do what is right, and protect your community. Because we are are human beings does not mean that we automatically behave in a civilized manner. People are people, and bad things can result from that.
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I must say that I find difficulty in classifying some of these worthless and sometimes destructive and even predatory bipeds as people. It has been said that even the worst among us has a bit of good in them. I disagree.
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Are they literally beating guns into trumpets, or selling the guns and using the money to purchase instruments?
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Neither. The kids give their guns to a guy who in turn gives them a trumpet.
The guy then gives the guns to the police.
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No good deed goes unrewarded on the internet.
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Hell I got some guns I would trade. I loved my guns in my 20’s and early 30’s. Now in my 40’s I’ve just lost the zeal I once had. I’d actually rather have a Jinbao than some of my guns. Hell I can leave all my trumpets loaded
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