Isn't it just as wrong to have a law that REQUIRES that every household keep and maintain a hand gun, as it is to not allow people to carry guns if they want to?

Yes, but for different reasons.

Kennesaw has had the law for 30 years; supposedly there hasn’t been a murder there in that time, which may be cause and effect, but it may also be propaganda.

The problem with requiring each household to have a gun is very similar to the problem with requiring everyone to buy health insurance. Government shouldn’t be able to dictate a person’s or family’s values and choices in either. It’s inconsistent of Kennesaw’s leaders to be anti-Obamacare and yet force people to buy guns to protect themselves.

I wonder if there has ever been a prosecution against someone who didn’t own a gun. I doubt it seriously.

Some important Kennesaw facts:

Newt Gingrich got his start as a history professor at Kennesaw State Univ.

In the 20s and 30s, the KKK had a large representation in Kennesaw (and most of N, Georgia)

Yes, it is just as wrong because in both cases it takes personal freedom to make the choice away from the individual. However, as the law above is written, it lets anyone off the hook who conscientiously objects to keeping a gun in the house—- so in a way that particular law goes against it’s own purpose and doesn’t force them to keep a gun in the house.

Honestly, I believe it is a far worse requirement.

Do you always have a hard time understanding satire and irony, @Dutchess_III?

The law was passed at a time of particular anti-gun hysteria in this country. (Some may recall that Ronald Reagan had been shot at close range in March of 1981, and his Press Secretary, James Brady, was also wounded with more severe and long-lasting effects. His wife, Sarah Brady, started what became a very popular anti-handgun movement.) Kennesaw passed this law very publicly as an adverse reaction to that populist movement against handguns.

Now ask yourself this:
1. How is the law enforced? I doubt if it even can be.

2. Has anyone ever been charged with a violation of this law? I wouldn’t think so, but I’m willing to be surprised.

3. Even if those two hurdles are met, that there was an attempt to enforce this law and someone was actually found to be in violation of it, has there ever been an actual prosecution and finding of guilt for non-compliance?

Yeah, okay, the law is on the books and on its face it’s a technical violation of freedom, and for that reason I’m also nominally opposed to it. But what prosecutor is going to try to make a name for himself by prosecuting a “violator”? I’m all ears.

The Second Militia Act of 1792 required all men between 18–45 to have arms. I am aware of other laws passed in that period, but cannot recall the exact article, requireing all men to have firearms of current vintage available to them.

These laws were in place until the militia act of 1903.

@CWOTUS I’m aware of all the points you made. All you have to do is object and you don’t have to have a gun. However, they didn’t pass that law with humorous satire, or irony in mind. They just passed it, and it’s ridiculous.

When a legislative body passes a law that is unenforceable and not intended to be enforced, then you have to ask yourself why they did it. Kennesaw, GA, did it “to make a statement”, and it was a satirical jab at all of the towns (notably in the North) that were passing similarly broadly unenforceable laws (but which surely would be enforced if a search warrant for something else had disclosed a weapon) to prohibit gun ownership within city limits.

LOL! Our town passed a “no smoking” law….that extends to the county lake! They also passed a law requiring that they round up cats with no collars. I think they just make fools of themselves when they do stuff like that.

The former is likely worse than the latter.

Since gun ownership requires a certain level of knowledge on how to properly maintain, use, and store a gun, the kind of person who wouldn’t usually own a gun now has a dangerous situation in their house waiting to happen should the weapon not be cared for or locked up properly.

And what about the people who can’t afford it? GA is not an uberwealthy state. Are the people barely scraping by going to be forced to blow gas or food money on weapons? is there going to be some sort of NRAcare where the government will help subsidize guns?

@sinscriven It was a law passed back in 1982. I’m sure it’s pretty well defunked now, albeit still on the books.