Nelson, GA May Soon Require Citizens To Own Guns In Homes.

[GreenStormCloud]

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2013/03/07/georgia-town-might-require-guns.html

NELSON, Ga. — Residents of a small Georgia town might soon be asked to keep guns in their homes.

A city leader in Nelson, 50 miles north of Atlanta, said yesterday that he proposed an ordinance calling on every head of household to have a gun as a way to keep crime down.

Nelson, home to 1,300 people, employs one police officer, who is on duty only at night, city Councilman Duane Cronic said. When the officer is off duty during the day, residents must call local sheriff’s officials if they need assistance, which he said can result in longer response times.

Cronic said his proposal is similar to an ordinance enacted by the nearby town of Kennesaw in 1982. There would be no penalty for not having a weapon, but the law would send a message to would-be criminals, he said.

The Nelson City Council will vote on the ordinance on April?1, Cronic said.

Tiny towns like that typically have very low crime rates anyway. This will be interesting to watch as it develops. I would be that most of the homes already have a gun.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

1. Kennesaw, GA already has such a law

Kennesaw, Georgia, Code of Ordinances >> PART II - CODE OF ORDINANCES >> Chapter 34 - CIVIL EMERGENCIES >> ARTICLE II. - FIREARMS >>
ARTICLE II. - FIREARMS

Sec. 34-21. - Heads of households to maintain firearms.

(a)

In order to provide for the emergency management of the city, and further in order to provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants, every head of household residing in the city limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition therefore.

(b)

Exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who suffer a physical or mental disability which would prohibit them from using such a firearm. Further exempt from the effect of this section are those heads of households who are paupers or who conscientiously oppose maintaining firearms as a result of beliefs or religious doctrine, or persons convicted of a felony.

[GreenStormCloud]

2. Nelson is modeling their law on Kennesaw.

Kennesaw saw their burglary rate drop to zero and stay there for 18 months. Kennesaw is a suburb of Atlanta.

[holdencaufield]

3. Why I disagree with this ...

... when making a right mandatory (such as voting or assembling freely) it ceases to become a right and becomes an obligation. Yes, there are not penalties for not complying with the law but that still makes one a law-breaker for not complying. When someone talks about making federal registration mandatory but without enforcement it is precisely the same thing -- forcing a normally law-abiding person break the law. When this happens, the person become obligated to the state. "We LET you do this illegally, so watch your arse, do what we say, or we might just stop letting you". It becomes a way to coerce the public into complying with the whims of the state.


This is a tactic the Soviets used for decades -- make things that everyone does (like buying and selling) illegal but then don't actively enforce it. In this way the normal buying or selling, essential to make up for the inefficiencies of planned economy, will continue, but it can be controlled. The illegal (or black market) merchant is now obliged to the state to comply with any order for fear of being prosecuted for what the state "allows" him to do.

No, this is not the way "rights" are supposed to be exercised.

[rdharma]

4. Herp Derp!

I think the Nelson City Council should also make "Dueling Banjos" their official town anthem!

[Lucky Luciano]

5. Sounds about right! nt