Compulsory gun ownership?

[damian]

I have a bet with a friend who claims there is a state in America where gun ownership is compulsory. The only details he could give is that he thinks it may be Texas and the crime rate dropped dramatically. I believe this to be absolute bollocks, but need cites to claim the $500.

Is there, or has there ever been, a state in America where gun ownership is compulsory by law? Is there perhaps a county or city where this may apply?

[Dr. Dave]

Look up the city of Kennesaw, Georgia. (The law existed, the result is not clear.) There may be others. No entire state that I am aware of.

[nancyfancypants]

Originally Posted by Dr. Dave

Look up the city of Kennesaw, Georgia. (The law existed, the result is not clear.) There may be others. No entire state that I am aware of.

My sister lives in Kennesaw. The law is still on the books, but she believes that it's probably unenforceable. It was put in place when some protesters ticked off the city council.

[STF]

Originally Posted by nancyfancypants

My sister lives in Kennesaw. The law is still on the books, but she believes that it's probably unenforceable. It was put in place when some protesters ticked off the city council.

FWIW I've always heard part of the idea of that law is to make criminals think twice about entering a house in Kennesaw "since they all have guns." Whether that's effective or not I don't know, but from what I recall people saying the town doesn't really care if everyone has one or not just that people think everyone does.

All that being said I would think that a law like this would be completely unconstitutional and if it isn't it should be.

[RichardM]

As a Texas resident, we drove to Canada for a visit. We went through one of the smaller entry ports, Emerson Manitoba. As we were sitting in the car, the Canadian border agent asked if we were carrying an alcohol - no; tobacco - no or firearms - no. 'What, you're from Texas and don't have any firearms' was the exclamation. I explained that I did indeed own several firearms but that the Canadian consulate had said to not take them into Canada so I hadn't carried any. Thankfully he believed me as it would have been a pain to unload and reload the whole car just to prove the negative.

[jason13]

Originally Posted by STF

FWIW I've always heard part of the idea of that law is to make criminals think twice about entering a house in Kennesaw "since they all have guns."

The law was passed in March 1982 (IIRC) in response to a gun control law in Morton Grove, IL.

[LilacFields]

Originally Posted by nancyfancypants

My sister lives in Kennesaw. The law is still on the books, but she believes that it's probably unenforceable. It was put in place when some protesters ticked off the city council.

Really? I'm conjuring up an image of the city council getting together in a small hot room. Protesters are outside chanting about banning guns. Some windbag stands up and starts telling the other council members about how this cannot be tolerated. The council draft up the law. The same windbag lumbers out of the room and faces the protesters. He bellows out the new law and gets booed. At which point he gets the police (who come out of nowhere) to haul the protesters off for not having guns, which puts them in violation of the law.

Yes, it's a slow day at work today.



LF

[snopes]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...46/ai_15729634

[Mama Duck]

Are you sure you're not thinking of Switzerland? It's not Texas nor any municipality therein.

[damian]

Originally Posted by Mama Duck

Are you sure you're not thinking of Switzerland? It's not Texas nor any municipality therein.

The bet hinges specifically on any state in America.

[Mama Duck]

Originally Posted by damian

The bet hinges specifically on any state in America.

Well, you're screwed then. Maybe you can partial credit for it not being Texas.

[Dr. Dave]

Originally Posted by Mama Duck

Well, you're screwed then. Maybe you can partial credit for it not being Texas.

Or majority credit for it not being a state at all. (Note to damian: Kennesaw is a small city, not even close to being the largest city in a state, let alone a complete state.)

[damian]

Originally Posted by Mama Duck

Well, you're screwed then. Maybe you can partial credit for it not being Texas.

I bet that there was no state in America where gun ownership was compulsory. I believe I will win the bet.

I feel bad for taking money from a friend for believing a UL, so I will make a $500 donation to the Good Friday Appeal in his name.

[Mama Duck]

Originally Posted by damian

I bet that there was no state in America where gun ownership was compulsory. I believe I will win the bet.

Ah, I misunderstood you. I thought it had to be only a town with such a law. If it's a whole state, then you're right. You win.

[KKHB]

Originally Posted by damian

I bet that there was no state in America where gun ownership was compulsory. I believe I will win the bet.

I am almost positive you win this one, but how are you expected to "prove" that there is no state with such a (statewide) law?

I can speak for the states I have lived in (and only for the time frames I lived there of course): Texas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, California, Colorado, Arizona, Virginia, South Carolina, Maryland and....I think that's all unless you count territories. None of them had a compulsory gun ownership law of which I was made aware.

[diddy]

Originally Posted by damian

I feel bad for taking money from a friend for believing a UL, so I will make a $500 donation to the Good Friday Appeal in his name.

Well if you feel bad about it you can also donate to the "keep snopesters out of the poor house" charity*.

*In case there is any doubt, I am joking..

[Cyrano]

Originally Posted by Mama Duck

Are you sure you're not thinking of Switzerland? It's not Texas nor any municipality therein.

As they say in the link, Switzerland also has gun laws, and the fact that citizens have their military weapon at home (and are generally allowed to keep it when they leave the service - under the condition that it's modified to semi-auto only) doesn't make it compulsory.
However, I'd say the figures and data in the link are a bit dated. I don't recall any year with 97 gun murders in Switzerland, and the gun laws have been harmonized between the cantons 10 years ago, the purchase of rifles also requiring a permit, now. On the other hand, arms trade between private persons is not under control.

The problem is rather that these service weapons (sometimes obsolete but still operational bolt-action rifles kept in the families over generations) are all-too often used to threaten in cases of domestic violence, and are a popular way to commit suicide in Switzerland.

And anyway, recent tragedies such as the murder of ski-champion Corrine Rey-Bellet and her brother, shot by her ex-husband with his service pistol, and a terrible case in Zürich where a 16-year-old girl waiting for the bus was killed by a drunken moron who had returned from the military service and "just felt like shooting someone" have triggered a nation-wide debate, and in the near future, the service weapons will stay in the arsenals.

As for the OP, the only country I can think of where adult men were required to own (and carry, IIRC) a handgun was Montenegro before WWI, under king Nicholas I. Apparently, the tradition lives on.

http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/files...nal-2006-b.pdf

see page 37.