Compulsory gun ownership?

[Towknie]

Well, if such a law does exist, and it exists in Texas, then if I must own a gun, am I also then required to own bullets?

[Chloe]

Originally Posted by Towknie

Well, if such a law does exist, and it exists in Texas, then if I must own a gun, am I also then required to own bullets?

No, but you will then be required to hurl your gun at potential evil-doers.

[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.

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.

I would think most burgulars would enter unnocupied homes, making the guns less a deterrent than an incitement. unless the homowner used the guns to create some sort of booby-trap

[snopes]

Comment: I have heard a rumor of a city in Illinoi where it is a law
ordinance that adults MUST carry a gun for protection. This law
ordinance has supposedly reduced crime to "0".

[RichardM]

Given that all Texans are considered to be carrying a gun at all times, it is interesting to note that the 1886 Texas constitution prohibited carrying a concealed weapon by anyone except a licensed peace officer. Yes, there were exceptions galore and the consitution has since been changed.

In this strange place you call Illinoi, I suspect that "0" is police code for "tostoterone gone amok"

[Natalie]

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: I have heard a rumor of a city in Illinoi where it is a law
ordinance that adults MUST carry a gun for protection. This law
ordinance has supposedly reduced crime to "0".

Yep, gun owners never commit crimes.

[Elkhound]

Originally Posted by Cyrano

One last thing about Switzerland:

In the half-canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden, it was obligatory for men who wanted to join the citizen's assembly (where voting is done by raising a hand) to carry a sword, sabre, dagger or bayonet.

This ages-old tradition was cancelled when women were given the right to vote.

Because, of course, having armed women in the assembly would be too dangerous at certain times of the month. I'll get it:

[lord_feldon]

Originally Posted by Natalie

Yep, gun owners never commit crimes.

Correct, because apparently if everyone has a gun, they just police themselves! Who would commit a crime if they thought the people watching had guns!!!!eleventy-one!!!

[diddy]

Originally Posted by snopes

This law ordinance has supposedly reduced crime to "0".

Yes because we all know that having everybody (including the criminals mind you along with people who have no business owning guns) armed would make it impossible for anyone to want to commit a crime.

[robbiev]

In March of this year, Kennesaw, GA just reached its 25 year anniversary of the law requiring gun ownership.

Don't know what that has to do with anything, but I thought I'd mention it.

Robbie -useless info- V

[ganzfeld]

Originally Posted by Elkhound

Because, of course, having armed women in the assembly would be too dangerous at certain times of the month. I'll get it:

You must mean the "certain time of the month" when violent women become almost half as bad as violent men are all month long.

[bufungla]

Originally Posted by RichardM

Given that all Texans are considered to be carrying a gun at all times, it is interesting to note that the 1886 Texas constitution prohibited carrying a concealed weapon by anyone except a licensed peace officer. Yes, there were exceptions galore and the consitution has since been changed.

The spin I've always heard the pro-gun people put on that was that the concern was with the concealment of a weapon, and that the carrying of an unconcealed weapon was perfectly legal.

[Banrion]

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: I have heard a rumor of a city in Illinoi where it is a law
ordinance that adults MUST carry a gun for protection. This law
ordinance has supposedly reduced crime to "0".

That's because all attempted crimes end with someone shooting someone else, and since everyone is carrying a lethal weapon, all shootings fall under self-defense, and are therefore legal.

[Mickey Blue]

Originally Posted by damian

Money is not an issue for us. It is about the humiliation of losing. $500 is our standard bet. In the past year, I have won $1000 beating him at golf, he won it back on the cricket. Last year, he won the use of my car for a weekend because his team beat mine in football. Gotta make life interesting.

Thanks to everyone for the help.

Wow.. If I made my life that interesting I'd be living off Ramen noodles again (or caviar.. Depending on how good I am at betting I guess..).

On one of Michael Moore's documentaries it said that the town of Virgin, Utah had a compulsory gun law.. Not sure if thats true, false, or technically true but exaggerated.

ETA: Well some quick searching seems to suggest that its true, though no hard proof just websites saying that it in fact does have such a law.

Even if it is true though technically your bet said "state" not "town" so you may still be safe.

-MB

[Bryan With a 'Y']

Alaska has never, to my knowledge, required weapon ownership for the general populace, but it did require that anyone piloting an aircraft more than 25 miles from their point of origin carry a firearm on board (as "safety equipment"). This actually affected a lot of people, as most of the state isn't on the road system, so we have more pilots and small planes per capita here than any other state.

The rule caused some problems when people wanted to fly over
Canada, as the rules there forbade them to carry a firearm on board - they had to break the law one place or the other. Or throw it overboard when they flew over the border.

In any event, the firearm requirement was repealed in 2001.

[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