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Gun Ownership Mandatory In Kennesaw, Georgia --- Crime Rate Plummets

tysk news ^ | 1997 | Baldwin

Posted on by doug from upland

Gun Ownership Mandatory In Kennesaw, Georgia

Crime Rate Plummets

by Chuck Baldwin

The New American magazine reminds us that March 25th marked the 16th anniversary of Kennesaw, Georgia's ordinance requiring heads of households (with certain exceptions) to keep at least one firearm in their homes.

The city's population grew from around 5,000 in 1980 to 13,000 by 1996 (latest available estimate). Yet there have been only three murders: two with knives (1984 and 1987) and one with a firearm (1997). After the law went into effect in 1982, crime against persons plummeted 74 percent compared to 1981, and fell another 45 percent in 1983 compared to 1982.

And it has stayed impressively low. In addition to nearly non-existent homicide (murders have averaged a mere 0.19 per year), the annual number of armed robberies, residential burglaries, commercial burglaries, and rapes have averaged, respectively, 1.69, 31.63, 19.75, and 2.00 through 1998.

With all the attention that has been heaped upon the lawful possession of firearms lately, you would think that a city that requires gun ownership would be the center of a media feeding frenzy. It isn't. The fact is I can't remember a major media outlet even mentioning Kennesaw. Can you?

The reason is obvious. Kennesaw proves that the presence of firearms actually improves safety and security. This is not the message that the media want us to hear. They want us to believe that guns are evil and are the cause of violence.

The facts tell a different story. What is even more interesting about Kennesaw is that the city's crime rate decreased with the simple knowledge that the entire community was armed. The bad guys didn't force the residents to prove it. Just knowing that residents were armed prompted them to move on to easier targets. Most criminals don't have a death wish.

There have been two occasions in my own family when the presence of a handgun averted potential disaster. In both instances the gun was never aimed at a person and no shot was fired.



TOPICS:

Constitution/Conservatism

Crime/Corruption

News/Current Events

Politics/Elections

KEYWORDS:

banglist

guncontrol

guns

kennesaw

moregunslesscrime





To: doug from upland

To: doug from upland

While gun ownership is a right how is it legal for a goverment to require ownership. Isn't that like requiring speech or religion (both rights as well)?



To: Borges

I believe there are ways you can opt out.



To: doug from upland

Who cares about facts figures and common sense? All you need to do is run around screaming “think of our children!”



by 5 posted onby Red6 (Come and take it.)

To: doug from upland

The sourcing on this article sucks! The web page links back to FR and that article sites an email. I hate to say it but it just doesn’t make for a credible story like that. So what is the deal? Is this true or not?



Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: Borges

www.gunowners.org

Mar 2002

Bag The Colors And Pass The Ammunition

by

Erich Pratt

Every day is code green in Kennesaw, Georgia. The town which made headlines 20 years ago this month has enjoyed low crime rates and offers many tips on fighting crime. Perhaps it could teach the nation a thing or two about fighting terrorism as well. Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge recently announced a color code to measure terrorist threats in this country. The code begins with the color green — indicating a low security risk — and from there escalates to blue, yellow, orange and red. Director Ridge said that it may be several years before we sink below a level yellow alert — the color yellow meaning the level of risk is “elevated.” Well, that may be true in most places. But not in Kennesaw, where residents are celebrating two decades of crime-free living. Every day is code green in Kennesaw, Georgia. It was twenty years ago this month that city officials embarked upon a bold experiment. They enacted a law requiring every household to own a firearm, exempting those with criminal records or religious objections. The results of this experiment have been phenomenal, showing that armed citizens deter crime. An early study (in 1982) found that the residential burglary rated in Kennesaw had fallen 89 percent in the seven months following the law’s enactment. That drop far outpaced the more modest 10.4 percent drop in the entire state of Georgia during that same period. In the ensuing years, the crime rate has remained at basement levels. According to the Kennesaw Police Department, there was less than one property crime for every 1,000 people in 1998. That’s down from 11 such crimes per 1,000 residents in 1981 — the year before the gun law was enacted. Now, let’s be honest. Kennesaw may not be the number one town on Osama bin Laden’s hit list. But it is fair to ask the question: if you were an al-Qaeda terrorist, where would you rather ply your trade? Would you rather “work” in a city where your victims are legally disarmed, and they can’t shoot back? Or would you rather operate in a town like Kennesaw where guns are about as plentiful as water? It is interesting to note that in Israel — a place where terrorism is a constant threat — armed citizens have been a perennial thorn in the side of Palestinian gunmen and suicide bombers. Earlier this month, a shoe salesman was eating dinner with his wife in a Jerusalem nightclub, when a terrorist opened fire with an automatic firearm. William Hazan grabbed a pistol out of his wife’s purse and shot the Palestinian, thus ending the terror. The gunman had explosives strapped to his body, but was effectively prevented from detonating the devices. This heroic action came on the heels of another episode in late February when an alert citizen shot dead a terrorist who tried to set off an explosive device in an Efrat supermarket. The alert customer, who was a woman, was praised for saving the lives of many people. Not to ignore a good thing, Israeli authorities are now trying to get even more citizens carrying guns. They recently announced that they will extend permits up to 60,000 additional citizens. And in some cases, authorities will even give away the guns for free. *******************************Now, the Kennesaw ordinance does not force residents to carry firearms, but many of them do anyway. Wouldn’t it be great if Kennesaw officials expanded their experiment and encouraged citizens to carry the firearms which they are already required to own? **************************** Hey, the idea of arming private citizens is saving lives in Israel. Why shouldn’t it work here in this country? Ridge’s color code may help alert people to potential dangers, but it does nothing to help Americans protect themselves. Further, it does nothing to deter terrorists. So bag the colors and pass the ammunition. Kennesaw has proven that guns in private hands increase the protection of average citizens. And that’s why on this 20-year anniversary, we should remember: every day is code green in Kennesaw, Georgia. Erich Pratt is the Director of Communications for Gun Owners of America.



To: doug from upland

A copy of part of the town ordinance: “ARTICLE I. IN GENERAL Sec. 34-1. 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 therefor.

(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.

(Code 1986, § 4-3-10) Sec. 34-2. Use of firearms.

No person shall fire a gun, pistol or other firearm in the city, except in the defense of person or property, and except peace officers or military forces of this state or the United States, in the discharge of official duties.”



by 9 posted onby dashing doofus (Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber)

To: chaos_5

Yes, this all sucks. Bad sourcing indeed. Imagine, someone got an email from a sourced story. If you Google “kennesaw georgia guns,” there are only 139,000 articles about this. If I were you, I wouldn’t believe it for a minute.



To: doug from upland; YaYa123

Sounds like a good city to live in.



by 11 posted onby Springman (Why is ? coming up, when I use ')

To: chaos_5

So what is the deal? Is this true or not?



I am looking out the window at Kennesaw Mountain now and I can assure you it is not only true it is also very well documented.



by 12 posted onby msnimje (True Conservatives will not support a pro-abortion candidate.)

To: doug from upland

The area where I live in NY is lower than the crime rate in Kennesaw, GA and we’re not required to keep a firearm.



To: msnimje

My post #9 is directly from the town ordinances, easily found via a quick web search.



by 14 posted onby dashing doofus (Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber)

To: chaos_5; doug from upland

Yes, this story is true, there is another town that has done the same thing after hearing about Kennesaw but I can’t remember which one it was.



To: doug from upland

March 25th marked the 16th anniversary of Kennesaw, Georgia's ordinance requiring heads of households (with certain exceptions) to keep at least one firearm in their homes. "Ain't nuthin but a bunch of Cracker, Red Neck, gunototin' hicks in Kennesaw. I'll be fixin' that sitchiashun in January '09. And yall know what ahm talkin about."



by 16 posted onby bikerMD (Beware, the light at the end of the tunnel may be a muzzle flash.)

To: Labyrinthos

You are fortunate indeed. My guess is that MS13 or the Crips/Bloods have not set up shop there. That is not a racial comment; it is a gang comment.



To: doug from upland

The gangs are here, which explains the little bit of violent crime that we do have.



To: doug from upland

Also, while we are not required by law to own a firearm, many of us do. (I share an office with Mr. Remington and his twin brother shares my den at home.)



To: doug from upland

the city's crime rate decreased with the simple knowledge that the entire community was armed. Our sheriff would agree -- he thinks everyone should have a concealed carry permit.



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