Guns of the Kennesaw
With apologies to Gregory Peck et al for the post title.
So gun ownership has been the law in Kennesaw (save for the Constitutionality of conscientious objectors and various other loophooles) for 25 years now.
After doing some perfunctory and fairly superficial research, it seems like the law is really more of a symbolic act than a legislative one. Here’s a choice quote from the above link:
Among those exempt are residents “who conscientiously oppose maintaining firearms as a result of beliefs or religious doctrine.” Others exempt include the physically and mentally disabled, paupers and those convicted of a felony.
The law contains no clause addressing punishment for violating the law. If convicted, City Clerk Diane Coker said punishment would be determined by the general penalty clause of the Kennesaw Code Ordinance – probably a fine of about $100.
So why did Kennesaw enact the law and what has it done. First, it was partially motivated to knock Morton Grove, Illinois, a city that (in)famously banned gun ownership, off the front page. Also, I think there was a real desire at the time to defend the Second Amendment.
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