US, Georgia’s small town named Kennesaw has unique gun laws, requiring citizens to have a “firearm.”
According to BBC, Kennesaw in the 1980s made it a law for the residents of the town to have guns and ammunition.
The gun law states, “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 city limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition.”
People with mental and physical disabilities, past felony convictions, and conflicting religious beliefs are exempted from the law.
Residents have mixed opinions about the law. For some people, it is a source of pride, while for others it is a source of embarrassment.
A resident said, “If anything, criminals need to be concerned because if they break into your home, and you’re there, they don’t know what you got.”
Meanwhile, a groundskeeper at the Kennesaw First Baptist Church believes, “It’s the attitude behind the guns here in Kennesaw that keeps the gun crimes down, not the guns. It doesn’t matter if it’s a gun, a fork, a fist, or a high-heeled shoe. We protect ourselves and our neighbours.”
Notably, as per Kennesaw Police Department data, no murder cases were reported in 2023. However, there were two gun-involved suicides.
