Posted on 12/04/2008 9:28:41 AM PST by MNJohnnie
I often brag to folks about living in Kennesaw, Georgia. “We have a big sign out here when you enter the city limits.” I tell them, “It says ‘Welcome to Kennesaw, We’re Packin’. Packin’ heat that is.” Buy an ad on DigitalJournal.com In 1981, Morton Grove, IL passed a law prohibiting citizens within the city limits to own firearms. In response, the city council of Kennesaw, GA unanimously passed a city ordinance in 1982 requiring heads of households to own at least one firearm with ammunition. The crime rate in Kennesaw at the time was already quite low, with only 11 burglaries per 1,000 residents in 1981; but nonetheless, the crime rate dropped even lower (by 89%) after the ordinance was passed.
In 1998, Decatur, GA, (another Atlanta suburb with a population of comparable size to that of Kennesaw) reported 4,049 property crimes per 100,000 residents, while Kennesaw had merely 243 property crimes per 100,000 (that is .243 per 1,000). In contrast, Morton Grove has a crime rate of about 10 times that of Kennesaw.
For the liberals with the American Civil Liberties Union on speed dial, slow down and don’t get your panties in a bunch. The ACLU has already taken the city of Kennesaw to federal court over the city ordinance, but Kennesaw won.
I can’t stand violence. You couldn’t drag me to a theater showing of “Friday the Thirteenth,” or “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” No thank you! Personal gun ownership isn’t about participating in violence, it is about stopping violence. It is about protecting yourself from those who are violent.
The Second Amendment in our Bill of Rights is actually all about the citizens protecting themselves against government. If you take away the ability of a citizenry to protect themselves from government, those citizens have no way to practice their ability to control their government. In other words, we have no way of protecting our Constitutional rights. In fact, it is also American citizens owning guns, that acts as a big deterrent to our enemies who would ponder the idea of invading our country.
I know this sweet, young college girl with great wisdom and a heart of gold, who was mortified when I told her about the ordinance. She also lives in Kennesaw. After patiently listening to all the “compassion” and logic she could muster about how wrong this was, and all the violence caused by guns, I just asked her a few questions.
“How about you put a sign in your front yard that reads, ‘This house has no alarm system, no guns, and no dogs’” I asked. She didn’t like that idea. “When was the last time you heard of a shooting range being robbed?” I asked. She hadn’t heard of such a thing.
I went on to explain to her that criminals do not think like she does. If a law stated that she could not have a gun, then she would follow the law, and not have a gun. This is not how criminals think. Those who would use a gun to harm others in an unlawful way are already committed to not following the law. I just love watching the light bulb go off in someone’s head.
So you liberal, metro-sexual guys with all that compassion and understanding can leave the safety of your families up to chance. Give me a pistol-packin' man like former Mayor Leonard Church of Kennesaw any day!
I love Kennesaw.... and yes we ARE packing.
The law isn’t enforced, however, crooks don’t know who’s packin’ and who isn’t! You have to assume everyone is! ;)
yes, supposed to get one in 2010 or 2012
Greenleaf, Idaho, also has a “Kennesaw-style” ordinance. It passed within the last couple of years.
I used to live in Vinings and took ATL Rd. in or just hopped on the freeway. Took 13 min. on a good day.
If I wanted to move back east again, I’d certainly consider Kennesaw. I didn’t take the opportunity to visit there when I lived in Knoxville, Tennessee for a year (1990-91), but everything I’ve heard makes it sound great (well, except for the East Coast humidity).
Nope, no humidity here - we’re up higher than Knoxville in elevation by a few hundred feet at 1036+ - depending on what part of Knoxville you measure.
I’d love to live down there. I’d just need a job and a place to stay...
I’m from the midwest originally and I still suffer the humidity here in GA in the summer. But fall and spring are excellent before the humidity starts up.
I’m also originally from the midwest (Michigan), but I’ve mostly lived out here in the West for the last 35 years or so. Not used to humidity anymore! Last time I visited Miami, Florida, my eyes burned all the time. I didn’t feel like I’d dried off until I was half-way back to California on the plane!
It is not the Bill of Privileges.
It is not the Bill of Permission.
It is not the Bill of May I?
It is the Bill of Rights. God given Rights, not from Man, but from God.
Michigan! What a pretty state! I’m an OH St. grad and grew up in Ohio. Married a Wolverine and now he’s a Buckeye! LOL. Florida in the summer is nearly unbearable for me on some days w/ the humidlty. I love fresh air and hate to have windows closed in summer. But it sure beats the Lake Erie effect snow we get every year, and my family has snow on the ground now!
I love Tennessee! We want to move there some day, love the Smoky Mountains, Townsend, Maryville, etc. Peaceful side of the Smokies! Good, real people up there in Tennessee.
But I do have fond memories of Michigan, especially the countryside. I remember the fall colors being gorgeous, especially.
I liked the snow as a kid, but then I didn't have to dig any cars out from the snow and ice when I was that young.
Not familiar with the "Lake Erie" effect.
I did live in Colorado for a couple of years, and I did get to experience the joys of winter driving... and when I was leaving, I actually spun out on black ice on a secondary road in NM! What an adventure! LOL.
Even if a town intended to pass and enforce such a law in Oregon, I don't believe it would be valid - an unintended consequence of our state preemption law.
And just the same I'll take the preemption law as it is. It's pretty straightforward and simple, and leaves us only two governments with which to do battle over existing or proposed unconstitutional gun laws, state and federal - much preferable to needing also to combat every county, city, school, airport, park district, fair board ad infinitum.
We do still have occasional disagreements with those smaller entities, but they are beginning to understand the state law is for real, and that it does take away their power.
You are right, Dave!!
Molon Labe!!
mark
The ‘Lake Effect’ is when it gets cold, windy, rainy and snowy over Lake Erie, the wind carries it to the south and east shores of the lake, dumping large amounts of snow on the land... thus, that area gets more snow than average due to the ‘lake effect’. I visited Colorado once, very pretty, but I didn’t like the sudden change in weather that goes on around Denver!
Yes, I remember those sudden changes in weather. I was in Fort Collins, along the Front Range of the Rockies. The locals used to say that if you didn't like the weather, just wait five minutes. They had a flash flood once when I lived there... I was driving a VW Bug then, and it practically had to swim across town to work!
I also remember working in my living room and staring out at the changing weather. The precipitation would change from drizzle through sleet through snowflakes of various textures... magical, as long as you didn't get stuck in it or have to dig your car out!
The snow usually didn't stay on the ground for very long (unlike down closer to Denver). One year they had an ice and wind storm before the leaves had fallen. All over town there were big branches knocked off the trees. Clean-up was very interesting. So were the dents in your car if you had parked underneath one of the trees to be affected.
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