Right To Bear Arms: Georgia Town Approves Mandatory Gun Ownership Ordinance

Remember last month when we told you about one north Georgia city considering making gun ownership mandatory?

Update: It was approved. The supporters did acknowledge that part of their effort aimed to make a point about gun rights. And those who find the measure absurd may take some solace in knowing that there’s essentially no enforcement mechanism.

The ordinance, requiring every “head of household to own and maintain a firearm,” contains “no penalties and exempts anyone who objects, convicted felons and those with certain mental and physical disabilities,” according to the Associated Press.

Despite its nonexistent enforcement, the city’s councilman, Duane Cronic, argued it will make the city safer. “I likened it to a security sign that people put up in their front yards. Some people have security systems, some people don’t, but they put those signs up,” he said. “I really felt like this ordinance was a security sign for our city.”

City councilwoman Edith Portillo had previously defended the measure during an appearance on Fox & Friends, in which she pointed to its overwhelming popularity. It’s a “deterrent,” she argued, conceding that those who don’t want a firearm needn’t have one. The backers said the measure was introduced partly because of the city’s location, straddling two counties, which means slower response times from officials.

While Nelson will doubtless make many headlines (case in point here), it’s clear that the ordinance is a bold way to make a point about Second Amendment rights — particularly given that the term “mandatory” carries no weight.

(h/t AP)