My daughter has to give a report on a controversial subject for a school tomorrow. the subject that I suggested was doing a report on cities, counties or countries that have passed an ordinance that makes it mandatory for it residents to have a gun in their home, businesses or in their person possession.

I know that this sounds way out, but it would be very controversial. Also what kind of effect did it have on crime?

It seems to me Like I have heard of this before, But maybe I am just have a nightmare or watching to much TV.

Can you give me any help, any references?

Thank

Wouldn't it be neat any way. I think we could reduce the number of prisons and our police force.

-- Lyle (eileen@idacom.net), December 14, 1999

Answers

Switzerland. A town in Georgia, maybe someone else here knows.

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), December 14, 1999.

Here in Sydney, Australia, I have a middle-eastern friend who grew up in Iraq and fled to Australia many years ago. We have discussed religion, and have found when we look for common ground, that Christians and Muslims have a lot in common. We also discussed guns, for he told me that every household over there has numerous weapons, including full-auto assault rifles. (Teenage boys are given guns as a sign of their manhood.) I asked him: "Do you get a lot of killings with all those guns?" He shook his head: "No," he explained. If you plan to kill someone, you must first fix up all your affairs and put all your things in order; because as sure as the sun comes up in the morning, the family of the person you kill will in turn kill you." I said: "What about the police?", meaning will the police stop this revenge.. but my friend misunderstood me. He said, if the police arrest you for murder, you just do your ten or tewnty years... and then when you come out of jail, their family will get you. Full stop. It's all so simple, and it works!

-- Sad Aussie (nospam@thanks.gone.com.au), December 14, 1999.

Kennesaw, Georgia. Made a mandatory law (unsure of exact details) but it was all over the news for a while. You should check it out. They reported a drastic lowering of crime across the board.

-- Rob (maxovrdrv51@hotmail.com), December 14, 1999.

Search on the Amazon book site (http://www.amazon.com) for publishers's comments and book reviews about guns in general. Specifically "Stopping Power" by Schulman, something about Female and Armed (not sure of title) by Paxton Quigley. Also do a web search for "Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership". Other pro-gun sites should reference articles, also.

-- A (A@AisA.com), December 14, 1999.

Law is still in effect in Kennesaw,Georgia. Super low crime rate everyone having a gun scares the criminal seems to work. Too bad goverment does not want to admit it.

-- rudi stout (rnrstout@aol.com), December 14, 1999.

Switzerland. 2nd lowest crime rate on the GLOBE. Bear arms, or wear chains.

-- Willy (Wonka@thechocolatefactory.com), December 14, 1999.

PS Your daughter will be suspended/expelled for academic repulsiveness. She should concentrate on Gulliani fondeling bagladies. A sure A+++

-- Willy (Wonka@thechocolatefactory.com), December 14, 1999.

To echo willy, you might want to be absolutely sure that the school district won't start an investigation into your fitness as a parent with the goal being to put your child into a more "reasonable" foster home setting.

I iunderstand that this is a radical thought but SERIOUSLY consider the fallout from a report of this type first.

Seriously Paranoid # 3

-- # 3 (rienzoo@en.com), December 14, 1999.

"Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't following you."

This is a great idea for a school report.

In addition to getting an "A" they will probably give her a special "field trip" to see the workings of a family court, and a "sleep over" in a nice foster family home... probably some nice "chats" with a nice lady in a room with some dolls and a large funny mirror.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), December 14, 1999.

Strange as it may seem to us now, such a law was almost universal, at least for white males, before the US had a standing army (post Civil War.) The rule then was that all able bodied men belonged by law to the local Militia and could be called into service at any time. They were required to provide their own weapons, even though before the 1870's, firearms were too expensive for middle or lower class men. I remember reading of militia commanders that complained that out of 50 men there were barely a dozen working weapons.

-- Forrest Covington (theforrest@mindspring.com), December 14, 1999.

Great book by John R. Lott Jr. called More Guns, Less Crime. Very authoritative, the bibliography is four pages of small print.

My daughter gave a similar report, but she goes to a private school where diversity is actually tolerated and encouraged. If your daughter goes to a socialist school, er um, einer Stadt School Zieg Hiel!, oops I mean state run school, no that's not right, free(ha!) public school (got it right this time), you might consider the consequences. There is a lot of flu running around you know. ;)

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), December 14, 1999.

Kennesaw, GA.

Law states every homeowner must have a working gun, and ammo for it, in the house.

Allows relief (without permit or notification to the town or police department) for moral or religious reasons, so anybody who doesn't "want" a weapon can decide not to have one at home - without hassles - and without "telling" anybody outside the family whether or not a home is disarmed. (Obviously, a criminal has no way of knowing whether any given household has chosen to obey the law and arm itself, or has invoked the exception and remains defenseless.)

It has worked very - no increase in deaths, accidental discharges, murders, or suicides in the many years since it was begun. A rapid decrease in crime at or inside homes (burglaries, thefts, breakins, rapes, assaults - that kind of thing) as soon as it was started, and a much lower increase than state-wide or in the rest of the county since then.

In other words, the number of some crimes have risen (population has gone up by a factor of ten!) - but the average crime rate in Kennesaw remains much lower than in the rest of Cobb County, and is far, far lower than in the metro Atlanta area overall.

If your daughter would like more info, the city offices said they can get her a copy of the crime statsfrom 92 till now. City clerk's office is at 770-424-8274, but call the police dept at 770-429-4535.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), December 14, 1999.

Have a look at this Senate report on the right to keep and bear arms. It mentions the interesting case of Mediaeval England where all sports (and some weapons) were banned to promote the possession and use of the longbow.

That was for military and not domestic purposes, but it's precedent none the less.

-- Servant (public_service@yahoo.com), December 14, 1999.

Law is still in effect in Kennesaw,Georgia. Super low crime rate everyone having a gun scares the criminal seems to work. Too bad goverment does not want to admit it.

That's because it doesn't serve their agenda.

-- OR (orwelliator@biosys.net), December 14, 1999.

Professor Lott of the University of Chicago did a very extensive study of gun ownership and crime. The paper is available online, but I don't have the url. You could probably do a search and find it. It is a worthwhile read, and your daughter should get some useful information for her project.

I spent a year with 30,000 guys who all had assault weapons. Very little violence, except when called for in the line of duty.

I believe it was Willima Raspberry, the black journalist, who observed that these school shootings take place in suburban schools, not inner city schools. He noted that in the inner city, if you started shooting other students, some of them would shoot back. Perhaps that is something to think about.

regards,

gene

-- gene (ekbaker@essex1.com), December 14, 1999.

here you go... Prof. Lotts study...

http://www.cato.org/realaudio/audiopages/gunlaws.html

-- CT (ct@no.yr), December 14, 1999.

If you want to really raise eyebrows, have her make a comparison between gun ownership rates and crime rates, or concealed carry permit rates and crime rates. Vermont allows any law-abiding citizen to carry concealed WITHOUT a permit. Just about the lowest crime rate in the country. Hmmmm.

-- Cash (cash@andcarry.com), December 14, 1999.