Kennesaw, Georgia: A City Where Gun Ownership is Mandated by Law

Kennesaw, Georgia, embodies the quintessential charm of a small town in the American South. The aroma of freshly baked biscuits emanates from Honeysuckle Biscuits & Bakery, complemented by the distant rumble of a passing train. It is a locale where newlyweds express gratitude through hand-written notes in coffee shops, commending the “cozy” ambiance. However, Kennesaw possesses a distinctive characteristic that some may find surprising: a municipal ordinance from the 1980s that legally obligates residents to possess firearms and ammunition. Derek Easterling, the town’s three-term mayor and a self-described “retired Navy guy,” clarified, “It’s not like you go around wearing it on your hip like the Wild Wild West.” He further stated, “We’re not going to go knock on your door and say, ‘Let me see your weapon.'” Kennesaw’s gun law explicitly mandates: “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.” Exemptions from this regulation are granted to residents with mental or physical disabilities, felony convictions, or conflicting religious beliefs. To the knowledge of Mayor Easterling and several local officials, no prosecutions or arrests have been made for violations of Article II, Sec 34-21, which became law in 1982. Moreover, no one interviewed by the BBC could specify the penalty for being found in violation. Nonetheless, the mayor asserted, “It’s not a symbolic law. I’m not into things just for show.” For some, the ordinance is a source of pride, signifying the city’s embrace of gun culture. For others, it represents an embarrassment, a historical chapter they wish to transcend. Yet, the predominant belief among the townsfolk regarding the gun law is that it ensures Kennesaw’s safety. Patrons at the local pizza parlor, while enjoying pepperoni slices, often suggest: “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.” According to data from the Kennesaw Police Department, no murders were reported in 2023, though two gun-involved suicides occurred. Blake Weatherby, a groundskeeper at the Kennesaw First Baptist Church, holds a different perspective on why violent crime rates might be low. Mr. Weatherby stated, “It’s the attitude behind the guns here in Kennesaw that keep the gun crimes down, not the guns.” He elaborated, “It doesn’t matter if it’s a gun or a fork or a fist or a high heel shoe. We protect ourselves and our neighbours.” Pat Ferris, who joined Kennesaw’s city council in 1984, two years after the law’s passage, indicated that the law was conceived as “more of a political statement than anything.” After Morton Grove, Illinois, became the first U.S. city to prohibit gun ownership, Kennesaw became the first to mandate it, generating national news headlines. A 1982 opinion piece in the New York Times described Kennesaw officials as “jovial” about the law’s approval, but noted that “Yankee criminologists” were not. Penthouse Magazine featured the story on its cover, with the words Gun Town USA: An American Town Where It’s Illegal Not to Own a Gun printed over an image of a bikini-clad blonde woman. Similar gun laws have since been adopted in at least five other cities, including Gun Barrel City, Texas, and Virgin, Utah. Mr. Ferris observed that in the 40 years since Kennesaw’s gun law was enacted, its existence has largely receded from public awareness. He commented, “I don’t know how many people even know that the ordinance exists.” Mr. Weatherby, the church groundskeeper, was born in the same year the gun law took effect. He recalled his childhood, during which his father would half-jokingly tell him: “I don’t care if you don’t like guns, it’s the law.” He stated, “I was taught that if you’re a man, you’ve got to own a gun.” Now 42, he was 12 years old when he first fired a weapon. He recounted, “I almost dropped it because it scared me so bad.” Mr. Weatherby once owned over 20 guns but currently possesses none. He sold them over the years—including the one his father left him upon his death in 2005—to navigate difficult financial periods. He explained, “I needed gas more than guns.” The Deercreek Gun Shop, located on Kennesaw’s Main Street, is one establishment where he could have sold his firearms. James Rabun, 36, has been employed at the gun store since graduating high school. He stated it is a family business, founded by his father and grandfather, both of whom are still present today; his father in the back restoring firearms, and his grandfather in the front relaxing in a rocking chair. For evident reasons, Mr. Rabun supports Kennesaw’s gun law, viewing it as beneficial for business. With genuine enthusiasm, he remarked, “The cool thing about firearms is that people buy them for self-defence, but a lot of people like them like artwork or like bitcoin – things of scarcity.” Among the numerous weapons displayed for sale on the wall are double-barrel black powder shotguns, akin to muskets, and several “they-don’t-make-these-anymore” Winchester rifles from the 1800s. In Kennesaw, enthusiasm for firearms extends beyond gun shop owners and middle-aged men. Cris Welsh, a mother of two teenage daughters, is open about her gun ownership. She hunts, is a member of a gun club, and shoots at the local gun range with her two girls. She affirmed, “I’m a gun owner,” detailing her inventory which includes “a Ruger carry pistol, a Beretta, a Glock, and about half a dozen shotguns.” However, Ms. Welsh does not favor Kennesaw’s gun law. Ms. Welsh expressed, “I’m embarrassed when I hear people talk about the gun law. It’s just an old Kennesaw thing to hang onto.” She wished that outsiders would associate the city with its parks, schools, and community values, rather than the gun law “that makes people uncomfortable.” She added, “There’s so much more to Kennesaw.” City council member Madelyn Orochena agrees that the law is “something that people would prefer not to advertise.” She described it as, “It’s just a weird little factoid about our community.” She observed, “Residents will either roll their eyes in a bit of shame or laugh along about it.”