The mayor informed the BBC that, as per his own knowledge and that of several other local officials, there have been no prosecutions or arrests made for violating the 1982 law in the town. The law is a matter of pride for some residents but causes embarrassment for others. Most locals interviewed by the BBC expressed the belief that the law contributes to the safety of citizens, citing data from the Kennesaw Police Department indicating no murders occurred in the town in 2023. However, there were two suicides involving firearms.
According to a report on the Fox News App, there is speculation that the policies of the Biden-Harris administration may be driving an increase in Republican women owning guns, as stated by a concealed carry advocate. Some customers at a local pizza establishment debated that criminals should be wary, as they would not know what weapons residents possess if they were to break into their homes. Blake Weatherby, a groundskeeper at the Kennesaw First Baptist Church, expressed the view that it is the mindset surrounding guns in Kennesaw that helps to deter gun-related offenses, rather than the mere presence of firearms. He emphasized that the community’s focus is on self-defense and protection of neighbors, irrespective of the weapon used.
Weatherby mentioned owning over 20 guns at one time but indicated that he no longer has any firearms in his possession. Pat Ferris, a member of Kennesaw’s city council since 1984, shortly after the gun law was enacted, described the law as more of a political statement than a practical requirement. He admitted uncertainty about how many residents are even aware of the existence of the ordinance.
The crackdown on gun ownership in blue states has been criticized as a threat to law-abiding gun owners. While Morton Grove, Illinois, became the first city in the United States to prohibit gun ownership, Kennesaw took the opposite approach by becoming the first city to mandate gun ownership. Similar laws have been adopted in at least four other U.S. cities: Gun Barrel City, Texas; Virgin, Utah; Nelson, Georgia; and Nucla, Colorado.
Madelyn Orochena, a city council member, characterized the law as a unique aspect of the community. She commented that residents either react with a sense of embarrassment or amusement when discussing the law. The town’s unusual requirement of gun ownership continues to be a topic of interest and conversation among its residents.
