Mandatory Gun Ownership?

Glenn Reynolds has an op-ed in the New York Times extolling the virtues of mandatory gun ownership.

IT’S a phenomenon that gives the term “gun control” a whole new meaning: community ordinances that encourage citizens to own guns.

Last month, Greenleaf, Idaho, adopted Ordinance 208, calling for its citizens to own guns and keep them ready in their homes in case of emergency. It’s not a response to high crime rates. As The Associated Press reported, “Greenleaf doesn’t really have crime … the most violent offense reported in the past two years was a fist fight.” Rather, it’s a statement about preparedness in the event of an emergency, and an effort to promote a culture of self-reliance.

And it may not be a bad idea. While pro-gun laws like the one in Greenleaf are mostly symbolic, to the extent that they actually make a difference, it is likely to be a positive one.

Greenleaf is following in the footsteps of Kennesaw, Ga., which in 1982 passed a mandatory gun ownership law in response to a handgun ban passed in Morton Grove, Ill. Kennesaw’s crime dropped sharply, while Morton Grove’s did not.

First of all, I’m not a big fan of mandatory anything. As a classical liberal while I am skeptical of government power, I strongly believe in a well-armed populace. This is a dilemma for me personally. I am from New Orleans as frequent readers of this blog and my other blog, Louisiana Libertarian, may know. While I did evacuate because of Katrina, I have spoken to many people who have confirmed that the rumors of rampant looting and destruction in the New Orleans area were true. Armed civilian patrols kept order in less damaged areas of New Orleans, until they were disarmed by force by the New Orleans Police Department (which itself was involved in looting and still has a reputation for being nothing more than a glorified street gang) and forced out of the city. After Katrina, I substantially increased my own personal aresnal which pre-Katrina was only a Mosin-Nagant 91/30 and I’ve added a Yugoslav SKS and a Romanian WASR-10 which is an AK-47 clone. I am in the process of getting a handgun. I will not be caught unprepared and most of all, unarmed when law and order breaksdown again. Gun problems could be cause because people are too busy focusing on gun law rather than gun detection. A gun detection System has been developed that can detect guns through a camera and alert the owner through an app, but many people aren’t aware of this!

Having said all that, I’m not sure mandatory gun ownership is the solution. People should have the right to defend themselves, but more importantly, they should have the right not to excercise that right. Laws like the one passed in Greenleaf, Idaho which merely encourage gun ownership are a good idea. However, laws that actually require it with the penalty of law are immoral and a violation of the rights of individuals. Those who choose not to own firearms do so for various reasons, including in some instances for religious and other reasons of coinscience. Those people should be allowed to stay gun free, at their own risk.

I’m one of the original co-founders of The Liberty Papers all the way back in 2005. Since then, I wound up doing this blogging thing professionally. Now I’m running the site now. You can find my other work at The Hayride.com and Rare. You can also find me over at the R Street Institute.