GUN BARREL CITY, Texas (NewsNation) — Crime is up 12% in major U.S. cities, continuing a new debate over gun control. Americans in cities like Gun Barrel City, Texas, are encouraged to bear arms, but would a law like that reduce crime across the country?
Gun Barrel City is home to about 6,500 people and its slogan is “We shoot straight with you.” The town, about 1 hour away from Dallas, is one of five towns across the U.S. that have ordinances or resolutions encouraging gun ownership — Kennesaw, Georgia, Nelson, Georgia, Nucla, Colorado, and Virgin, Utah all passed such ordinances at least a decade ago.
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“We have a resolution that was passed April 23, 2013, and it’s about the right to own a gun,” said Gun Barrel City Mayor David Skains. “But it goes in and talks about that every head of household should maintain a firearm provided that they’re physically and mentally capable of doing so.”
The resolution is nonbinding and not enforceable, meaning if residents can’t afford a firearm or don’t want want to own one, there is no consequence. It’s the same in the other cities.
“I think Gun Barrel\’s a nice sound though, you know what I’m saying? I don’t see people running around like, yeah, no, shoot them. Shoot him. Bang bang. Yeah. And I’m saying so. I mean, as far as I can see, it’s a peaceful place.
Although Skains said there are typically one or two violent crimes or shootings in Gun Barrel City per year, it’s too difficult to determine if that has anything to do with the resolution.
“As mayor of Gun Barrel City, I don’t mind saying that I strongly support stricter gun laws; I strongly support more thorough background checks and a waiting period,” Skains said. “I don’t think that more guns on the street is the answer. I think that we have to learn to respect our police departments.”
Though crime is down in Gun Barrel City, residents said they’re unsure if similar resolutions would work to reduce crime in other cities.
“It’s a lot of rough cities, and it’s not about the guns, it’s about the people,” said Shereke Gaston, who lives near Gun Barrel City. “I always believe that a place is only as good as the people. So if you’re allowing people to have weapons, you need to check with the type of people that you’re allowing to have weapons.”
Residents said they believe the effort is meant to deter crime in the community and offer a means of protection.
“Honestly, I believe that without God, you don’t have no protection without Jesus Christ. And as far as people being able to have guns to protect their families, I think we should have the right to do whatever we do to take care of our families, as long as it’s reasonable,” Gaston said.
