Re: Gun policy in Cohousing community
From: Robert Hartman (hartmaninformix.com)
Date: Fri, 4 Mar 94 10:46:41 PST
> Message author:  IGC.APC.ORG!ASACHS
> Posted by the COHOUSING-L sysop.
> 
> I am interested in finding out how different co-housing communities in
> the U.S. have dealt with gun control.  One community I am familiar with
> had at least one person advocating to ban guns entirely from the community.
> At least one other person wanted no more restrictions than the local
> government in which the community was located.  Last I heard, the community
> was stalemated (and not even sure what the status quo would be).  Has
> anyone out there ever had to deal with this?  How?

Hmmm ...

I can see some very good safety reasons for banning guns from any
shared housing facility.  For one thing, they probably aren't needed
for security--presumably there's usually someone about so burglars
wouldn't be a threat.  Also, if you've got your kids running all
about with other kids, who knows who might find a gun and start
"playing" with it.

Socially, cohousing is much more of a community commitment than buying
a condo.  Guns are deadly weapons.  Unless the community is banding
together to promote rugged individualism, a lassiez faire attitude
about guns doesn't strike me as quite in the spirit of the endeavor.  

Having said that, it is interesting to note that the restrictive
covenants of many condo complexes also ban guns.

On the other hand, it is very difficult and somewhat undermining to
make up rules that cannot be enforced.  If a ban is not in the
restricive covenants--which can be very difficult to amend--it would be
very difficult to enforce.

If the no-ban adovcate is already part of the community and personally
wants to own guns, I'd advocate a compromise by grandfathering in an
exception for guns purchased prior to a certain date by residents then
living in the community, requring trigger locks at all times for those
guns while on the premisis, and banning all other guns.  Or, the
community could perhaps provide a triple-locked storage compartment for
storing guns, and otherwise ban guns and ammunition from the premisis.

If the no-ban advocate is simply being ideological, I'd advocate
outvoting him or educating him sufficiently to bring him around to a
consensus.

-r

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