duane_cronic.jpgNELSON, Ga. (AP) – A north Georgia city approved an ordinance that makes gun ownership mandatory. City council members in Nelson voted on the Family Protection Ordinance on Monday.

The city of about 1,300 located about 50 miles north of Atlanta has gotten a lot of attention in the media since the ordinance was proposed.

The ordinance in the city of Nelson — population 1,300 — was approved Monday night and goes into effect in 10 days.

But the ordinance includes a lot of exemptions, including people with a physical or mental disability, convicted felons and people who conscientiously oppose gun ownership.

City Councilman Jackie Jarrett says most people in town already own guns, and the ordinance is primarily meant as a statement in favor of gun rights and ownership.

The ordinance is similar to a law that passed in Kennesaw in 1982.

The ordinance in the city of Nelson — population 1,300 — was approved Monday night and goes into effect in 10 days. However, it contains no penalties and exempts anyone who objects, convicted felons and those with certain mental and physical disabilities.

City Councilman Duane Cronic, who sponsored the measure, said he knows the ordinance won't be enforced but he still believes it will make the town safer.

"I likened it to a security sign that people put up in their front yards. Some people have security systems, some people don't, but they put those signs up," he said. "I really felt like this ordinance was a security sign for our city."

Another purpose, according to the city council's agenda, is "opposition of any future attempt by the federal government to confiscate personal firearms."

Council members in Nelson, a small city located 50 miles north of Atlanta, voted unanimously to approve the Family Protection Ordinance. The measure requires every head of household to own a gun and ammunition to "provide for the emergency management of the city" and to "provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants."

*Pictured above is Nelson City Council Member Duane Cronic.