Swiss Misfire

Switzerland has an extremely low crime rate. One of the reasons, some people have surmised, is because every make above a certain age is required to keep a military rifle and ammo in their home in case of National Defense. From 18 to 52, men are on reserve.

Now, anti-gun types want tto change that.

A survey shows a majority of the Swiss want to ban army weapons from homes – scrapping a long-standing tradition of the country’s militia army.

Centre-left political parties and pacifist groups are preparing a plan to force a nationwide vote on the issue as parliament considers alternative options.

Nearly two thirds of the people interviewed came out against storing personal assault rifles and guns in private households.

Under Swiss law all able-bodied men are issued with a rifle and 50 rounds of ammunition which they can keep after completing their compulsory military service.

An estimated 1.6 million firearms are in circulation in Switzerland and about 300 people are killed every year by standard issue weapons.

The latest survey, carried out by the Isopublic research institute last week, found that 65.6 per cent of citizens would vote for a ban. Among women it was 75 per cent.

A proposal to limit the ban to ammunition did not appeal to the majority, according to the survey among more than 1,200 citizens.

But more than two out of three are in favour of setting up a national gun register.

The poll sounds bogus to me, as most polls are. It’s easy to manipulate the results of a poll to reach any conclusion. What you have to watch is how the crime rate changes once guns are removed from people’s homes. When guns were removed from people’s homes in Australia and Britain, home invasions shot up dramatically. When criminals have nothing to fear anymore, they get bolder. 

I have lived in Europe for a good portion of my life and I think that the Swiss, in a lot of ways, really got it right.

Everyone I know, male and female, came out of their military service a better person.  Kids took P.E. seriously knowing that they will have to serve.  Folks who didn’t want anything to do with guns, went into a “volunteer corps” that did trade work, admin, or helped out at hospitals. It is a great system.  You serve for two years and come out either tough as nails, or with a valuable trade that you can use towards your career. Personally, I have felt that a system like this would answer a lot of problems here in the US. (mainly ones of self respect, respect for the country, integrity, and suburban world-perspective ; i.e. shameless-materialism.)

As far as weapons are concerned; I’ve got two buddies with missile launchers and hand guns at their house.  Granted, these are military trained and well educated citizens; I never blinked an eye or felt unsafe. In fact, I liked knowing that I was in the company of trained professionals. For me, the conscription made a huge difference.

As far as stopping crime, I am not so sure.  Switzerland, like Japan, is an incredibly homogenous culture.  They have very few immigrants, they are small, rich, exclusive, and dense in a way that our country could never be. I think that may be a bigger factor. 

As for the polls, well i think you know how I feel about polls.  (see total crap)

Posted by  on  04/24  at  09:06 AM
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