The Aurora tragedy is still making headlines, understandably so. I've also noticed some things on Facebook here and there, too. In particular, about the high rate of gun ownership and low rate of crime in Switzerland. I guess since it's on Facebook, it must be true, right? Wrong. There is actually a lot more to Switzerland's gun ownership laws than most people know. Here's my couple of pennies (and it's kinda long)...
I had to reach out to my best friend, Google, after seeing a picture that stated, "Switzerland, 1 in 2 citizens has guns, lowest crime rate in world". (the improper use of the word "has" was the first indicator that this may not be a reliable source of information). Anyway, after reading this, I decided to dig a little deeper.
Per-capita, Switzerland has about 46 guns per 100 citizens - which is almost 1 out of 2. However, the United States, according to the same report issued in 2007, has about 90 guns for every 100 citizens. You can see a chart with all the countries and their per-capita gun rates here (yes, it's Wikipedia, not always the most reliable source, but if you Google it, you will find other sources - I used this one because it's easy to understand). Sooo, it appears that "We, the people" do own quite a large amount of guns in comparison to Switzerland - yet, our crime rates are not as low. Hmm.
You're in the Army now!
Moving on, I read about Switzerland's mandatory militia. It appears that, in Switzerland, able-bodied men between 18-30 are conscripted for 3 months, during which they complete basic military training. AFTER they complete their training, they are then issued a firearm to be kept in the home and used only for military purposes. After their training, these militia members do 3-4 weeks of military service each year until they have served 260 days or turn 34. A lot of these men buy their arms after they complete their service. However, they have to obtain a permit and provide justification.
Speaking of conscription, if you are exempt from the militia for any reason other than disability, you have to pay an additional 3% income tax each year until you hit 30. (wonder how well THAT would go over here).
Tell Me Again, Who Has More Gun Control?
Moving on, here is what I really wanted to talk about - gun control. Contrary to popular belief, Switzerland is not a giant free-for-all when it comes to gun ownership. They actually have some pretty stringent laws and regulations regarding guns. For instance, they have three conditions that must be met to acquire a gun-carrying permit. You have to meet certain conditions to buy the permit, you have to specify why you need to carry a gun to protect yourself, and you have to pass two tests - one for the safe handling of firearms and one for the lawful use of firearms. In the US, you can buy a concealed-carry permit without showing any need for it - you can get one "just because it's cool to carry".
By the way, the conditions to acquire a permit to even own a gun are not exactly lax. They include meeting minimum requirements, such as being at least 18, an absence of any risk to the buyer or a third-party (meaning you don't have a history of being a danger to yourself or anyone else), and you also have to have a clean record, including no misdemeanors. Consequently, here in the land of the free, people with misdemeanor convictions, even violent ones, can buy a gun and get a permit for concealed carry. Hmm.
Back to Switzerland, when buying guns from an individual, the purchase is documented with a written contract stating such information as the seller and buyer identities, the type of weapon being sold, along with its serial number. This contract must be kept for ten years by both the buyer and the seller. The seller of the firearms is also expected to make sure that the buyer meets the requirements - a background check is normally performed. Again, here, we do it a different way. Private sales are not regulated - there are no background checks or paperwork required.
(my sources for this information include this post from Bullet Counter Points and this Wikepedia entry about gun politics in Switzerland - again, I realize Wikipedia isn't always considered a valid source - but the information from the article is available through other sources)
Your Place or Mine?
Finally, I think it is important to point out the differences between the US and Switzerland, as a whole. A 2001 BBC news article stated that some people suggest, "Switzerland is one of the world's richest countries, but has remained relatively isolated. It has none of the social problems associated with gun crime seen in other industrialised countries like drugs or urban deprivation."
I also found this Facebook post from the Conservative Patriots of America. It talks about how we can learn from Switzerland. Upon digging through the comments, I came across this comment from a Swiss person by the name of Isabelle Thompson (I took the liberty of dividing it into paragraphs for easier reading) -
"Okay, being Swiss, I have to put my 10 cents into the conversation! Yes, every man over the age of 20 who is serving in the Army (mandatory if you're able bodied and minded) has his military issued assault rifle at home. However, they don't get to take the ammo home! That stays in the armory!
The part about the Swiss knowing how to handle money is certainly true! We also know a thing or two about outsourcing, being a small country with limited resources! With that said, we also firmly believe in social justice, have an individual mandate for healthcare and fork out a chunk of change in taxes!
The two major Christian denominations are catholic and protestant, everything else is more or less a cult! In general, we don't discriminate against skin color, instead we discriminate against behavior. Ask me how I feel about what we call "crime tourism" and frivolous applicants for asylum! Oh, yes, almost forgot that Switzerland has just about the highest standard of living in the world. Emploees are protected from at will firing and only being one paycheck away from poverty.
Being a neutral country, we don't spend hardly any money at all in foreign wars, so we can spend more on our country and citizens! Now, before you start packing your bags wanting to move there, keep in mind, Switzerland is mostly kind to rich and well educated people, if you don't fall into either category, you will be better off in the good old US of A!"
Perhaps the grass isn't always greener on the other side? Amazing what one can find when they actually look for the information.
I don't pretend to know what the answer is - but it seems to me that Switzerland has a level of gun control that exceeds ours, as well as a level of respect and collective responsibility that also exceeds ours.
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