Gun trouble in Switz. too

[nelsonted1]

Tradition most of 500 yrs to be thrown out? probably because Europe now civilized? Hitler stayed out of Switz. due to armed citizenry (plus he needed their financials).

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Main Page
April 22, 2007 - 2:10 PM
Ban on army firearms at home wins support
A long-standing gun tradition is coming under pressure

A long-standing gun tradition is coming under pressure (Keystone)



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.

Most respondents said they were sceptical whether a ban on storing army firearms at home would prevent murders - such as the shooting earlier this month in a hotel in northern Switzerland and family tragedies.

The survey also showed that a majority of those interviewed did not think the Swiss army would lose its ability to defend the country if the gun tradition came to an end.

""
What used to be part of our defence strategy has become a security risk.
""

President and Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey


Political moves



The centre-left Social Democrats and the Green Party as well as pacifists groups said they will decide in May whether to launch a people's initiative in a bid to keep army firearms out of the home.

Parliament is examining a less far-reaching proposal. A Senate committee recently recommended a ban on storing ammunition for personal firearms at home. The decision came after the House of Representative threw out a plan to tighten the gun law.

The debate is set to continue during parliament's summer session in June.

The Swiss president and foreign minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey, who is a member of the Social Democratic Party, is opposed to storing army firearms at home.

"What used to be part of our defence strategy has become a security risk," she was quoted as saying in the SonntagsZeitung newspaper.

She said a ban on storing ammunition at home would be a first step in the right direction.

But the head of Switzerland's armed forces, Christophe Keckeis, told the SonntagsBlick newspaper: "A soldier without his weapon is not a soldier."

Defence Minister Samuel Schmid argues that Switzerland's militia army needs to be able to mobilise rapidly.

The country's gun lobby Pro Tell says society rather than the practice of keeping army weapons at home is to blame for gun violence.

swissinfo with agencies



SURVEY RESULTS


Storing firearms and ammunition at arsenals: 66% yes, 31% no, 3% undecided.

Storing only ammunition at arsenals: 42% yes, 55% yes, 3% undecided.

National gun register: 69% yes, 25% no, 6% undecided.

Can a ban on storing army weapons prevent family tragedies: 37% yes, 60% no, 3% undecided.

Would a gun ban weaken the army's defence capability: 17% yes, 77% no, 6% undecided.

1,203 people across Switzerland were interviewed for the survey which was carried out from April 19-21.



KEY FACTS


* There are an estimated 1.6 to 2 million firearms in circulation in Switzerland.
* About a third of all murder cases involve private guns and army weapons.
* Army weapons are used in 68% of suicides, according to a recent study.


RELATED SITES


* Isopublic research institute (German) (http://www.isopublic.ch/)
* Swiss gun law (German, French, Italian) (http://www.parlament.ch/homepage/do-dossiers-az/do-waffengesetz.htm )
* Social Democratic Party (German and French) (http://www.sp-ps.ch/)
* Switzerland Without an Army group (http://www.gsoa.ch/gsoa/en/)
* Pro Tell - Swiss gun lobby (http://www.protell.ch/)
* Defence ministry (German, French, Italian) (http://www.vbs.admin.ch/internet/vbs/en/home.html)


URL of this story:http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/swissinfo.html?siteSect=105&sid=7740490

[45nut]

the last bastion of european intelligence has gone to the anti's?

[Ohio Rusty]

The women want all that gun stuff banned because it is taking up too much closet space and they have no room for all their shoes !!
Maybe the Swiss figure they will never be attacked ..... All it will take is one terrorist attack of some kind and they will change their tune.
Ohio Rusty

[Blackwater]

This really ought not be a great surprise, really. In every society, when the masterful, or those who lust to become so, become leaders and/or possessors of much of the money (and thus resources) of a nation, their tyranny soon follows. Whatever you have been taught about it, or think of the slavery issue contained in it, our own downslide - and maybe downfall? - began in 1865 when the spiteful and avaricious Yankees in power (usually BEHIND those who were holding the positions of power) began their continued rape of the South, and defeated us militarily. Since then (starting during the war), the law's been what judges WANTED it to be, and the biggest difference is that there was no longer any real resistance to "interpreting" the law in whatever way gave those with a lust for power what they wanted.

Many will disagree, but they're all wrong, of course. The subject of Power, and how it's been used, misused and transferred from one group to another through history, is one that nobody's studied since that dadgum war, so consequently, nobody knows HOW to think regarding this matter, and others, much less WHAT to think about it, other than what they're TOLD to think about it.

Thinking has just gone completely "out of style," and nothing good is going to follow that. This is why history DOES repeat itself.

Take ancient Rome for instance. As incessant wars depleted their resources, nobody cared as long as they could borrow or steal what was needed to keep their little nook in the world "safe," or at least appear so. Then lies became the rule of the day, rather than being reserved for "special occasions." The morality of the people waned, and homosexuality became "accepted" and even honored in some circles. The PEOPLE had a "let George do it" attitude, and saw no need to personally and individually make an effort to control their own destiny. You name it. Whatever was going on THEN, just before their great fall, is pretty much going on now here in our beloved USA.

Funny ain't it, how history repeats itself, and nobody seems to care? As Alice said in Wonderland, "Curioser and curioser!"

[Old Ironsights]

... our own downslide - and maybe downfall? - began in 1865 when the spiteful and avaricious Yankees in power (usually BEHIND those who were holding the positions of power) began their continued rape of the South, and defeated us militarily. Since then (starting during the war), the law's been what judges WANTED it to be, and the biggest difference is that there was no longer any real resistance to "interpreting" the law in whatever way gave those with a lust for power what they wanted....

Actually, it began much earlier than that - with Hamilton's Mercantilisim and the use of "Federal Troops" to enforce Tax Law (the "Whiskey Rebellion").

IMO Hamilton didn't get shot soon enough.

[dakotashooter2]

I suspect if Switzerland does take the guns out of the homes they may find that their "neutral" status won't mean a thing if another "world" altercation begins.
While "armouries are a safe place to store weapons in peacetime they tend to be primary targets when war is declared and may be whiped out before the swiss citizens are able to secure their arms. It's a lot easier to target several such instalations and unarm the citizens then to go door to door and do it.

:castmine:

[leftiye]

Yeh, Door to door may turn out to be a muy stoopido method to collect guns. Heh heh

[jim4065]

Makes me wonder how many men will really turn in all their ammo? Most "Gun Nuts" whom I know well have at least one firearm cached (with sufficient ammo). Can the Swiss be so silly as to turn in all of their ammunition?

Of couse - a similar grab took place in Afganistan when the Taliban took over. The Afgans certainly had a warrior tradition, and look how easily they were disarmed. It does give pause.........

:cbpour:

[nelsonted1]

There are several versions of this story. Here's the one i like best.

A German general officer was watching a Swiss regiment drilling. He asked if the German's attacked with 500,000 men what would the 250,000 Swiss military do? The old seargent said "Shoot twice and go home"