03-21-2018, 10:17 AM
Old Croc, have you ever been to Switzerland? I have. It's no USA. There is little diversity and it's homogeneous. In general this reduces social conflicts.
Other things that are different:
* All males must enter military service -- All men between the ages of 18 and 34 deemed "fit for service" are given a pistol or a rifle and trained.
* kids aged 13 to 17 train and compete in country wide famous shooting contests since 1600's
* In 2000, more than 25% of Swiss gun owners said they kept their weapon for military or police duty, while less than 5% of Americans said the same.
* Ownership declining. In 2007, the Small Arms Survey found that Switzerland had the third-highest ratio of civilian firearms per 100 residents (46), outdone by only the US (89) and Yemen (55). But it seems that figure has dropped over the past decade. It's now estimated that there's about one civilian gun for every four Swiss people.
* Gun sellers follow more strict licensing procedures than USA
* People who've been convicted of a crime or have an alcohol or drug addiction aren't allowed to buy guns in Switzerland. The law also states that anyone who "expresses a violent or dangerous attitude" won't be permitted to own a gun.
* Switzerland still has one of the highest rates of gun violence in Europe, and most gun deaths in the country are suicides like the USA.
http://www.businessinsider.com/switzerland-gun-laws-rates-of-gun-deaths-2018-2?r=UK&IR=T
A buyer in Switzerland[1] needs to get a permit-to-purchase issued by the cantonal police (specific weapons for hunting or sports are exempt). Permits are denied to applicants with criminal records, addiction problems, or a debilitating psychiatric condition. This system is based on direct access to criminal records through local law enforcement, and is both more thorough and less burdensome than the current US system, which suffers from widely acknowledged loopholes and information inaccuracies. A Scientific American article noted that the ten US states that do require a permit-to-purchase have seen a proven reduction in gun violence.[2]
[1] https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/...-uk-canada
[2] https://www.scientificamerican.com/artic...shootings/
Other things that are different:
* All males must enter military service -- All men between the ages of 18 and 34 deemed "fit for service" are given a pistol or a rifle and trained.
* kids aged 13 to 17 train and compete in country wide famous shooting contests since 1600's
* In 2000, more than 25% of Swiss gun owners said they kept their weapon for military or police duty, while less than 5% of Americans said the same.
* Ownership declining. In 2007, the Small Arms Survey found that Switzerland had the third-highest ratio of civilian firearms per 100 residents (46), outdone by only the US (89) and Yemen (55). But it seems that figure has dropped over the past decade. It's now estimated that there's about one civilian gun for every four Swiss people.
* Gun sellers follow more strict licensing procedures than USA
* People who've been convicted of a crime or have an alcohol or drug addiction aren't allowed to buy guns in Switzerland. The law also states that anyone who "expresses a violent or dangerous attitude" won't be permitted to own a gun.
* Switzerland still has one of the highest rates of gun violence in Europe, and most gun deaths in the country are suicides like the USA.
http://www.businessinsider.com/switzerland-gun-laws-rates-of-gun-deaths-2018-2?r=UK&IR=T
A buyer in Switzerland[1] needs to get a permit-to-purchase issued by the cantonal police (specific weapons for hunting or sports are exempt). Permits are denied to applicants with criminal records, addiction problems, or a debilitating psychiatric condition. This system is based on direct access to criminal records through local law enforcement, and is both more thorough and less burdensome than the current US system, which suffers from widely acknowledged loopholes and information inaccuracies. A Scientific American article noted that the ten US states that do require a permit-to-purchase have seen a proven reduction in gun violence.[2]
[1] https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/...-uk-canada
[2] https://www.scientificamerican.com/artic...shootings/