From: Matthew Gaylor (freematt@coil.com)
Date: Mon Jun 07 1999 - 12:46:26 MDT
Armed to the Teeth, and Free by Stephen P. Halbrook
The Wall Street Journal Europe
June 4, 1999
In 1994, when the U.S. Congress debated whether to ban "assault weapons," a
talk show host asked then-Senator Bill Bradley (New Jersey), a sponsor of
the ban, whether guns cause crime. The host noted that, in Switzerland, all
males are issued assault riþes for militia service and keep them at home,
yet little crime exists there. Sen. Bradley responded that the Swiss "are
pretty dull."
For those who think that target shooting is more fun than golf, however,
Switzerland is anything but "dull." By car or train, you see shooting
ranges everywhere, but few golf courses. If there is a Schuetzenfest
(shooting festival) in town, you will Þnd riþes slung on hat racks in
restaurants, and you will encounter men and women, old and young, walking,
biking and taking the tram with riþes over their shoulders, to and from the
range. They stroll right past the police station and no one bats an eye.
(Try this in the U.S., and a SWAT Team might do you in.)
Tourists — especially those from Japan, where guns are banned to all but
the police — think it’s a revolution. But shooting is the national sport,
and the backbone of the national defense as well. More per capita Þrepower
exists in Switzerland than in any other place in the world, yet it is one
of the safest places to be.
According to the U.N. International Study on Firearm Regulation, England's
1994 homicide rate was 1.4 (9% involving Þrearms), and the robbery rate
116, per 100,000 population. In the United States, the homicide rate was
9.0 (70% involving Þrearms), and the robbery rate 234, per 100,000. England
has strict gun control laws, ergo, the homicide rate is lower than in the
U.S. However, such comparisons can be dangerous: In 1900, when England had
no gun controls, the homicide rate was only 1.0 per 100,000.
Moreover, using data through 1996, the U.S. Department of Justice study
"Crime and Justice" concluded that in England the robbery rate was 1.4
times higher, the assault rate was 2.3 times higher, and the burglary rate
was 1.7 times higher than in the U.S. This suggests that lawfully armed
citizens in the U.S. deter such crimes. Only the murder and rape rates in
the U.S. were higher than in England. The small number of violent predators
who commit most of these crimes in the U.S. have little trouble arming
themselves unlawfully.
The U.N. study omits mention of Switzerland, which is awash in guns and has
substantially lower murder and robbery rates than England, where most guns
are banned.
Here are the Þgures: The Swiss Federal Police OfÞce reports that in 1997
there were 87 intentional homicides and 102 attempted homicides in the
entire country. Some 91 of these 189 murders and attempts involved Þrearms.
With its population of seven million (including 1.2 million foreigners),
Switzerland had a homicide rate of 1.2 per 100,000. There were 2,498
robberies (and attempted robberies), of which 546 involved Þrearms,
resulting in a robbery rate of 36 per 100,000. Almost half of these crimes
were committed by non-resident foreigners, whom locals call "criminal
tourists."
Sometimes, the data sound too good to be true. In 1993, not a single armed
robbery was reported in Geneva.
No one seems to be looking at the Swiss example in the U.S., however.
Congress is stampeding to pass additional Þrearm restrictions in response
to the events of April 20, when two students used guns and bombs to murder
a dozen classmates and a teacher in Littleton, Colorado. Yet in 1996, a man
who legally owned guns under England's strict regulations went on a
rampage, murdering 16 children and a teacher in Dunblane, Scotland.
Parliament then banned all handguns and most riþes.
But there have been no school massacres in Switzerland, where guns and kids
mix freely. At shooting matches, bicycles aplenty are parked outside.
Inside the Þring shelter, the competitors pay 12-year-olds tips to keep
score. The 16-year-olds shoot riþes with men and women of all ages. In
fact, the tourist brochure "Zurich News" recommends September's
Knabenschiessen (boy's shooting contest) as a must-see: "The oldest Zurich
tradition . . . consists of a shooting contest at the Albisguetli (range)
for 12 to 16 year-old boys and girls and a colorful three-day fun-fair."
The event has been held since 1657, and attracts thousands of teenage
participants and spectators.
While many shoot for sport, all males aged 20 to 42 are required by militia
system regulation to keep riþes and/or pistols at home. In addition, gun
shops abound. Yet Þrearms are rarely used in crime. Homicide is tied to a
willingness to resort to violence, not the mere presence of guns. The
prevalence of Þrearms in the home and the participation of youth in
shooting matches bind youth to adults and discourages a generation gap.
By contrast, homicide rates are highest in the underdeveloped countries,
many of which ban private Þrearm possession. In some, private murder does
not compare to the genocidal murder committed by governments against their
unarmed subjects.
In America, Þrearms take on a sinister reputation from the nightly news and
violent movies. But in Switzerland, Þrearms symbolize a wholesome,
community activity. The typical weekend shooting festival brings out the
entire family. Beside the range is a huge tent where scores or hundreds of
people are eating, drinking, and socializing.
With cantonal and riþe club banners þuttering in the wind, the melody of
riþe Þre blends with Alpine music and cow bells.
Since its founding in 1291, Switzerland has depended on an armed populace
for its defense. William Tell used a crossbow not only to shoot the apple
from his son's head, but also to kill the tyrant Gessler. For centuries,
the cantonal republic defeated the powerful armies of the European
monarchs. Machiavelli wrote in 1532: "The Swiss are well armed and enjoy
great freedom."
This coincidence has not escaped the notice of those who oppose liberty.
Monarchist philosopher Jean Bodin, writing in 1606, denounced free speech
and arms possession by commoners. Subjects must be disarmed to prevent
democratic sedition, he said. The Swiss proved, Bodin wrongly averred, that
arms bearing was "the cause of an inÞnite number of murders."
The Swiss militia model, however, preserved democracy and held Europe’s
despots at bay. In fact, it inspired the rebellious American colonists.
John Adams praised the democratic Swiss Cantons, where every man was
entitled to vote on laws and to bear arms. Patrick Henry, another American
Founding Father, lauded the Swiss for maintaining their independence
without "a mighty and splendid President" or a standing army.
The Swiss inþuence is clear in the Second Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution, which provides: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to
the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear
arms, shall not be infringed." Today, it has become fashionable to hate
this orphan of the Bill of Rights.
However, a quick glance at history shows that tyrannical governments kill
far more than do private criminals. But Þrst, governments must disarm their
victims. In 1933, the Nazis seized power via massive search-and-seizure
operations for Þrearms against "Communists," i.e., all political opponents.
In 1938, during the Night of the Broken Glass, they disarmed the Jews. When
the Nazis occupied Europe in 1939-41, they proclaimed the death penalty for
any person who failed to surrender all Þrearms within 24 hours.
There may be various reasons why the Nazis did not invade Switzerland, but
one of those reasons is that every Swiss man had a riþe at home. For this
we have no better record than the Nazi invasion plans, which stated that,
because of the Swiss shooting skills, Switzerland would be difÞcult to
conquer and pacify. European countries occupied by the Nazis had strict gun
controls before the war, and the registration lists facilitated conÞscation
of Þrearms and the execution of their owners.
By being able to keep out of both world wars in part through the dissuasive
factor of an armed populace, Switzerland demonstrates that civilian Þrearm
possession may prevent large numbers of deaths and even genocide. The
Holocaust never came to Switzerland, the Jewish population of which was
armed just like their fellow citizens. In the rest of Europe, what if there
had been not just one, but two, three, or many Warsaw Ghetto Uprisings?
Traditionally, the Swiss Cantons had few Þrearm regulations. The Þrst
federal Þrearms law was recently enacted. Certain Þrearm purchases require
a permit, and others do not. On retirement, every soldier may keep his riþe
or pistol. Surplus assault riþes may be purchased by any Swiss citizen from
the Military Department.
The bottom line is one of attitude. Populations with training in civic
virtue, though armed, do not experience sensational massacres or high crime
rates. Indeed, armed citizens deter crime. Switzerland Þts this mold.
Similarly, America's lawful "gun culture" is peaceful. Sadly, some of its
subcultures are not.
- From The Wall Street Journal Europe
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