Posted on 11/30/2009 11:43:57 AM PST by mikelets456
Maybe we could learn something from this? Did thinking like this make your enemies think twice?
Of course a high percentage of gun ownership—especially by those who know how to use them—will reduce crime. But the nearly all white make-up of the nation probably plays the greatest role. Imagine suddenly having the populations of Detroit and Chicago in Zurich. Ya think the crime rate might just escalate? A non-PC comment, but truth often is.
Look it up. In the US, guns are found in somewhere around 45% of households. In Switzerland it's about 27%.
While military service is mandatory for men in Switzerland, the reality is that only about 55-60% go through it, thanks to medical deferments, etc. Additionally, once you complete your military service at age 30 (for enlisted men), you have to give the weapon back.
Swiss statistics show a total of 420,000 full auto assault rifles in homes. Overall, there are estimated to be between 1.2 and 3 million weapons in private homes in the country, out of a population of 7.6 million.
If we were a confederacy, as Switzerland is and as we once were
I cannot believe how you get away with such nonsense at this forum. In 1848 the Swiss instituted a two house parliament, an executive and judiciary. They dumped the confederation because, as our framers knew seventy years earlier, it is a precarious form of government.
Your precious Swiss also allowed Jews in 1848 to own property anywhere in the country. How noble.
You realize that the Swiss federal government has far less power than our central government, of course.
Please explain what your comment about the Swiss liberalizing their laws on private property 160 years ago has to do with anything. At that time, slavery was still legal in the U.S.
This whole “Swiss crime rate is the lowest in the world” thing is a crock as well. In per capita crimes, the Swiss come in at 20th place out of 60. Italy, with strict gun laws, is 19th. In murders with firearms per capita, Switzerland enjoys a higher rate than nearly any other country in western Europe.
Murders with firearms per capita is essentially meaningless. It is only total murders that is meaningful. It doesn’t matter to the victims if they were murdered with firearms or gasoline or hammers or feet.
The Constitution has something to say about a standing army, and IIRC it technically can’t be active for more than 2-years w/o Congressional approval.
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
Nevertheless, the overall per capita murder rate in Switzerland is not significantly different than those of most of the surrounding countries. And the fact also remains that the percentage of households with guns in the US is far higher than that of Switzerland.
Nevertheless, the overall per capita murder rate in Switzerland is not significantly different than those of most of the surrounding countries. And the fact also remains that the percentage of households with guns in the US is far higher than that of Switzerland.
Yes, I believe that you are correct. This shows that guns, by themselves, do not have a large impact on homicides. Culture is far more important. Homicide rates tend to track very well with culture, which tends to be conserved across generations. Another significant factor is the age distribution in the population. Part of the reason for low crime rates in Europe is the aging population.
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Unfortunately, it took the above to pacify them.
Thanks for the ping!
“More Guns Less Crime” ... hmmm, that could make a good book title.
That ought to work on truculent jihad filth..
I took the butt plate off to look for that a few weeks ago...I had heard about that practice, but it was not there. I bought mine at the Tucson gunshow, so maybe the previous owner here in the states took it out. Didn’t think to ask at the time I bought it, I may have not know about it at the time.
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