THE Swiss Model

Switzerland is a country of 8,000,000 people.  The Swiss people are surrounded by Germany, France, Italy and Austria.  Think about the history of these governments.  Think about how many major violent conflicts they have been involved in.

But when was the last time Switzerland was involved in an armed conflict?

1847.

Why didn't the National Socialist led German government invade them during World War II?  Probably because Hitler was afraid that widespread gun ownership by the Swiss people would cause the defeat of his army.  It is estimated that there 4 million firearms in the homes of the Swiss people.  Any authoritarian regime is frightened by this notion of a well regulated militia.  

OK, so these guns provide the Swiss people with a strong self-defense system but do they cause high murder rates?

Who is Most Responsible for the Injustices?

Fifty years ago today Malcolm X was murdered.

He speaks here about a governmental system which allows people to organize for self-defense...

Guns Behave Themselves in Iowa and North Dakota

Firearms ownership in the state of Iowa is the 16th highest rate in these United States.  Fortunately the guns don't act out in The Hawkeye State.  Iowa has the 9th lowest death rate by firearms of the fifty states.

Minnesota is another state where the guns don't usually try to hurt people.  The Gopher State ranks 21st in gun ownership yet it's 43rd in deaths caused by guns.

Unfortunately the firearms in Nevada and Arizona go awry more often.  These states have low rates of gun ownership yet their murder by gun rates are very high (5th and 6th respectively).

Finally, responsible gun owners abound in North Dakota.  The Peace Garden State is aptly named as they boast the 10th highest rate of guns and the 10th lowest gun death rate.

Guns Are Well Behaved in Switzerland

So how do other advanced countries deal with high rates of firearm ownership by citizens?  Ironically Bloomberg of all places gave us a little insight.   

From Bloomberg: Shooter Kills Three Women in Swiss Mountain Village Spree

Of course this is a tragedy but read down to the final three paragraphs of the story...

"There were 241 deaths in Switzerland by shooting in 2010, compared with 408 in 2001, Ninety-two percent of those deaths in 2010 were suicides."

Murder is declining steadily in Switzerland, and...

"In February 2011, Swiss voters rejected in a referendum a proposal to ban citizens from keeping guns at home and require all guns to be registered."

To sum up the situation in Switzerland, a country of 8 million people:

1. 3,610,300 guns owned by citizens
2. 20 murders by shooting in 2010

To sum up the situation in New York, NY, a city of 8 million people:

1. 57,300 guns owned by citizens
2. 237 murders by shooting in 2012

There are 63X as many firearms in Switzerland as in New York City yet gun murders are 12X higher in NYC than in Switzerland.  

Why do the guns in North America have to cause so much trouble when their cousins in Europe mostly keep to themselves?