Another mass shooting

dsmythy

In Switzerland on this occasion. Cue gun debates over there. Going by their gun crime records I don't think there's any need for increased gun control in Switzerland.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21601323

Sir Gallagher

I never knew the Swiss had a high rate of gun ownership. Strange, considering they pride themselves on neutrality.

CreepingDeath

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

I never knew the Swiss had a high rate of gun ownership. Strange, considering they pride themselves on neutrality.

Well they have to protect their Nazi gold...

AnonoBoy

In before the conspiracy theorists claiming everyone who was shot or witnessed it is an actor and trying to blame it on the gun control lobby in America even though it happened in another country.

squod

One too many horse burgers.

granturismo

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

I never knew the Swiss had a high rate of gun ownership. Strange, considering they pride themselves on neutrality.

Swiss citizens are obliged to or expected to own a gun in case they are called up to defend their country - or maybe that was an old law.

Neutrality isnt always based on pacifism, in the Swiss case its probably isolationism?

Donny5

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

I never knew the Swiss had a high rate of gun ownership. Strange, considering they pride themselves on neutrality.

Not strange at all. Neutral countries are normally characterised by strong defence policies and arms industries. Ireland is somewhat of an outlier amongst neutral nations. Of Malta, Finland, Sweden and Austria, the other non-aligned E.U. nations, all but Malta have very high civilian gun ownership, and Malta is double our own rate. We also have low defence spending and no arms industry to speak of.

Switzerland subscribes to a neutrality-by-external-security model, and has mandated gun ownership for reservists.

Mollusc

Someone passed the wrong cheese?

Bonkers1984

"Another Mass Shooting"

This is why i don't go to church!!

JuliusCaesar

'Several' killed, according to the Irish Times.

mike65

The Swiss are the 2nd most legally armed people in the world, and about 30th on the list of non-suicide fatality rate list.

donvito99

I hope this is left on its toblerone and not dragged into the US gun debate.

ejmaztec

Mollusc wrote: »

Someone passed the wrong cheese?

It started with confusion after someone asked how to make a Swiss roll.

Elmer Blooker

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

I never knew the Swiss had a high rate of gun ownership. Strange, considering they pride themselves on neutrality.

It doesn't mean a lot, Sweden, that neutral model country is one of of the biggest arms exporters in the world.
By the way, on the subject of the arms industry, the five biggest arms exporters in the world (USA, Russia, China, UK and France) are the five members of the UN "security" council which means they can veto any resolution. Any sign of that civil war in Syria ending soon?

Manic Moran

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

I never knew the Swiss had a high rate of gun ownership. Strange, considering they pride themselves on neutrality.

They believe that neutrality is a two-part process.

Firstly they ask nicely to be left alone. (Like Ireland generally does)
Then they kick the ass of anyone who doesn't accede to the request. (Like Ireland generally can't)

Shooting is the national sport in Switzerland, probably the only civilised country in the world where civilians carrying assault rifles on their shoulder are totally unremarkable. The government encourages rifle practice on the weekends. Men get to keep their rifles when they leave the Army (there is conscription) and they become family heirlooms. Every year there is a multi-day national shooting festival, the Knabenschiessen, where thousands of children aged 12-16 compete with the Army service rifle to attain the title of "Shooting King" (or in some recent years, "Shooting Queen"). Nationwide coverage.

There is a story from the interwar years of a German General asking a Swiss General what he would do if Germany invaded with 2 million soldiers. The Swiss General replied that he would call forth his million strong citizen army, they would each fire two shots, and go home.

I always find it fascinating that so few people are aware of the huge gun culture in Europe.

It wasn't me!

Manic Moran wrote: »

I always find it fascinating that so few people are aware of the huge gun culture in Europe.

Yep. Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, these are countries with a huge tradition of civilian firearms ownership and huge numbers in civilian hands to this day. Some of those countries have firearms in civilian hands which would make many US legislators weak at the knees too. Switzerland and Germany in particular have massive participation in target shooting, and hunting in Germany is enormous.

pabloh999

Manic Moran wrote: »

I always find it fascinating that so few people are aware of the huge gun culture in Europe.

Its probably because its largely a non issue for a lot of Europe. There is very little in the way regular mass murders or insanely massive amount of shootings (90,000 USA annually?)

Time Magazine article about the Swiss gun culture
http://world.time.com/2012/12/20/the-swiss-difference-a-gun-culture-that-works/

Switzerland trails behind only the U.S, Yemen and Serbia in the number of guns
per capita

. Yet, despite the prevalence of guns, the violent-crime rate is low: government
figures show about 0.5 gun homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2010. By
comparison, the U.S rate in the same year was about 5 firearm killings per
100,000 people, according to a 2011 U.N. report.