I read your column with interest...
With respect to the banning of handguns and so-called "Assault Weapons", I would hasten to draw attention to that seething, violent, crime laden country in Europe known as Switzerland... With more than a little ethnic diversity: five languages; German, Italian, French, Schwitzer-Deutsch, and Romansch (Rhaeto-Romanic), and a multitude of religions, this group of people manage to have a nonexistent crime rate and haven't been at war in over 500 years.
There the people are the army and every household is armed with a minimum of one "SIG Sturmgewehr 550" (Sturm = Assault, Gewehr = Rifle) and a case of ammunition (1000 bullets). By law, everyone has to go shooting several times a year, qualifying on targets that are 300 meters (3.3 football fields) away. This can be done at one of over 10,000 such 300 meter ranges that the country boasts. At one major competition, there were over 400,000 competitors last year. Note: this was not a mandatory qualifying match, but one for 'sport' attended by enthusiasts.
This is the real reason why Switzerland was not involved in any of the wars which have raged around its border, taking millions of lives in the last Century.
There was an interesting dialogue between the Nazi's and the Swiss Government when the former informed the latter of their intent to 'peaceably invade' them (like they had done to Austria). I won't recount the details, suffice it to say that the Swiss vowed to mobilize their entire male population, in arms, against the Germans and fight and die to the last man. The Germans decided to leave Switzerland alone.
With respect to the crime rate in the country, it is practically zero. For a country which is literally bristling with true, fully automatic Assault Rifles and copious amounts of handguns with 'high capacity' magazines, there are no drive-by shootings, no Mac Donald's or High School 'massacres', etc.
I have had occasion to work in Switzerland over the past five years and there is a real feeling of safety and comfort in the air, both in the cities and in the country.
I wonder if the concerned groups and lobbyists who are so intent on taking all firearms out of the hands of law abiding citizens in the US would challenge the Swiss fact sheet (not statistics, but empirical living facts)?
More importantly, do these people not see that Governments throughout the world have been responsible for the murders of more than 100 million people in the last century (e.g., WW1, the Nazi's, WW2, Korea, Viet Nam, Pol Pot, China, Africa, etc.)? Such genocide is only possible if you first remove the "Assault Weapons" from the hands of the law abiding populace and place them firmly in the hands of the Government. Once there is such a shift in the balance of power, no matter how well intentioned and benevolent the Government is at the outset, there is always a possibility that a new regime will move in and then, once again, the bodies will start piling up.
Look to history...
Given the choice of raising a family in LA, New York City, Washington DC, Geneva, or Zurich (Note: being an 'average' citizen and not one of the moneyed elite with armed guards and private schools), the only question I'd have would be if I'd want my children to have French or German as a first language (i.e., to choose between the latter two cities respectively)...
Just some thoughts for you and possibly your readers, if you'd care to pass them on.
John xxxx
Senior Technology Specialist
P.S. The Swiss also keep rockets, grenades, and even tanks at home... The Assault Rifles are the low end weaponry.
