Aye! A Lassy needs t' have a Manstopper in this world - Page 7

Better, thanks.   

Democrats & Republicans are 2 cheeks of the same Ass-George Galloway

I like the Swiss..citizens required to own & Keep Arms & 10,000 rounds of ammo. Thats my style.

In Switzerland, All males are issued assault rifles for militia service and keep them at home, yet little crime exists there.

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 find rifles slung on hat racks in restaurants, and you will encounter men and women, old and young, walking, biking and taking the tram with rifles 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.)

The Swiss Federal Police Office 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 firearms. 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 firearms, 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.

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 firing shelter, the competitors pay 12-year-olds tips to keep score. The 16-year-olds shoot rifles 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 rifles and/or pistols at home. In addition, gun shops abound. Yet firearms are rarely used in crime.  Homicide is tied to a willingness to resort to violence, not the mere presence of guns. The prevalence of firearms in the home and the participation of youth in shooting matches bind youth to adults and discourages a generation gap.

I imagine the swiss do that because the swiss are required to serve in the military.

Now keep in mind - Switzerland is an iddy, biddy country, and unless you want a military service requirement and training, than I am not entirley sure it would work.  And not only that...but the Swiss are different.  They are anal retentive, methodical, and incredibly boring in their capacity to plan things out to the T.  In the town I have been visiting every year for my entire existance, if you come there to live and dont have a job, within three days they give you one...you dont have a choice.  I love em for it...and I love the country...but their society is very far removed from our own...they dont understand me anymore than I do them.

I am in favor of allowing guns - I think alot of what happened at VT might have been avoided if someone in there had carried concealed...and I adore that picture RatPackKing!

~Cate

as one of those darn liberals (well, in some things), i've got guns, will get at least a few more (whether personal or hunting. i hope i never have to use the personal. i have big shepherds who have shown that they are protective. the only thing i don't have is a hot chicken. i'm getting one.

i appreciate the t-shirt pic too. maybe we should just give guns to the women!.