Swiss Shooting Traditions — A Nation of Riflemen
In Switzerland, universal military training is required of young men, and after military service, Swiss men retain their military weapons, including assault rifles, in their homes. In addition, target shooting remains a hugely popular activity among the Swiss. Though it has a population of just 7,000,000, Switzerland boasts over 2,000 rifle ranges. Each year, close to 200,000 Swiss participate in the Eidgenössisches Feldschiessen (annual shooting skills exercise). A several hundred-year-old tradition, the Feldschiessen (aka Tiro Federale in Campagna) is the largest shooting event in the world.
Shooting service rifles at 300m is typical at many Feldschiessen matches. Some Swiss ranges boast the latest high-tech equipment. At one of the popular ranges, 400 electronic targets served thousands of shooters. And get this — the Swiss government provides free ammunition at each year’s Feldschiessen. Contrast that with California — which recently passed legislation requiring citizens to provide thumbprints and personal data just to purchase ammo. Switzerland views armed citizens as a vital national asset. California views shooters as a pariah class that should be eliminated.
Swiss Gun-Control Advocates Call for Change
Despite the popularity of shooting in Switzerland, and the nation’s tradition of maintaining an armed citizenry, there are groups seeking to restrict gun ownership and require that military arms be removed from homes and stored in military barracks. Both sides of the issue are covered in a video report from World Radio Switzerland. You should definitely watch the video. In it, Marc Heim, a Swiss citizen, explains that the Swiss government seeks to maintain “a very high state of readiness for the Swiss military and population. The [goal] has always been that, within 24 to 48 hours, Switzerland could mobilize a pretty large army.” Heim still has the Stgw 57 (7.5×55) rifle he trained with, as well as the rifles used by his father, and grandfather before him. Heim’s young son, in his 20s, keeps a modern, fully-automatic Sig 550. That is the rifle Marc Heim and his son would take to the Feldschiessen.
CLICK HERE for Story and VIDEO on Swiss Gun Tradition (Highly Recommended)
Reasons for Armed Citizenry in Switzerland
Marc Heim believes that it is important for Switzerland to retain a “citizen army”. His belief was strengthened after he visited a Holocaust museum: “That’s when it all hit me… I want to be free and never in a situation where they could just march us off to ovens or prisons… or just take away our freedom. The key to freedom is the ability to be able to defend yourself, and if you don’t have the tools to do that then you are at the mercy of anyone who wants to put you away. And the tools for that are guns.”
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Tags: California, Feldschiessen, Gun Control, Switzerland
How does the crime rate in Switzerland compare to the crime rate in California? How are felons in Switzerland screened out of their purchasing options?
How are the laws concerning immigrants?
2004 Murder rate in California: 12.66/100,000; in Los Angeles County: 21/100,000. (More Guns Less Crime, Lott, 2nd ed.)
2004 Homicide rate in Switzerland:2.94/100,000. (www.data360.org)
Note, none of thess stats are gun specific, but murder/homicide rates in general.
The Swiss are amongst the most law abiding people in the world. At least part of that is their sense of duty and responsibility, part of which comes from their compulsory military service and the responsibilities involved in not only training with modern military firearms, but keeping both them and live ammunition at home. It defies reason that the Swiss are a different kind of human being who can be so trusted while those in other countries are regarded by their governments as immature and untrustworthy in such matters. Anti-gun campaigners have tried every trick in the book to ignore, or if they have to face up to the ‘Swiss issue’ to distort the figures to ‘prove’ that Switzerland copmplies with their basic thesis that more privately owned guns = more armed crime and homicides. Downright untruths are regularly aired by same over Swiss shooting deaths.
What many people either don’t know or forget is that concept of every citizen being armed in this (and other countries such as Finland) arose from az relatively recent external threat. In late 1940 Nazi Germany controlled / occupied every European state bar Italy and Finland (allies) and neutral Swizterland. It was only a matter of time ebfore the Germans took over either in direct occupation or through a puppet regime after threats. The Swiss had a choice of (armed) freedom or rolling over – and it was no easy or automatic choice. Eventually, the armed independence view won out and the implicit message to the Germans was that they would make the Nazis fight for every village, every hillside and valley in terrain ideally suited to defence. The Germans looked and didn’t like what they saw – a determined and armed potential enemy that could tie down scores of divisions for years.
what is different about Switzerland is that they still think this way even in today’s allegedly ‘safe’ world, unlike Finland that regards itself safe now that the USSR no longer exists – shame about Vladimir Putin’s expansionist Russian views of course. One big difference between the Swiss and their European neighbours is that they have had the sense to keep out of the EC – I wish we had in the UK too! The EC is basically anti private gun ownership. Armed citizens are a ‘threat’ to people who wish to control nearly every aspect of the memeber countries and their people’s lives. After all, one day there it may become ‘essential’ to ‘take radical steps’ over some issue or another and force people to do things they don’t like, as with comabtting climate change by returning to a Middle Ages energy-impoverished lifestyle, or make them pay 80% taxes to support the Community’s social programmes or whatever.
Laurie,
York, England
The Second Amendment to the US Constitution reads: “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
Having fled persecution in Great Britain, the Puritans had laws requiring every family to own a gun, to carry it in public places, and to train children in the use of firearms. In 1619, the colony of Virginia had statutes that required everyone to bear arms. Connecticut law in 1650 required every man above the age of sixteen to possess “a good musket or other gun, fit for service.”
The early laws of America are very clear about this. The people were responsible for their own defense and freedoms and needed to be prepared to fight. Thomas Jefferson said,”The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to bear arms is, as a last resort, to PROTECT THEMSELVES AGAINST TYRANNY IN GOVERNMENT.” At that time, there was no concept of a professional army, created and paid to defend the colonies. George Mason, called the father of the Bill of Rights, said, “What is the militia? IT IS THE WHOLE PEOPLE. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.”
The entirety of the above is quoted from page 16 of my American Patriot’s Bible. It’s loaded with good history. [Emphasis and spelling errors mine]
‘nuf said.
Wonderful piece. Keep it up. We’re trying to urge our gov’ts here to emulate you and the old Swiss Bible and Gun education for the nation’s entire youth.