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.

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

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.