School shooting near Seattle.

[WildCat]

I see - so you know their thoughts better than they do.

I know the gun control groups never saw a ban they didn't support, including ones ruled unconstitutional.

 

[Ranb]

This seems to work fine in other countries.
Why would America by any different?

The major problem would be the enormous amount of guns around now.
Criminals would continue to have easy access to firearms for years, even if there was a ban and an amnesty tomorrow.

Which countries have no armed individuals providing security other than the police, military and those who protect their president, PM or high ranking members of government?

Ranb

 

[Dissolution]

Which countries have no armed individuals providing security other than the police, military and those who protect their president, PM or high ranking members of government?

Providing security? I could be wrong about this, but I don't think that the UK does.
I'm lead to believe that Northern Ireland has slightly different rules, but I don't think that England, Scotland and Wales have private, armed security.

 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

Which countries have no armed individuals providing security other than the police, military and those who protect their president, PM or high ranking members of government?

Ranb

Armed private security are much rarer in Europe, and illegal in many countries, such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Switzerland. In developing countries (with host country permission), an armed security force composed mostly of ex-military personnel is often used to protect corporate assets, particularly in war-torn regions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_guard#Europe

 

[Meed]

I support dramatically reducing the size of the US military and dearming the police under most circumstances. If all that happens I'd probably support further tightenings of gun restrictions on ordinary citizens. Ultimately, I'd like to see less weapons around overall, but I'm not comfortable with the stance that the military and police can be armed to the teeth way past the point of reason while everybody else has to remain unarmed.

 

[Axiom_Blade]

Ultimately, I'd like to see less weapons around overall, but I'm not comfortable with the stance that the military and police can be armed to the teeth way past the point of reason while everybody else has to remain unarmed.

I'm definitely not comfortable with the police being militarized, like what we saw in Ferguson, but that's an entirely different topic.

 

[catsmate]

Which countries have no armed individuals providing security other than the police, military and those who protect their president, PM or high ranking members of government?

Ranb

Ireland, the UK and Switzerland for a start. In addition most other countries have far greater restrictions on private security compare to the US.

 

[Dissolution]

Ireland, the UK and Switzerland for a start. In addition most other countries have far greater restrictions on private security compare to the US.

Switzerland has one of the highest rate of gun ownership in the world.
They have a militia. Most young men have to join and they're required to keep an assault rifle at home.
Gun ownership is also widespread and encouraged.

Homicide is actually very low there, though. Gun deaths are slightly higher than nearby countries with less access to legal firearms, on the other hand.

 

[Cl1mh4224rd]

Switzerland...

There are some very important details that people need to be aware of. Switzerland isn't simply a case of "more guns = good" as your post could be read to imply.

ETA:

Switzerland has one of the highest rate of gun ownership in the world.

Hmm. According to this 2012 article, the U.S. still has a higher number of guns per capita. Followed by Yemen, Serbia, then Switzerland.

 

[Meed]

I'm definitely not comfortable with the police being militarized, like what we saw in Ferguson, but that's an entirely different topic.

Not to me.

 

[Ranb]

Hmm. According to this 2012 article, the U.S. still has a higher number of guns per capita. Followed by Yemen, Serbia, then Switzerland.

Interesting article; I wonder how much of it is really true, or if all of it is.

....the gun-loving Swiss are not about to lay down their arms. Guns are ubiquitous in this neutral nation, with sharpshooting considered a fun and wholesome recreational activity for people of all ages.

I wonder why the Swiss aren't mocked on this forum for allowing recreational use of firearms, even for children?

Because of this general acceptance and even pride in gun ownership, nobody bats an eye at the sight of a civilian riding a bus, bike or motorcycle to the shooting range, with a rifle slung across the shoulder.

I swear the way some people on this forum post; they would have a stroke if they saw this happening in the USA. Why aren't we hearing more about those nut-gun Swiss?

Weapons are kept at home because of the long-held belief that enemies could invade tiny Switzerland quickly, so every soldier had to be able to fight his way to his regiment’s assembly point.

Is this belief just as archaic as it said to be of the USA? Is the Swiss militia just cannon fodder in this modern age?

(Switzerland was at risk of being invaded by Germany during World War II but was spared, historians say, because every Swiss man was armed and trained to shoot.)

Sounds like the urban legend that has Yamamoto claiming Japan couldn't invade America because there was a rifle behind every blade of grass.

So is it the lower crime rate in Switzerland that allows them a pass with their current gun culture or is it something else?

 

[Unabogie]

I support dramatically reducing the size of the US military and dearming the police under most circumstances. If all that happens I'd probably support further tightenings of gun restrictions on ordinary citizens. Ultimately, I'd like to see less weapons around overall, but I'm not comfortable with the stance that the military and police can be armed to the teeth way past the point of reason while everybody else has to remain unarmed.

We find ourselves in agreement on this.

 

[Cl1mh4224rd]

So is it the lower crime rate in Switzerland that allows them a pass with their current gun culture or is it something else?

You'll note that, while Switzerland's homicide rate is among the lowest in the world, its gun homicide rate is actually higher than its neighbors. I'm certainly not holding that country up as some shining beacon of responsible gun culture.

 

[Ranb]

I don't either. But why is there so much more hate for American gun culture than Swiss gun culture?

 

[Cl1mh4224rd]

I don't either. But why is there so much more hate for American gun culture than Swiss gun culture?

Well, mass shootings are nearly non-existent in Switzerland. They have fewer opportunities to engage in seemingly callous defense of their gun fetish in the immediate aftermath of a shocking tragedy.

 

[Ranb]

It isn't just mass killings. On this forum being a victim of gun violence, promoting firearm training, discussing gun law or merely talking about guns is grounds for ridicule as long as it is done by Americans.

Ranb

 

[arthwollipot]

I don't either. But why is there so much more hate for American gun culture than Swiss gun culture?

Are you kidding? Have you any idea how much American pop culture gets around the world? American movies and American television are ubiquitous. We have a dozen channels of subscription TV here dedicated to showing American TV shows, a dozen more showing American movies, and one which might occasionally show a program from Switzerland every six months or so if you're lucky.

America exports its culture to the world in massive amounts via television and the movies. Of course people are going to react to American culture more than they'll react to Swiss culture.

ETA: And that's got nothing to do with guns. But the gun attitudes are exported along with all kinds of other cultural attitudes.

 

[Dissolution]

I don't either. But why is there so much more hate for American gun culture than Swiss gun culture?

Because most people outside of Switzerland don't know about Swiss gun culture and it rarely hits the news.
Gun homicides would also appear to be nearly 10 times higher per capita in the US.
That would still be around ten times higher than the UK, for example, but it would suggest that widespread gun ownership is only part of the reason that so many people are killed with firearms in the US every year.

 

[Meed]

Well, mass shootings are nearly non-existent in Switzerland. They have fewer opportunities to engage in seemingly callous defense of their gun fetish in the immediate aftermath of a shocking tragedy.

I don't know why people focus on mass shootings as if they're the only (or even the primary) problem. Most gun murders in the US are not mass shootings. The US simply has far more gun violence than Switzerland does period.

 

[Ranb]

Are you kidding?

No.

Have you any idea how much American pop culture gets around the world?

No again.

American movies and American television are ubiquitous. We have a dozen channels of subscription TV here dedicated to showing American TV shows, a dozen more showing American movies, and one which might occasionally show a program from Switzerland every six months or so if you're lucky.

I know that US media is exported but have no idea of the actual extent of the spread of American media out side of the US. While I travel abroad oaccasionally, I've never watched American programming overseas other than the news, if I can find it.

Ranb