Creating a gun culture that works; what America can learn from the Swiss

Switzerland is a tiny nation of roughly 8 million with 45.7 guns per 100 people ranking it 3rd in the world for gun ownership per person. Despite this it boasts one of the lowest crime rates in the world with only 0.45 homicides per 100,000.

With over 3.4 million public and privately-owned guns in circulation according to the Geneva based small arms survey it is clearly not difficult to purchase a weapon in Switzerland. Gun laws are lax in comparison to other European countries leading it to have almost double to firearms of almost all its neighbors. So how does this European nation manage its gun happy population?

One fundamental difference between Switzerland and fellow countries with high gun ownership rates is the forced national military conscription which it enforces upon all of its citizens over the age of 18. This means that almost all gun owners in Switzerland have been taught how to safely and efficiently use a weapon system. As well as this they have been educated that a firearm is not a toy but in fact a dangerous weapon which when used incorrectly can have grave consequences. Education is a huge cultural tool that the Swiss use to increase the responsibility and vigilance of gun owners across the nation. From young ages, large numbers of kids are introduced to firearms in safe environments such as the annual marksman cup that takes place at Zurich’s rifle shooting range. Each September roughly 4,000 teenagers ranging from 12-16 take part in a rifle shooting competition. They are all supervised and educated in gun safety by firearms instructors that teach them fundamental lessons such as keeping guns locked up in the house. This is a national ethos that is enforced in all of Switzerland’s 3,000 gun clubs which contain roughly 150,000 members. The serious nature of firearms is something the Swiss regard highly. Much like America they use firearms as instruments for hunting and national protection as well as maintaining personal freedoms. This has led to a culture in which it is not uncommon to see individuals carrying weapons at the bus stop, while riding their bike or in the car.

The only fundamental difference of Swiss firearm owners to that of American firearms owners is that a larger emphasis is put on national security and protection as opposed to personal protection. As a Swiss PHD student and Army officer told the BBC[1] in 2013 "The gun is not given to me to protect me or my family…I have been given this gun by my country to serve my country - and for me it is an honour to take care of it. I think it is a good thing for the state to give this responsibility to people.".

Despite gun ownership being engrained in their culture Swiss politicians have come under scrutiny in recent years following the 2001 Zug town hall shooting in which a politically disgruntled local Freidrich Leibacher entered and shot at those attending a local meeting. He ended up killing 14 and wounding 14 more. Further shootings and homicides over the following years led to the Swiss federal government choosing to change the law on military ammunition. Implemented in 2007 it required all Swiss military ammunition to be kept in regional armories as opposed to allowing the Swiss militia to keep it at home. Despite this they may still retain their weapons and purchase ammunition for hunting or sport shooting.

Many argue that America would never be able to adopt a Swiss gun culture rooted in responsibility and safety that is passed from generation to generation. Changing the culture in America would certainly be difficult with it facing many issues the Swiss don’t have to such as violent street gangs. Even though America may never be like the Swiss with the support of powerful organizations such as the NRA and Republican party huge positive steps could be made. It has to start with a culture based off education and safety which could be instilled at firearms conventions as well as through advertisement campaigns.

In a time of such divide over firearm ownership maybe America should look abroad to countries who have the same constitutional values on firearms as them for inspiration on how to get the most out of an armed population.