Sunday, July 29, 2007

Switzerland Mulls National Suicide

Switzerland's the only country that requires its soldiers to keep guns at home. But concerns over high suicide rates and killings within families have caused some to ask whether having them there is simply too dangerous.

"Some"? Oh, you mean the stupid, the irrational, and those who manipulate them.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great title to the post

Anonymous said...

Ah, the "blank-slate" template.

The Swiss already have citizen disarmament laws. That started in the late 90s. Between this and the open borders, they've been experiencing new and exciting types of crime.

This story is very light on detail, and purposely misleading? As for the suicide rate: Is that news? The ubiquitous gun caused no problems for a century, but now, as they are being restricted, the suicide rate has suddenly risen to unacceptable levels?

I don't know about Germany, but over here you have to have at least a degree in psychology to examine the evidence and make such conclusions.

Anonymous said...

I'm actually an American of Swiss descent who has spent time in the Das Mutterland. People have hunting implements too. Disarming the militia is a no-brainer in the sense of only somebody with no brains would bother for this excuse or any other.

Glarus, where my kind are from, is pretty thick with guns and yet I've never seen a murder or witnessed a firearms suicide there. Farmers and such. How would taking army firearms away stop a suicide anyway?

Amusing personal note number two:
My great uncle took his life there with a noose in the barn. Old bastard knew better than to give them an excuse, perhaps.

Grandfather Stateside said "If you intentionally misuse something for something that others will find wrong, you poison the pot for everyone else." Good quote from a good Schweitzer dairy farmer.