CERDAFIED - Gun control is often a divisive subject, even more so after unfathomable tragedies like that of Columbine or the Aurora massacre. Both sides of the argument for and against gun control can be quite compelling. I respect differing opinions because I, myself straddled the fence on this issue for so long.
I grew up living in various states where recreational hunting was a natural part of seasonal living. It has been a predominantly male bonding experience shared with sons, fathers and grandfathers. Some families still rely on a winter’s supply of venison.
It wasn’t until I moved to Los Angeles in 1974 that the use of guns in gang violence became a concern of mine. I could not find a rational need for automatic hand guns. Gun control seemed like the answer to me.
Race relations seemed to be improving within the communities, however the Los Angles Police Department was so heavy handed with minorities that tensions would flare up and spillover onto our streets.
The news covered these frequent, often brutal and unprovoked attacks on blacks, with very little earnest outrage or justice from our elected officials, and a short supply of commentary from news anchors on the error of those policies and procedures.
It wasn’t until the Black Panthers armed themselves and began patrolling and protecting their own communities that things settled down and begin to change. The emergence of “Black Pride” and “Black Power” worked its way into the mainstream lexicon.
Black society had certainly tried every remedy at their disposal; courts, civil disobedience, peaceful marches, riots, political channels, and religious intervention. Their most compelling and diametrically opposed leaders Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were assassinated. Clearly, the only avenue they had not explored was self protection.
My viewpoint on gun control had widened to accept the possibility that armed citizens needed to protect them selves from an abusive government, or its agencies. Certainly our American education infused the belief that America was founded and rooted in our rebellion against tyranny, unfair taxation, and religious persecution. Self preservation trumps everything. Realistically, our whole history had been determined by weapons and wars.
I believe the best example of gun policy can be found in Switzerland. Switzerland has depended on an armed populace for its defense, since its founding in 1291. They do not have a standing army.
Nearly every adult male is legally required to possess a gun and are trained to use it;
• At about age 20, every Swiss male goes through 118 consecutive days of training.
• Before required training begins, young men and women may take optional courses with the Swiss army's M57 assault rifle. They keep that gun at home for three months and receive six half-day training sessions.
• From age 21 to 32, they serve as a "frontline" troop for three weeks a year (in eight of the 12 years) to continue training.
• From age 33 to 42, they serve in the Landwehr every few years, he reports for two-week training periods. (like America's National Guard)
• From ages 43, to 50, they serve in the Landsturm; in this period, he only spends 13 days total in "home guard courses."
• During a soldier's career he is trained in mandatory equipment inspections and required target practice.
• In a 30-year mandatory military career, a Swiss man only spends about one year in direct military service. Following discharge from the regular army, men serve on reserve status until age 50 (55 for officers).
Switzerland adopted a policy of armed neutrality, after 1515. For four centuries, the greatest empires of Europe rose and fell and weaker countries were conquered. Switzerland faced invaders like Russia, France, the Habsburgs, and the Austro Hungarian Empire. But Switzerland almost always retained its independence.
During World War I, both France and Germany considered invading Switzerland for their Swiss gold reserves. But military planners looked at Switzerland's well-armed citizenry, as well as their mountainous terrain, and the thought of conquering Switzerland had lost its appeal.
While two World Wars raged on, Switzerland enjoyed peace. In fact, Switzerland became the symbol of peaceful neutrality. Even though guns were in nearly every home, crime has not been a huge issue.
Statistics for Switzerland:
1. The estimated total number of guns held by civilians in Switzerland is 3,400,000
2. The rate of private gun ownership in Switzerland is 45.7 firearms per 100 people
3. In Switzerland, annual homicides by guns totaled 40 for 2010 and had not exceeded 68 in a decade.
4. Between 1995 – 2008 suicide by gun was between 239 – 413 annually.
5. Unintentional gun deaths…1998 …7 deaths.
6. The nation has over 3,000 shooting ranges which is where ammunition is sold mostly.
7. Population of Switzerland in 2011, 7,907,000
8. Swiss voters threw out an attempt at gun control reform in 2011.
9. Purchasers of machine guns, submachine guns, anti-tank weapons, anti-aircraft guns, howitzers and cannons require an easily obtained cantonal license and require registration.
10. Retail gun dealers keep records of over-the-counter gun transactions; transactions are not reported to or collected by the government.
11. Conscientious objectors, only number about .2%
12. Switzerland has the lowest percentage of working mothers of any European country.
13. More than 200,000 Swiss attend national marksmanship competitions annually.
14. Guns are an important element of a cohesive social structure that keeps crime low.
15. Half of the armed robberies were committed by non-resident foreigners
16. In 1993, not a single armed robbery was reported in Geneva.
To compare other countries gun statistics and laws, go to gunpolicy.org.
It is clear that the Swiss are enjoying a more peaceful nation, and has less crime than Americans, despite their well-armed citizenry, and mandatory weapon training.
It is common for the Swiss to walk around with rifles slung over their shoulders, hung on racks in restaurants, and is a part of their daily lives. This poses no threat to the police department, government, or tourists. Shooting is their national sport. They have proven that the best way to reduce gun misuse is to promote responsible gun ownership.
Crime consistently increases while under gun control. Homicide rates are the highest in the underdeveloped countries where they ban private firearm possession. But the greatest threat to mankind is the genocidal murder committed by governments against their unarmed citizens.
While I do not see us embracing the Swiss militia model, I do hope that fear does not lead us to foolishly discard the right to protect ourselves and our nation. We can not afford to forget the holocaust and how the Jews were disarmed in 1938, during the Night of the Broken Glass. The Holocaust never came to Switzerland. But it came to every unarmed European country.
Lessons may be long forgotten, if the “Arms Trade Treaty” is signed. It would require signatory countries to abide by strict rules on the import, export and transfer of small arms weapons to air-defense systems. Over 180 countries felt the UN pressure to sign this treaty on July 27th.
The United States, Russia and China asked for more time to consider the treaty. Ambassador Roberto Garcia Moritan has predicted that "we certainly are going to have a treaty in 2012."
There are of 51 bipartisan US senators that have expressed in a letter to President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, that they have serious concerns with the draft treaty and that it signals an expansion of gun control that would be unacceptable. Any conflict with our constitutional rights needs to be addressed.
Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and President Obama must sign the treaty in order for it to take effect. Treaties have the same standing as a constitutional amendment. If the treaty is ratified by our congress it will remain law, if it is rejected, the U.S. will not participate. But if no action is taken after Clinton and Obama sign it, it will remain law until it is decided by congress.
American citizens see the hypocrisy of our government when it comes to arms control. We can not forget the “Iran Contra affair”, an arms-for-hostages scheme in 1986, while Iran was subject to an arms embargo. Or most recently the “Fast and Furious” scandal, where ATF agents allowed the Mexican drug cartel to purchase over 2,000 firearms that lead to the death and wounding of over 150 people. No doubt there have been other incidents unknown to us.
When it comes to arms dealing, the United States supplied $8.1 billion worth of weapons to developing countries in 2005, or 45.8 percent of the total. A 2005 study by World Policy Institute found that the United States transferred weaponry to 18 of the 25 countries involved in an ongoing war, including top recipients; Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan.
These very same weapons are used by insurgents, terrorists, warlords, cartel, and mob. With the US arming the world, you might find them hypocritical when trying to thwart your ability to buy small hand guns to protect you and your family. It is easy to understand why other nations might want to control the US.
Supreme Court rulings bar a foreign treaty from undercutting constitutional rights. However, recent Supreme Court rulings appear to have come from the top of a cereal box. So I am not counting on the wisdom of the corporate Supreme Court.
The more abusive the government becomes, particularly handling peaceful demonstrations, the more weapons get sold. More than 10 million guns were sold in the United States during 2011. Instant criminal background checks in January 2012 alone rose to 920,840, a gain of 17.3% over the same month in 2011. That is 20 consecutive months of increases. Americans are arming themselves. But so is the government.
Why does the Department of Homeland Security need 450 million rounds of hollow point ammunition? What do they know that we don’t know? We have about 311 million people living in the entire country.
Official press release:
“ATK announced that it is being awarded an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) agreement from the Department of Homeland Security, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (DHS, ICE) for .40 caliber ammunition. This contract features a base of 12 months, includes four option years, and will have a maximum volume of 450 million rounds.”
“ATK was the incumbent and won the contract with its HST bullet, which has proven itself in the field. The special hollow point effectively passes through a variety of barriers and holds its jacket in the toughest conditions. HST is engineered for 100-percent weight retention, limits collateral damage, and avoids over-penetration.”
I’ve never owned a gun, nor have I ever experienced oppression by my government. Times are changing, and reluctantly we must adapt.
(Lisa Cerda is a contributor to CityWatch, a community activist, Chair of Tarzana Residents Against Poorly Planned Development, and former Tarzana Neighborhood Council board member.) –cw
CityWatch
Vol 10 Issue 61
Pub: July 31, 2012