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Politics : GOPwinger Lies/Distortions/Omissions/Perversions of Truth -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: longnshort who wrote (39626)	3/23/2005 2:26:28 PM
From: fresc	Respond to of 173976

Longsnot full of sh*t ....again! what else is new! Opponents of gun control often use Switzerland as evidence that access to guns is not linked to crime or violence. They argue that since virtually all adult males are members of the army and have military weapons, there is nearly universal access to deadly weapons yet few gun-related problems in Switzerland. However, Swiss criminologist Martin Killias, of the Université de Lausanne, argues that the rate of households with firearms is actually comparable to that of Canada (27.2%). There is strict screening of army officers and ammunition is stored in sealed boxes and inspected regularly. It goes on to cite a gun suicide rate second only to the United States and a gun murder rate comparable to Canadas. So it appears that Switzerland (1) DOES have tighter control over its guns then the USA, despite the automatic weapons in the hands of the people, (2) does not actually let many people have automatic weapons, and (3) still has its share of gun-related problems. (See also here for an excellent rebuttal of the "no gun control = safer country in Switzerland" myth.) I am in favor of tighter gun control laws, and in particular, for a ban on assault weapons. I don't see any reason why the people need guns. Having kids, I actually see guns, even when they are locked up, as a terrible accident waiting to happen. I do own a gun, my wife gave it to me for Christmas before we had children. Now I keep it hidden in the darkest corner of my basement, and have not taken it out in years. They don't even know I have it. Yet I am still afraid that they will find it and use it, playfully pretending without thinking as children, even well-informed children, often do. I should probably get rid of it, although I enjoy shooting at a range. While I do acknowledge the Embarrassing Second Amendment (99 Yale L.J. 637 (1989)), I think it should be read narrowly rather than broadly- for the sake of the children. Why do we need assault weapons available to the public?