DarkJoker33
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Switzerland and its gun history
- Thread starter DarkJoker33
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DarkJoker33
NES Member
Dammit.
It started good,then it went to shit near the end
It started good,then it went to shit near the end
MisterHappy
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It's not all fun and games.
A few years back, there was a proposed Swiss gun-grab. I sent a blind email to ProTell, the Swiss version of the NRA, more or less, to wish them luck in their efforts.
www.protell.ch
I got an email back (they could converse in English; I could not manage any of their four, being an American), and we e-chatted. My correspondent told me that he was an NRA (US) Member, as a fallback, in case Swiss folks went the wrong way at the polls.
A few years back, there was a proposed Swiss gun-grab. I sent a blind email to ProTell, the Swiss version of the NRA, more or less, to wish them luck in their efforts.
PROTELL - Gesellschaft für ein freiheitliches Waffenrecht
Geeint sind wir stark PROTELL wahrt überparteilich die Interessen aller waffenbesitzenden und waffentragenden Bürgerinnen und Bürger. PROTELL wehrt sich gegen Einschränkungen des Waffenbesitzes der verantwortungsbewussten Bürgerinnen und Bürger
I got an email back (they could converse in English; I could not manage any of their four, being an American), and we e-chatted. My correspondent told me that he was an NRA (US) Member, as a fallback, in case Swiss folks went the wrong way at the polls.
Ugh. I was bored by the 2 minute mark. I should have quit there.
The only thing rivaling this clown’s misunderstanding of Switzerland is his misunderstanding of the USA. Three minutes on the Wikipedia page for Swiss history will inform you how utterly wrong he got it.
The only thing rivaling this clown’s misunderstanding of Switzerland is his misunderstanding of the USA. Three minutes on the Wikipedia page for Swiss history will inform you how utterly wrong he got it.
Ya, When he started to compare America's gun culture and 2nd amendment with Switzerland's, then I could see where he was going with it.
It would be interesting to have someone compare America's welfare system and the collapse of the family unit, to Switzerland's, and see what the differences are.
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So, he was an outsider and reported as such. A leftist heavily involved with the soup that is inner city gang killings, cartel action, the lack of education in those locations and the violence it causes. No one in their right mind supports this activity, but leftist policies drive it. That guns are involved, that is made the center point of these problems because it is outwardly convenient. It has little to do with a kid out west living in wide open spaces plinking, yet they become married in leftist minds because....guns. Pinch of exaggeration directed to the law abiding and poof...gun culture problems.
He notes that the Swiss government is intimately involved with training, supporting, and issuing of arms to educate the public for its own defense. There was a time in the U.S. when a civilian branch of the army, the Department of Civilian Marksmanship, loaned rifles, and made available ammunition for the same educational purposes as the Swiss. This is still done somewhat, but in my experience, it becomes somewhat shrouded within NRA affiliated clubs, sort of a backwater for the select few for the most part. No government support for shooting ranges ever existed, except for the police.
The key thing here is government has withdrawn what little support it ever offered in terms of proper firearms training, encouragement for the activity, and seems determined to wipe out the second amendment. It's policies for inner city control, border security, and drug tolerance are legion, probably intentionally designed for failure.
But, people still recognize the need for personal defense and area wide cooperation with just law, regardless of how the government trends to undermine it.
Great scenery.
He notes that the Swiss government is intimately involved with training, supporting, and issuing of arms to educate the public for its own defense. There was a time in the U.S. when a civilian branch of the army, the Department of Civilian Marksmanship, loaned rifles, and made available ammunition for the same educational purposes as the Swiss. This is still done somewhat, but in my experience, it becomes somewhat shrouded within NRA affiliated clubs, sort of a backwater for the select few for the most part. No government support for shooting ranges ever existed, except for the police.
The key thing here is government has withdrawn what little support it ever offered in terms of proper firearms training, encouragement for the activity, and seems determined to wipe out the second amendment. It's policies for inner city control, border security, and drug tolerance are legion, probably intentionally designed for failure.
But, people still recognize the need for personal defense and area wide cooperation with just law, regardless of how the government trends to undermine it.
Great scenery.
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Varmint
NES Member
Was that in the 1940s?
I don’t doubt you but I never noticed that in two summers in Switzerland (1980s).
I'm going to push back just a little. Not really at you, but at the heard all to often refrain that the Civilian Marksmanship Program is "a backwater for the select few for the most part".
It's true that the government doesn't loan out rifles anymore to state associations like they did just few years ago. But, they made it possible through discounts for those state affiliates to purchase their own rifles. I think every state has a CMP affiliate club (not NRA) that has rifles to loan out to active competitors. Here in Maine, we have 7 Bushmaster AR15's that are match-ready (new barrels, good triggers, WOA optics, etc). Ready to loan out to members of the Pine Tree Rifle & Pistol Assn ($20 to join, or something ridiculous like that). The only caveat is that the person intends to shoot in Highpower Rifle competitions.
Go on the CMP website and see all they do. Junior programs, instruction clinics, coaching, rifle, pistol, airgun. It's really quite impressive; people just need to access it and participate.
Was that in the 1940s?
I don’t doubt you but I never noticed that in two summers in Switzerland (1980s).
Most of the WWII era defenses have been decommissioned; some are even open to the public as tourist spots or museums.
Some of the Cold War era stuff is still actively maintained.
Some you’ll be hard pressed to notice (fixed guns aimed at infrastructure behind camouflaged ports) and some are entirely hidden, like explosives embedded in bridges when they were built.
There’s no real incentive, or will, to add such defenses to new builds, although it wouldn’t shock me if the engineers know how to drop a section of the roof of the Gotthard Base Tunnel if needed, but an invasion from Italy seems … farfetched.
One of the issues with the video is the self-selected interview group. Yes, there are firearms enthusiasts in Switzerland and it is no great surprise to meet them at a range. You’d have the same luck, and similar comments, by going to HSC.
Conscription is still a thing and you routinely see kids (they’re ALL kids to me now!) in uniform, with Stgw. 90 slung over their shoulder, on the trains. Tourists freak, Swiss laugh at the tourists, guys who are due to perform their 2 weeks in a month or so are sympathetic. But, by and large, most Swiss aren’t avid shooters out every weekend. They do their service, keep their gear at home when not called up and hand it all, including firearms, back when their service is done.
Voters generally back the army, but the strength of that backing is decaying over the decades of peaceful Europe.
R (this is the viewpoint from someone who didn’t need the subtitles in that video)
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