Editorial: Gun Control Doesn't Stop Gun Crimes

[Richard S]

This editorial from The Free Press of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was reprinted today in our local newspaper. I think it deserves to be shared.

[size=10]Gun control doesn’t stop gun crimes  
Citizen Tribune
2/24/2011 11:02:12 AM
 
When you think of the nation of Switzerland, you may think of its Alpine peaks, its high-quality watches or its renowned chocolate. You may also think of the peaceful nature of its people. Not only have the Swiss long stayed out of the wars that raged around them, but the rate of violent crime is low.

One other thing for which Switzerland is famous is its high rate of private gun ownership. By one estimate, there are 46 guns for every 100 people in Switzerland.

But the rate of murder involving guns is low in Switzerland. In 2009, for instance, only one murder per 300,000 people was committed with a gun.

That’s a pretty strong indication that gun rights are not the "cause" of violent crime. In fact, private gun ownership heads off many violent crimes, because criminals cannot be sure which of their potential victims might be armed.

It’s not surprising, therefore, that the peaceful Swiss recently voted strongly against tight gun-control proposals. That makes sense. Law-abiding Swiss will retain their broad right to possess firearms, rather than leave guns mainly in the hands of criminals who do not mind breaking gun-control laws.

Not everyone desires to have a gun. Nor is everyone competent or responsible enough to own a firearm. But whether in Switzerland or the United States, responsible, legal gun ownership is not the cause of violent crime.


The Free Press, Chattanooga, Tenn.[/size]

[JR956678]

I think it deserves to be shared.

Indeed it does. Switzerland comes up often in studies about violent crime rates as theirs is very low. Their gun ownership rate is very high as well - and what is not mentioned in this article is that many of the guns owned by private citizens are the service weapons issued to them when they served their compulsory military service and are in many cases fully automatic rifles.

I recently read a post by a PA resident - a woman who worked in corrections. After spending years of dealing with convicted felons and hearing their history of violent crime, she finally decided that this would never happen to her and she applied for and got her PA CCW permit (we call it a LTCF - License To Carry Firearms in this state) and purchased a pistol which she carries all the time. She knew - firsthand - that the thing most felons feared the most was that their intended victim would be armed and so she decided that she would always be armed.

This fear is iterated often in studies - John Lott's seminal work says the same thing but it takes on a more personal meaning when you read it posted by someone with firsthand personal experience.

I think the Swiss are on to something and while I don't believe that the high percentage of gun ownership is the only factor in their low crime rate, I do believe that it's one of them.