Switzerland - Gun control turned down

(found on another site)

The initiatives regurgitated the same BS as everywhere else. Gun control is needed to lower crime, guns are dangerous in hands of unqualified people, guns are used to commit suicide, private gun ownership makes it easy for criminals and terrorist to have access to guns and so on. We heard it all before. In addition the initiatives demanded that the army should stop the practice of letting soldiers take assault rifles and other weapons home and instead turn them in to the army arsenals. A separate initiative demanded a law that firearms should be stored in a locked cabinet (nobody in Switzerland locks their guns away, uses trigger locks, or stores them in a gun case.)

Yesterday my concerns ended by a ruling of Switzerland’s highest court, the constitutional court. I am not going to translate all 15 pages of it just a few tidbits.

The court turned the initiatives down before they made to the parliament for debate. The court concluded.

Any form of gun control, including proficiency testing as mandatory requisite to firearm ownership is a direct violation of the constitution, in addition the court warned that such measures must be regarded, as outlined in the constitution, as and attempt of high treason against the country and people.

The court further concluded that rising crime, world wide instability and terrorism are even more, NOT LESS, reason to keep a well armed citizenry in order to uphold and guarantee peace, freedom and ward of enemies from outside or within the borders of the country.

The court further concludes that the argument that guns are used in suicide is no reason to limit access to weapons. The constitution clearly states that the government shall not infringe upon a free persons individual decision unless that decision threatens the safety and freedom of other members of the community or the state. Suicide, the court ruled, doesn’t threaten the safety and freedom, or harm others and therefore the state has no right to interfere or attempt to prevent that person’s decision. A free man has the guaranteed right to do with his life as it suits him and therefore such person has the right to end his own life at his own will.

As to locking away guns and mandatory trigger locks the court ruled that, to keep arms in any manner that would prevent quick access defeats the purpose of fast response in defense situation against intruders. Storing firearms in a locked room or disabling them temporarily is against the constitution which rules that free Swiss citizens should OPENLY own, display and bear arms as a means of defense and as a visible sign of a free man.

The court addressed the rising crime argument with. Every single research this court had read in the past proves that gun control and, or bans result in an increase of violent crimes. It is logical to assume that taking away the means of defense will increase crime simply due to the fact that there is no risk factor for criminals to consider. To curb violent crime this court recommends that the existing criminal laws be fully applied with no exception and to the highest extent possible.

In the same wash the court ruled against another initiative that would have outlawed smoking in public places. Again the court ruled that a smoking ban is a direct violation of the constitution, which forbids the government to establish any rules, and laws that infringe upon the personal choice right of every free Swiss citizen. There is not enough independent evidence from which this court could conclude that secondhand smoke bears a health risk to others. Therefore this court views any law proposals that would outlaw smoking in public places as constitutional violation.

A big weight has been lifted of my shoulders with that decision. I am pleased to see that there are still judges in the constitutional court that are not swayed by liberal and new world order thinking.