Absolute bull.

For starters, it was not a 'gun ban', it was adopting a Federal regulation of firearms registration - in which many requirements were relaxed in some states, including NSW (eg, halving the minimum annual number of visits to a registered pistol club in order to keep your pistol shooting licence).

There have long been laws restricting private citizens from having firearms in many states of Australia, as far back as the 18th Century - in fact there was a big problem in 1796, when the government recalled a large number of firearms that had been issued, and got about a sixth accounted for ...

Also, bars on doors and windows? I have a very large extended family, scattered around every state and territory of Australia (except Tasmania ...), and none have bars on doors or windows. None of them have ever been attacked by a person with a firearm, either. Strange, that ... how could that statistical anomaly be? I mean, we've sat down to Christmas lunch at one of our big reunions and there were about 140 of us all together - and none of us have suffered from this rampant gun crime, or even felt the need to put bars in the windows? Bizarre

I'm sorry, but your source lists data from the early 90s. It's utterly useless for this debate.

Sadly I do not have the right to vote, but my wife does.

She will vote "No"

I do not share "your vision of a peaceful future" It sucks. Perhaps you would like us all to eat nut roast as well? I enjoy my shooting and I have little time for people who try to deny me my right to participate in my chosen sport.

Pointless telling me about Australia, I lost too much with the gun ban...

Where I lived everyone had bars on the windows, either in steel or aloy...

every house in my street except mine have been robbed allready. they left a window without bars...

I know the laws too well in Aust. I used to build weapons for the movies as well that stopped with the ban... I miss my hobby, due to idiotic laws

You missed the point. The info is historical, but it shows that controls could lead to good results and that Switzerland does have problems with firearms-death. Hence, the advantages and the need for the initiative.

Why fix what is not broken.

This is my second stint in this wonderful country. My wife, a local bought me a Stgw 90 as a wedding present, which I thought was rather novel. However as my real love is stalking and hunting, it took me a while to get used to having a military rifle in the safe at home. I have grown to enjoy target practise and I have met many wonderful people, men and women both young and old.

Is there a need for Switzerland to maintain a militia in this day and age? That, I can not answer. Is there a need for a firearms register. No, not at all. In order to obtain a Waffenerwerbscien, one has to get a strafregister, basically a criminal background check; if it`s clear, one gets the Waffenerwerschien. The system has worked well in the past and continues to work now. Why change it? The Swiss are renowned as a wonderfully secretive and discreet people; unless the police go knocking on people`s doors and start seaching their cellars, do you really think the Swiss will register or relinquish their arms most of which have been handed down from one generation to another.

Firearms are not the issue...................its the person holding it. More wars have been started with words than with guns, the pen being mightier than the sword. But then again would you hold a pen responsible for a spelling mistake, libel etc....................just asking?

I guess some people don't see the point at all, if you do not take into account the history you will never learn.

As said, the weapons are not the problem its people.

And Switzerland does not have a real firearm problem.

Since being here I only know people who have hanged themselves. a shame as some were friends. we do not discuss banning rope or registering rope?

As its a social problem as well. not a gun problem

First your wife is very romantic...an assault weapon as a wedding gift...who would ask for anything more?

Just a question, why do you feel that there is no need to register a weapon? What is the disadvantage?

Also, why don't you feel it makes sense that a person should show that he can handle a weapon in a proper way...

Is not gun control helping everyone?

Tell that to David Carradine.

I would expect restriction of access to firearms and ammunition will result in less deaths or maiming by firearms. But will other methods be substituted for to the same, more or to a lesser extent?

As is my wont, I went looking for facts and did the following:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourc...ut=googleabout

and "loaded" the first link

http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?...=1&oi=scholart
This doesn't appear to consider substitution of firearms for non-firearms.

But the above paper cited this one, which does:

Recent psychopathology, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts in households with and without firearms: findings from the National Comorbidity Study Replication

So it was only one search, 3 clicks and 5-10 minutes of reading to come up with something approaching objectivity on this issue.

Does anyone know of any more peer-reviewed studies that measure the effects on violence when access to firearms is restricted?

Simple.

Should a government gone crazy decide to confiscate all weapons of law-abiding citizens, they would know where they are.

Bad idea.

Tom

The approach here is way too Anglo-Saxon. It's not possible to apply the conditioned mentality to Switzerland. The issues are just not the same. This is a neutral peaceful country, there is no need.
Reading some of you, makes me think y'all grew up in a large dangerous city or somethin'.

I did, and lived through what is happening now, this is why I am concerned and say what I do.

It starts this way...

all respect in society will disapear, and life here will become much harder...

it is hard to understand but it is the way it is...

divide and conquer...

show why guns are bad, it is not the guns that are the problem it is people. here things are not bad at all, keep it this way.

Keep Swiss for Swiss

Yes:

http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi...act/96/10/1752

http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/s...91/3/253?rss=1

The funny thing is this: While the national register is not the most important argument for the initiative, it also not an important argument against it:

Status quo: 26 different registers, linked to each other, so every cantonal plus the federal government actually knows who owns weapons.

With the initiative: 1 central register where the cantonal and the federal government has access.

So much for hiding your guns from the government.

Sam - you are great.

Sound so much like Eddie Izzard's it's not the the guns that kill people it's the people- but I think the guns help don't you?

Ah, but will the US postal service get them here on time?

Or will they go postal?

Tom

Already in! I voted on-line.

I have not problems voting on-line when it is run by the Swiss and no problem with lots of surveillence cameras everywhere, that's how they are catching thugs in Switzerland. It's a big brother I can trust!

Just remind us where you live, again?

Upstate NY and? You can vote on-line it's easy. I just monitored the computerized voting system here, In the US elections.

Well, that might explain why you have no problem with the installation of surveillance cameras in Switzerland.

You know, with it being several thousand miles away and all...