On Fri, 20 Jul 2001 12:46:44 -0700
"Sandy Sandfort"
Folks,
Here's a Swiss military museum site:
http://www.cybershooters.org/morges_museum.htm
Here's what they say about Swiss firearms ownership:
One of the most common things you will find in Swiss homes, the SIG 90 assault rifle. The Swiss Army comprises 450,000 men who are given their service rifles and who have to complete a minimum of two weeks service each year, serving from the age of 18 until they are 50 (this age will be dropped to 45 soon). After completing their service, the fully-automatic capability of the rifle is permanently disabled, and the rifle is given back to the former soldier who may keep it. Soldiers are also issued a comprehensive cleaning kit, three 20-round magazines, and a "corn-beef can" of 50 rounds of 5.6mm ammunition, as well as a bayonet. Swiss soldiers must practice their marksmanship regularly under the terms of the Obligatory Rifle Shooting Programme. Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world, yet maintains a remarkably low homicide and armed crime rate.
The part I like is that the wording suggests that the writer is surprises that a population can have a lot of guns and "yet maintains a remarkably low homicide and armed crime rate." Duh.
Hmm... my reading of the page, particularly given the domain the page is at and the banners at the bottom, is that the author is using irony. I doubt he or she is really surprised.