By contrast, Britain, which has strict gun control laws, had a homicide rate in 1994 of 1.4 per 100,000 population, and a robbery rate of 116 per 100,000. In the wake of the Littleton, Colo., school massacre, Congress is rushing to. But there have been no school massacres in Switzerland, where guns and kids mix freely. At shooting matches, bicycles aplenty are parked outside. While many shoot for sport, all males age 20 to 42 are required to keep rifles or pistols at home.
Gun shops abound.
Yet firearms are rarely used in crime. In America, firearms take on a sinister reputation from the nightly news and violent movies. But in Switzerland, firearms symbolize a wholesome, community activity. And since its founding in 1291, Switzerland has depended on an armed populace for its defense. William Tell used a crossbow not only to shoot the apple from his son's head, but also to kill the tyrant Gessler.