A Monday letter states that violent crime is rampant in England and Australia and that in Switzerland firearms ownership is mandatory.
The murder rate in the United States is 43 per 100,000 population. The murder rate in England and Australia is 14 and 15 per 100,000 population, respectively. So tell me again which country has rampant crime?
In Switzerland, all males are required to perform military service starting at age 20 and be in the reserve militia until age 30. During that time they are required to keep the militia weapon in their home. After their military service they have the option of keeping the weapon, but if they choose to do so it must be converted to a semi-automatic. This is probably a lot more like the model the U.S. Founding Fathers had in mind.
Jerry Fraser
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