Swiss voters reject anti-gun initiative

[Hazcat]

by Morven McLean, swissinfo.ch

Voters have thrown out a controversial initiative on restricting access to firearms in a nationwide ballot on Sunday.

Final results showed just over 56 per cent of votes had been cast against the initiative which sought to ban army-issue guns from the home.

A majority of cantons voted against the initiative. Support came from several, mainly urban regions including Geneva, Basel and Zurich. Opposition was strongest in rural areas in eastern and central Switzerland as well as in the southern Italian-speaking canton of Ticino.

--SNIP--

Launched four years ago, the initiative sought to introduce stricter rules for gun possession, notably a nationwide database and a more comprehensive licensing system.
 
It hoped to reduce the number of suicides and incidents of domestic violence.
 
Parliament and the gun lobby opposed the proposal, arguing tighter laws would undermine trusted Swiss values and cherished traditions, in particular the militia army.
 
The government said current laws were sufficient to protect against misuse.

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/Home/Archive/Swiss_reject_anti-gun_initiative_.html?cid=29484482

More and comments at link

[tombogan03884]

Now THAT is a "European model" I can support !!! 

[Solus]

Good news, but a slim margin.   

They will work to widen that gap if they are wise.

[tombogan03884]

Maybe they can get some one to invade ? They are bordered by Italy, France, Austria, and Germany, none of which has a very high success rate.  

[TAB]

Now THAT is a "European model" I can support !!! 

56% is still pretty damn close... the population is only about 7.5 mill.  figure on 5 mill voters   thats only a 300k vote margin.  thats not what I would call steller.  thats litterly one years birth rate.

[Sponsor]

[Ichiban]

Support came from several, mainly urban regions including Geneva, Basel and Zurich. Opposition was strongest in rural areas in eastern and central Switzerland as well as in the southern Italian-speaking canton of Ticino.

Do they put something in the water supply of cities that makes them think like this or is it just part of the "living in the city" experience?   

[Hazcat]

Do they put something in the water supply of cities that makes them think like this or is it just part of the "living in the city" experience?   

If ya read the comments they blame it on French and Germans moving into the cities.  Same problem we in the South have with our liberal Northerners!

[tombogan03884]

You got plenty of liberals of your own. Quit blaming the Northerners.
Southern Poverty Law Center is purely Southern.

[Timothy]

If ya read the comments they blame it on French and Germans moving into the cities.  Same problem we in the South have with our liberal Northerners!

Said the man from Pittsburgh....

 

It's not necessarily northerners, it's the urban centers replete with bottom dwellers.

[tombogan03884]

Boston and NY.  Basically your Dem Party bastions.
Which brings up another subject, Did you know NY never agreed to the Declaration of Independence ? The majority of the State legislature opposed it, in the infighting in the state they delayed sending instructions to their delegation who took it upon themselves to sign more or less as private individuals.


http://www.usconstitution.net/constamrat.html

Mass, Ga. and Conn. were  the last states to ratify the constitution, not doing so until the Eve of WWII March and April of 1939