OfTheCross
Veteran
I agree. But this is something much deeper than guns. Switzerland has a stunningly high rate of gun ownership — here's why it doesn't have mass shootings
This country has a mantra it's unwilling to let go of.
Swiss authorities decide on a local level whether to give people gun permits. They also keep a log of everyone who owns a gun in their region, known as a canton, though hunting rifles and some semiautomatic long arms are exempt from the permit requirement.
But cantonal police don't take their duty dolling out gun licenses lightly. They mightconsult a psychiatrist or talk with authorities in other cantons where a prospective gun buyer has lived before to vet the person.
People who've been convicted of a crime or have an alcohol or drug addiction aren't allowed to buy guns in Switzerland.
The law also states that anyone who "expresses a violent or dangerous attitude" won't be permitted to own a gun.
Gun owners who want to carry their weapon for "defensive purposes" also have to provethey can properly load, unload, and shoot their weapon and must pass a test to get a license.