Gallimaufry 3

The bronze statue of the late great screen legend Charlie Chaplin that one sees along the lakeside in beautiful Vevey has "lost" its cane - yet again.  It appears that this misadventure has occurred two or three times before.  The city will replace it once again, according to the Director of Public Spaces for Vevey, who appears resigned to the fact that the city's most famous former resident has an undeniable attraction for souvenir hunters.

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Police in la Suisse romande (French-speaking Switzerland) are beginning to confiscate caches of "soft air" (aka "airsoft") guns.   Until December 2008, these replicas of lethal firearms were unregulated and the guns were treated as toys.

Under the 2008 revision of Swiss law, such guns are classified as "weapons," and may not be sold to individuals under 18, persons with criminal convictions, or nationals from certain countries.  Those who import them must have licenses to do so.  Private individuals may import up to three and that license to do so expires within six months.  Commercial sales are legal so long as the sale is not prohibited under any of the above restrictions.  If sales are between private parties, there must be a written contract between both parties and both parties are required to keep the contract for ten years.  It is illegal to carry such weapons in a public place.  There is even a Swiss Airsoft Federation that provides more information about legal use of these weapons.

There was an article in today's paper reporting how these guns concern local police authorities.  Four such weapons, which were being used by four adolescents playing at "Rambo" in a school yard, were confiscated by police and will ultimately be destroyed.  Sixty-two guns were confiscated in Geneva  in 2009.  While the police acknowledge that the majority of those were being used as toys by young people, they are concerned that police might mistake them for true firearms and open fire with their own.  They are also concerned that persons may use them to commit real crimes.  The replicas are so realistic that some have indeed done so, especially in France.  Out of 3,500 reported crimes there, 2,000 were committed with "soft air" guns.  In Switzerland, there is not yet enough data to understand the impact.  But the article notes that the psychological trauma for victims of crime is the same, whether the weapon is real or not.

This article attracted my attention because I am all too aware of the situation in my own country, where it seems that any restrictions on gun ownership and carrying guns in public places are found to be unreasonable by a disproportionately powerful minority.  That is simply insane.  I grew up among hunters and lived in areas that could be considered rural, even remote.  Most hunters I knew then - and now - were extremely conscious of how to use, store and maintain firearms responsibly.  They did so, carefully, reasonably, wisely and, most of all, safely.  Unfortunately, it is hard for them to understand that not everyone is like them, that there are people who simply "must" have semi-automatic weapons - the more, the better - and in urban areas.  That is not safe; it is not wise; and it has led the US to have one of the highest rates of gun violence globally.  Many of these people actually use those weapons on their fellow citizens.  When I read about or see these recent rallies on TV where people in the US are actually packing firearms, I wonder whether they have totally lost their minds.  I am not alone.

It is also ironic.  The Second Amendment to the US Constitution was written at a time when each state had its militia and each male citizen was expected to be part of that militia.  It made sense to keep and bear arms in one's home at the time.  Circumstances and the need for firearms in the home have changed significantly since then.  In Switzerland, universal conscription is still the practice and all able-bodied male citizens must keep fully-automatic firearms at home in case of a call-up.  Further, all able-bodied male citizens between 20 and 34 must perform military service.  While they are enrolled in the military, they must keep their government-issued firearms in their homes.  Swiss citizens are able to purchase surplus military weapons but they must be licensed and shooting is a popular sport here, with target practice often required on weekends.  Unlicensed persons may not own or carry weapons and all owners are legally responsible for third party access and usage.  Ironically, even with all the guns around here, Switzerland has been found by at least one study to be one of the safest countries where firearms are generally accessible.

Right entails responsibility.  It's as simple as that.  If one has a right, but does not exercise it responsibly, one should not be surprised if that right is reasonably restricted in the public interest.  I fear too often that people get so focused on the "right" that the "responsibility" is lost altogether.  When that happens, we all lose but some, tragically, lose everything.  Saddest of all is that we cannot even seem to have a dialogue about this issue without some literally frothing at the mouth or screaming obscenities.  Frankly, I like living in a country where police are concerned about "soft air" weapons, where they try to inform rather than simply to punish - even though it is true that confiscated weapons are destroyed - and where they are concerned about the safety and well-being of all.  

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Chaplin liked it here too!