[2022] Switzerland has a stunningly high rate of gun ownership — here’s why it doesn’t have mass shootings

May 10, 2023May 10, 2023 Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Switzerland has a stunningly high rate of gun ownership — here’s why it doesn’t have mass shootings

Switzerland hasn’t taken part in any international armed conflict since 1815, but some Swiss soldiers help with peacekeeping missions around the world.

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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 might consult a psychiatrist or talk with authorities in other cantons where a prospective gun buyer has lived before to vet the person.

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Gun owners who want to carry their weapon for “defensive purposes” also have to prove they can properly load, unload, and shoot their weapon and must pass a test to get a license.

Switzerland is also one of the richest, healthiest, and, by some measures, happiest countries in the world.

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The Swiss have been consistently near the top of this list. In 2017, when Switzerland was ranked fourth overall among nations, the report authors noted that the country tends to do well on “all the main factors found to support happiness: caring, freedom, generosity, honesty, health, income and good governance.”

Meanwhile, according to the report, happiness has taken a dive over the past decade in the US.

The report authors cite “declining social support and increased corruption,” as well as addiction and depression for the fall.

Related:

Switzerland

The Shocking Truth About U.S. and Canada’s Coming Invasion of Haiti

March 23, 2023March 23, 2023 Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

President Biden is flying to Canada to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss the coming invasion of Haiti. In this video, we explore the shocking truth about the involvement of the United States and Canada in destabilizing Haiti. With recent developments and allegations of interference from the Biden administration, it’s important to understand the historical and current context of U.S. and Canadian involvement in Haiti. From political meddling to economic exploitation, we delve into the complex web of factors that have contributed to the current state of affairs.
The Shocking Truth About U.S. and Canada’s Coming Invasion of Haiti – What You Need to Know! via Redacted

UN calls for foreign intervention in Haiti as violence surges

Woman Calls 911 for Help, has Firearms Confiscated by Police

November 23, 2022November 23, 2022 Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The area around New York City is known for being anti-gun, but Nassau County’s latest move takes gun control to a whole new level. Nassau County had suspended a pistol permit and confiscated a citizen’s firearms for calling 911 when her life was threatened and not reporting the call to the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) Pistol License Section.
Woman Calls 911 for Help, has Firearms Confiscated by Police

H/T: John Crump News

New York State requires three years of social media posts, to be turned in to law enforcement, 18 hours of firearms safety training, character references, and drug tests in certain counties. I’d never be able to get a concealed carry permit just because I post memes criticizing the government! 😂

Real-looking toy guns are now illegal across New York

November 15, 2022November 15, 2022 Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Starting today, toy guns sold across New York must meet the same strict criteria as in New York City, which requires them to be brightly colored or clear. The goal of a new state law that takes effect Monday is to prevent people from using imitation firearms that could be perceived as real.
Real-looking toy guns are now illegal across New York

The Contagion Effect: From Buffalo to Uvalde, 16 Mass Shootings in Just 10 Days

June 2, 2022June 2, 2022 Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)2 Comments

The latest mass shootings in Texas and New York highlight the frequency of such attacks — and how they can spread like a disease
The Contagion Effect: From Buffalo to Uvalde, 16 Mass Shootings in Just 10 Days

Mass Shootings Are Contagious:

The idea that violence might be contagious is not new. Suicides often cluster, in a phenomenon known as suicide contagion, in which vulnerable people are inspired to take their own lives after reading about the details of previous suicides. In an attempt to stop the contagion, many media outlets abide by voluntary reporting standards to not sensationalize suicides.
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“The contagion that appears to be apparent in the mass killings and school shootings may have something to do with the media coverage,” Towers said.
This doesn’t mean the media shouldn’t report on mass shootings, Towers said. But voluntary efforts to de-emphasize the killer’s name and portrait might help stave off additional shootings.

American Shooter: The Intersection of Alienation and Desperation Under Capitalism

June 2, 2022June 2, 2022 Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)1 Comment

American Shooter: The Intersection of Alienation and Desperation Under Capitalism

Universal Healthcare and Easy Access Mental Health Services
59% of gun deaths are suicides. Getting healthcare in the United States is nigh impossible for many people whether it be the cost of services, lack of insurance, or the stigmatization that comes from seeking medically necessary mental health services. We need to make concerted efforts to ensure that anyone who needs healthcare can walk into a facility and get the help they need with no questions asked nor strings attached. Whether it is nationalizing healthcare or instituting dual power healthcare structures we need to get this done and we need to do it now. Getting people the healthcare they need drastically reduces rates of mental illness while also reducing the rates of economically motivated crime which is sometimes violent in nature.
In May 2002, The Secret Service published a report that examined school shootings. Among much else, they found that the majority of school shooters had difficulty coping with loss and personal failures, attempted suicide, felt persecuted, and exhibited alarming behaviors toward those around them. All of these are signs to immediately provide accessible healthcare, particularly mental healthcare. We need to be proactive about getting people the help they need. Simply scapegoating mental health issues as the conservative gun lobby does is about as helpful as thoughts and prayers. We need to directly address mental healthcare and build the systems that prevent violence.
Stable Food and Housing
Violence is quite often a symptom of economic distress. Ensuring the stable material conditions of a community not only reduces the incentive to commit economically motivated violent crime, but it also reduces interpersonal violent crime. We need to build communities that have affordable housing and accessible food. The fastest and easiest way to work towards both is to ban R1 zoning because this form of zoning creates food deserts, makes communities car dependent, and skyrockets the cost of housing. This is not to say that we should not be working on dual power structures in housing. We also need free lunch and breakfast programs run by local radicals and community-powered housing programs.

Source: Socialist Rifle Association