As Dr. Jackson brings up the question of mobilizing humanity in terms of a human project, I can envision a certain human project (other than the one he is referring to) even if it is on a smaller scale. While I will eliminate the option of uniting against an alien invasion in this instance, I know law enforcement partners of democratic societies around the world rally against crime, and that brings me to the gun control issue.
I think it would be an understatement to say that gun control is a divisive issue in our country. As it seems to be an issue that has turned into a contest about values, it is unlikely that the gun rights supporters will see eye to eye with those who oppose it anytime soon. Unless, of course, we change how we see the issue entirely. Culture is, once again, the answer.
The article published in the Atlantic earlier this year, titled “The Swiss Have Liberal Gun Laws, Too (But they also have fewer gun-related deaths than the U.S.)”[3] explores the question of what Swiss guns are meant to defend against. The Swiss trust their government more than citizens of other rich countries trust theirs, including the United States. The tradition of gun ownership in Switzerland arose more from the historic need to protect the homeland from invaders than from the hypothetical need to overthrow a tyrannical government. When it comes to the notion of safety and responsibility, it is deeply rooted in culture passed from generation to generation.
“There’s the question of what Swiss guns are meant to defend against. It is a question of trust between the state and the citizen. The citizen is not just a citizen, he is also a soldier,” Hermann Suter, who at the time was vice president of the Swiss gun-rights group Pro Tell, told the BBC. “The gun at home is the best way to avoid dictatorships—only dictators take arms away from the citizens.”
The country’s cultural attachment to firearms resembles America’s in some ways, however it has no constitutional right to bear arms. It has the third-highest rate of private gun ownership in the world (behind the United States and Yemen), yet Switzerland has a low rate of gun crime, and there hasn’t been a mass shooting since 2001. What’s interesting to the members of our society is not that gun ownership in Switzerland has historic roots spanning into mandatory military service for Swiss men between the ages of 18 and 34, but the fact that guns are popular beyond the military. Children as young as 12 are taught how to shoot as well as the rules of gun safety, and are encouraged to participate in highly popular target-shooting competitions.
[1] The
Animal Spirit Doctrine and the Origins of Neurophysiology, C.U.M. Smith,
et al., Oxford University Press, 2012.
[2] Plutarch, De
garrulitate
This is a good conversation starter. I wasn't aware that Switzerland had such high gun ownership. I think you are right that culture plays a big role when it comes to gun control. In Switzerland, you mention that they have mandatory military service for Swiss men between 18-34. This probably helps create a more disciplined society - a big benefit of military training - and people who are smarter with their guns. Switzerland also has a very homogeneous society which probably contributes to less violence.
ReplyDeleteLooking domestically, I think we're starting to see a culture shift around gun control. This is evident in the younger generations being much more vocal on the issue and putting pressure on political leaders to listen. As this culture spreads, I think we'll see an evolution in the conversation.