https://www.truthorfiction.com/swiss-gun-policy

Summary of eRumor:

This is a forwarded email alleging that Switzerland equips every adult male with a gun, trains them and mandates that they maintain marksmanship personal qualifications. Because of this the gun related crimes in Switzerland are almost nonexistent.

The Truth:

This is true according to a September 27, 2001 article by Britain’s BBC that said “the country has a population of six million, but there are estimated to be at least two million publicly-owned firearms, including about 600,000 automatic rifles and 500,000 pistols.”

The BBC said that over the centuries Switzerland developed a unique system of national defense where every adult man is required to take some form of military training. The training continues for most of their lives and can last a few days or weeks throughout the year.  Men between the ages of 21 and 32 will serve as frontline troops. Each man is issued an M-57 assault rifle with 24 rounds of ammunition, “which they are required to keep at home.”  After their service is completed they are discharged but continue to serve in a Swiss version of the U.S. National Guard.  Their training continues but less frequently and they are issued bolt rifles.

As for the statistics of murders around the world, they are in accurate and may be out of date.  TruthOrFiction.Com found that such data taken from the United Nations website have variations as to the year the information for each country was gathered.  This would result in a less accurate report.

Sample report found posted on the website Maps of the World

Posted 03/20/14

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

SWITZERLAND’S REASON FOR LOW MURDER RATE:

WORLD MURDER STATISTICS From the World Health Organization

Places NOT to go!

This is FASCINATING! WORLD MURDER STATISTICS Murders per 100,000 citizens per year.

Honduras 91.6 (WOW!!)

El Salvador 69.2

Cote d’lvoire 56.9

Jamaica 52.2

Venezuela 45.1

Belize 41.4

US Virgin Islands 39.2

Guatemala 38.5

Saint Kitts and Nevis 38.2

Zambia 38.0 Uganda 36.3

Malawi 36.0

Lesotho 35.2

Trinidad and Tobago 35.2

Colombia 33.4

South Africa 31.8

Congo 30.8

Central African Republic 29.3

Bahamas 27.4

Puerto Rico 26.2

Saint Lucia 25.2

Dominican Republic 25.0

Tanzania 24.5

Sudan 24.2

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 22.9

Ethiopia 22.5

Guinea 22.5

Dominica 22.1

Burundi 21.7

Democratic Republic of the Congo 21.7

Panama 21.6

Brazil 21.0

Equatorial Guinea 20.7

Guinea-Bissau 20.2

Kenya 20.1

Kyrgyzstan 20.1

Cameroon 19.7

Montserrat 19.7

Greenland 19.2

Angola 19.0

Guyana 18.6

Burkina Faso 18.0

Eritrea 17.8

Namibia 17.2

Rwanda 17.1

Mexico 16.9

Chad 15.8

Ghana 15.7

Ecuador 15.2

North Korea 15.2

Benin 15.1

Sierra Leone 14.9

Mauritania 14.7

Botswana 14.5

Zimbabwe 14.3

Gabon 13.8

Nicaragua 13.6

French Guiana 13.3

Papua New Guinea 13.0

Swaziland 12.9

Bermuda 12.3

Comoros 12.2

Nigeria 12.2

Cape Verde 11.6

Grenada 11.5

Paraguay 11.5

Barbados 11.3

Togo 10.9

Gambia 10.8

Peru 10.8

Myanmar 10.2

Russia 10.2

Liberia 10.1

Costa Rica 10.0

Nauru 9.8

Bolivia 8.9

Mozambique 8.8

Kazakhstan 8.8

Senegal 8.7

Turks and Caicos Islands 8.7

Mongolia 8.7

British Virgin Islands 8.6

Cayman Islands 8.4

Seychelles 8.3

Madagascar 8.1

Indonesia 8.1

Mali 8.0

Pakistan 7.8

Moldova 7.5

Kiribati 7.3

Guadeloupe 7.0

Haiti 6.9

Timor-Leste 6.9

Anguilla 6.8

Antigua and Barbuda 6.8

Lithuania 6.6

Uruguay 5.9

Philippines 5.4

Ukraine 5.2

Estonia 5.2

Cuba 5.0

Belarus 4.9

Thailand 4.8

Suriname 4.6

Laos 4.6

Georgia 4.3

Martinique 4.2

And …………………………………….. The United States 4.2 !!!!!!!!!!!!

ALL (109) of the countries above the USA have 100% gun bans. It might be of interest to note that SWITZERLAND is not shown on this list because it has: NO MURDER OCCURRENCE!

However, SWITZERLAND ‘S law requires that EVERY ADULT MALE: 1. Be issued a gun. 2. Be trained in its use. 3. Maintain Marksman qualifications …. regularly. Did you learn anything from this – like our politicians are up to their usual, and it is not in our favor. The message is – loud and clear –  GUN BANS AND RESTRICTIONS DO NOT WORK!