Switzerland decides to keep its guns

It was interesting to see the Swiss referendum process in play this weekend. On Sunday, Swiss voters decided in a referendum that they'd be able to keep their automatic weapons in their homes. We've seen signs in opposition to the referendum along the roads here. (Picture below is the same as the sign we see except in German rather than French.)

Opposition poster to the Swiss gun control.
Why do you think they chose this guy?
(Basically, it says, "Do you want criminals
to be the only ones with weapons?")

Here's a link to a news story on the failure of the gun control referendum. I'm copying a few of my favorite quotes from the story.

"Pollsters said the referendum was backed by a majority of women but overwhelmingly rejected by men. One poll taken shortly before the vote found a 24-point difference between the sexes, the widest ever recorded in Switzerland. Exit polls indicated that men turned out in greater numbers than women to swing the referendum their way."


"Ueli Maurer, the Swiss Defence Minister, had marked the campaign by claiming that women "don't know anything about weapons", sparking a wave of anger among female voters."


"Debate centred on the right of Switzerland's conscript army to keep weapons at home when their military service, which is compulsory for all men aged between 18 and 34, ends. The policy is designed to ensure that Switzerland is ready to fight off invaders at the drop of a hat since men only have to take their Swiss SG 550 assault rifles out of the cupboard to start shooting. But critics point out that the country has not been invaded since 1798 and that the law is a source of danger."


And, the money quote:


"There are an estimated two million weapons in circulation for a population of eight million, the third highest rate in the world behind the US and Yemen." [Emphasis mine.]

"Protect families." One of the pro-gun control posters. You can see
why the other side won....