Jan

24

2013

What I learned hitchhiking in Switzerland

by Tim Condon

This is kind of interesting:

The thing is, I remember asking about just this issue when I was a hippie back in the 1970′s, hitchhiking across Europe and North Africa. When I entered Switzerland across the northern border of Italy…

…I got a ride with a young businessman (he was really exercised about the superhighways that were then being built, saying “We’re a small country, we don’t need this crap!”). I asked him if it was true that everyone had a machine gun (aka a battle rifle with a selector on it) and hand grenades and the such in their home. He said yes, every young man (and woman? I can’t remember), when s/he turned a certain age had to report for several months training with the Swiss military. It kind of sounded like a three or four-month program. Part of that program was getting issued a battle rifle and ammunition, which were required to be kept in one’s home. “Well, wouldn’t that mean that someone could use the rifle to rob a bank or something?” I asked. “Oh no!” he responded. “No one would ever do that!”

“No one would ever rob a bank in Switzerland?” I asked back.

“No, no,” he said. “They might rob a bank, but they would never use their military rifle! That is for the fatherland. They would get another gun to rob a bank….”

I smiled. Those Swiss! Are they great or what?

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by Tim Condon

I’ve been political my entire life, starting out with Barry Goldwater and The Conscience of a Conservative in the1960's. In 1967 I enlisted in the U.S. Marines for four years, spending nearly two of them in South Vietnam. In 1972 I was a Florida presidential elector for Prof. John Hospers, the first Presidential candidate of the national Libertarian Party which was founded that same year. During the late 1970's and into the 1980's I was a contributing editor and monthly columnist for Reason magazine, and I’ve authored numerous articles in the print and online media about various subjects relating to individual rights and personal freedom. Today I'm a lawyer by profession; I divide my time between New Hampshire and Florida all year long, spending much of my time practicing law in Florida. As an early supporter and past member of the board of directors of the Free State Project, I was drawn to the Live Free or Die state of New Hampshire in late 2003 when it was chosen by a vote of the first 5,000 FSP participants. In 2004 I founded the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, and continue today to work within the state political system to advance the traditional NH values of frugal small government, low taxes, small business, free enterprise, and self-responsibility. To all, I say "Come and see what we are building in the beautiful, healthy, livable Free State of New Hampshire!"

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Leave a Comment

  • Kevin Kervick

    Yes, but the interesting part is that the gun is issued by the federal government, apparently to protect the people from invasion. I would imagine that all guns are thus registered too. This is inconsistent with the US second amendment philosophy that holds guns are primarily for protecting people from crime and from their own government.

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