RE: The Physiological Thrill of Using a Weapon
I live Switzerland. Where (almost) every able bodied man has his service rifle at home (and some women) and has to shoot his weapon at least once a year as part of the militia training.
You can buy ammunition with a criminal record certificate. Same for buying a weapon. A clean criminal record is enough to get a weapons acquisition certificate.
With the result that Switzerland is on Place 4 for guns per 100 residents. Yet Switzerland is on Place 147 for murder rate.
For comparison: the United Kingdom is on place 71 for murder rate and there you are not allowed to carry anything considered a weapon. Which even includes butter knifes. The Rowan Atkinson clip where Mr. Brean makes himself a sandwich in the park isn't possible in real live as you are not allowed to carry a butter knife in public in England.
There must be something else between feeling powerful because you carry a weapon and actually drawing the weapon and using it to do violence.
This depends on the psychology of the people in question. Switzerland is likely to have a well developed and well controlled culture. This is what the stereotype suggests at the very least. We can see in examples like France that high consumption of saturated fats and alcohol do not necessarily predict obesity and alcoholism rates, due to the appropriate conditioning being present from birth. The Swiss custom, insofar as I understand it, is to carry a rifle in case of invasion, thereby protecting the populous and government. Conversely, in America, the major site of gun related deaths, the point of owning a gun is to be able to resist the government, and possibly the populous as well. Guns here are being used as a source of rebellion. The culture of rebelling through firearm use is solidified in the American constitution, which may or may not increase the incidence rate of firearm killings. I suspect the culture has more to do in a situation such as this. It's important to note that in Australia, where firearms did not, insofar as I'm aware, have an established culture, the banning of guns was able to effectively halt firearm killings. Take that as you will.
@seaberry you make excellent points and I agree. My posts over the past few weeks leading to this one concentrate on the physiological body response when violence is the issue. There's a million and one studies of the social aspects and the psychological input but they're just catching up when it comes what happens inside, chemically.
My work was simply to highlight the fact that there's more to it than we are generally told, and hopefully to get people talking and thinking.
I'd be interested to find out @krischik if physical abuse against children, vulnerable adults or even between bullies and rival gangs exist in Switzerland, as my point (as stated) focused on guns but the wider implications that the perceived "power" any weapon can offer was my true point. Any statistical input on that?
Thanks for reading and joining in both of you. I hope we all learn something. ...
Of course it exist as no country if free of darkness.
What I do know is that domestic abuse carries from one generation to the next. If you where abused as a child the likelihood of becoming abuser yourself increases.
Don't get me wrong: Most people are not abusers and being abused does not automatically make you an abuser. Just the likelihood increases.
Since you speak from the American perspective I suggest that you look into infant circumcision and aggression. There is possibility that the pain of infant circumcision is not forgotten after a week as the they make you believe but subconsciously remembered and, see above, increases your likelihood of becoming an abuser.
And since you are also speak about chemicals affecting the brain: Circumcision significantly reduces sexual pleasure. Which could lead to frustration and might make you look for alternatives means to gain a dopamine kick or make you more aggressive.
In Switzerland circumcision is almost unheard of.
I think you're getting off the point a little. I was not stating that psychology etc isn't in part responsible but that the basic cave man instincts and physiological actions and reactions are just as much a part in acts of violence ... for your additional information I am not American and and am interested in ALL aspects as a matter of personal interest. Have a look at my previous posts and i think you'll get where I'm coming from. For example the one on violent reactions from babies. .. who have never encountered violence.
It's an emotive subject and to make people think, consider and take on board additional information is the aim. If a person has their view and refuses to acknowledge that there may be other effects of any new information (in any subject) that is entirely up to that person.
I think the comments of circumcision is a little off topic and again from personal experience i can say not all of your statement is entirely a fact for everyone. .. but that is not a discussion to have on this post which is about the chemical response to using a weapon.
But i thank you for your input and information. It's always good to get other views. :)
And to and from the range to do your mandatory training. You see armed people quite often on the road or public transport.
There is also a strong tradition of general sports shooting. But either way, it's indeed not a source of rebellion.
Same for the UK. But UK now has a problem with knife killings. Now the UK bans knifes. But will that help when the underlying culture stays the same?
My question is not gun related. I am asking because you say you are from Switzerland? What can you tell me about Switzerland and its ability to remain "neutral" during times of war? I hate to have to be the one to say this, but, if Hitler (for example) had world domination on his mind, why would he ever have the heart to respect your country's desire to remain neutral? What does your country have that others do not? (besides being surrounded by mountains that may or may not be difficult to pass?) I am asking you this because I always thought it was a weird page from history. I mean, does the "owner of the world" live in your Country or something? Thank you in advance. <3
Many people I spoke of mention the banks and that you don't attack your own bank.
However I don't think so. Switzerland has a militia. On the first glance this is similar to a conscripted reservists army. But there is one important difference: The Swiss militiamen keep there riffle and other military equipment at home.
Switzerland could have mobilised more then half a million armed men in in less then a day. And not just armed but also well trained. The Swiss militiamen have to do mandatory riffle training showing a that they can shoot there weapon with a certain minimum accuracy. Or redo your training until you can.
An accuracy a freshly conscripted soldier can't match. Especially since the Swiss riffles at the day where known for there accuracy. Switzerland still has sporting competition where only militia issued riffles are permitted. The Swiss take great pride in there accuracy.
Would you want to invade a country where half a million sharpshooters are waiting for you hidden behind every bush? Bushes in very difficult terrain. Remember :You have to leave your tank eventually. You can't live in tanks forever.
Mind you: Hitler would have still done it eventually if he had won WWII.
PS: I am a German expat living Switzerland but if Switzerland was attacked today I would take my riffle (yes I have one) and fight side by with the Swiss nationals to defend the country I have lived in for so many years.
Related link:
https://www.quora.com/How-strong-was-the-Swiss-Military-compared-to-the-Germans-during-World-War-2-Would-the-Swiss-have-been-able-to-resist-a-German-invasion
Thanks for the response and sharing that link. I will check it out. Yeah, I get ya now. The 3rd Reich was probably waiting until they had all of Europe, Asia and Africa conquered before trying to go for Switzerland. They would of probably needed that extra help.
Sounds like Switzerland may be my kind of place. Is it easy to get in there and become a Citizen? I am looking at options to get out of America before my family and I are killed by our own, violent Citizenry.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Take care! <3