The gun tradition is the expression of our free citizen Country.
You can particulary see it in the recent attacks against our gun tradition. They constantly try to infrige our right to own private guns. An increasing number of political actions aim to remove the issued rifle from the hands of the citizen/soldier. If those actions should succeed, Switzerland would loose a big part of what actually makes Switzerland what it is.
Switzerland do not recognize different classes, higher or lower, like some other countries. No nobles, no ellitist casts of officials, no classes of career officers to represent our history, to embody the Country and represent it like an authority upon the citizen, the soldier, or the taxpayer. This is why our government never had to fear armed citizens, because citizens and the government are one and the same. It is not a suprise that authoritarian coutries forbid their citizen to own firearms; the master only allow his own men to bear arms.
The Swiss model is different, more democratic, more inclined to liberty. Their is no contrast in between the State and the citizens. A free state is our common project. The State is the citizens, and we, the citizens are the State. We, that we are the people, we are our own sovereign. There is no other way, of the one in which the sovereign people bear arms, and form a militia army which finally grant that order.
The citizen is the soldier, and the solider is the citizen. This simple equation is the main part of the nature of our milita system. The ones arguing that an armed citizen is dangerous, that he represents a risk, deny his self-responsabilty. And if you follow this logic, this lack of trust about the population leads to an authoritary and administrative State.
The ones that want to take his guns away from the citizen, actually mean that he is not responsible enough. From this point, the State would patronize it's citizens (treat them like children). And soon this logic would not only apply to guns. Why do you think a person you do not trust about legally owning guns, can be part of political decisions that will affect our common future ? Why a citizen considered irresponsbile should vote on themes that concern the destiny of our country ? Unfortuntely this will to patronize people does not only apply to guns..
