Some Americans say the Swiss right to bear arms is why their homes, schools and borders are safe. But they also have both free mental health care and responsible gun laws.
According to my Swiss relatives, only licensed military, police, security and hunters are allowed to own guns. That’s with months of training and penalties for improper handling or storage. You can’t just pass a 30-minute background check and walk out with a weapon and masses of ammo like in so much of the U.S. You can’t swagger around with a gun on your hip, worrying everyone whether you’re incompetent or crazy.
But you may discreetly transport guns between home, military base, target range or hunting. Otherwise, your rights are taken away.
That’s why the Swiss have half as many gun deaths. And they don’t have the school shootings, drills or lockdowns that traumatize, injure or kill children here.
You can help. Call Congress to demand better background checks and follow-through. Then share the Sandy Hook video “Evan” about shooter warning signs.
We owe it to our children.
Rachel Rich
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519